Jacob Fowler doesn’t seem to have come to terms with his demotion to Laval

Last night, Jacob Fowler made his debut in the 2026–27 season. After finishing last season with the Canadiens, however, he began the new season with the Laval Rocket.

Kent Hughes didn't want a three-way situation with the big club, and Samuel Montembeault has clearly done enough to earn the No. 2 spot.

But what's interesting is that Fowler opened up to the media about all of this… and you can tell the kid still hasn't come to terms with being sent back to Laval.

Fowler said he wasn't really happy with the conversation he had with management when they told him he was going back to the AHL… and as Gabriel Duhamel (NHL.com) reports, the goaltender even went a step further when talking about his performance at camp:

“I think it was enough to earn my spot on the team. I guess not…” – Jacob Fowler

Fowler was sent down to the Rocket last Sunday, at the end of the Canadiens' training camp.

https://t.co/wVEMphGy6b pic.twitter.com/FrJxgZ8aGY

— NHL (@NHL_FR) October 3, 2026

Of course, that doesn't (necessarily) mean the bond of trust between Fowler and the team has been broken. It's likely that the goaltender, who wants to play in the NHL, is mainly disappointed by how things turned out.

Does this put a little pressure on the Habs to find a spot for him in the NHL sooner rather than later? That's certainly possible… even though recent history suggests that Fowler (who has played only 31 regular-season games in the AHL in his career) would benefit from gaining more experience in Laval.

What do most of the Vézina Trophy finalists from the past 10 years have in common?

They played nearly 100 games in the American Hockey League before establishing themselves at the highest level.

That puts the decision to send Jacob Fowler back to Laval into perspective…

— Nicolas Cloutier (@NCloutierTVA) October 3, 2026

One might think that with Samuel Montembeault's contract set to expire at the end of the season (and with trade rumors swirling around him for months), it's only a matter of time before Fowler is back in the Bettman league. But the fact that he isn't there right now is clearly frustrating him.

Let's hope the Habs don't end up alienating their young star: that wouldn't be ideal.

Extension

One might also wonder if Fowler, having seen Montembeault push him aside, is casting (at least some) doubt on the Canadiens' famous meritocracy. After all, it sometimes feels like the contractual situations of certain veterans on the team are preventing young players in the organization from earning spots on the main squad.

Montembeault had a good training camp, so he might not be the best example. But generally speaking, it's worth noting that Fowler and David Reinbacher are in Laval while Florian Xhekaj spends his time in the press box in Montreal… even though all three guys had good training camps.