2025 Laval Rocket vs Cleveland Monsters

Jacob Fowler Looking Likely To Start For Laval Rocket

Jacob Fowler Looking Likely To Start For Laval Rocket

With Cayden Primeau on recall to the Montreal Canadiens, it is looking likely that rookie Jacob Fowler will start for the Laval Rocket on Wednesday.

Apr 30, 2025 by Patrick Williams
Jacob Fowler Looking Likely To Start For Laval Rocket

It is increasingly looking like the Laval Rocket will be without standout goaltender Cayden Primeau for at least the first game of their upcoming Calder Cup Playoff series with the Cleveland Monsters.

Laval, the AHL’s top regular-season team, begins a best-of-five series in Cleveland tonight. Game 2 will be Friday night, also at Cleveland, before the final three games are held at Place Bell.

Primeau joined the parent Montreal Canadiens last Friday after an injury to goaltender Sam Montembeault of Game 3 of the Habs’ first-round series against the Washington Capitals. Montembeault did not play in Game 4 this past Sunday night, as Primeau backed up Jakub Dobeš. NHL.com reported Tuesday that Habs head coach Martin St. Louis did not know whether Montembeault will make the trip to Washington for Game 5 on Wednesday night. Washington has a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and can end it Wednesday night.

If Primeau remains with the NHL club, Laval head coach Pascal Vincent could turn to rookie Jacob Fowler. The 20-year-old, taken by the Canadiens as a 2023 third-round pick, joined Laval late in the season after three standout seasons at Boston College. He made three appearances and went 2-1-0 | 2.32 | .914 with the Rocket. Laval also has recalled goaltender Luke Cavallin from their ECHL affiliate, the Trois-Rivières Lions. Connor Hughes, Primeau’s partner for most of the second half of the regular season, has been out since April 6 with a lower-body injury. The Rocket announced April 14 that he will be out two-to-four weeks, leaving his availability for this series in doubt.


Utah Holds On To Stauber

Goaltender Jaxson Stauber will remain with the Utah Hockey Club after signing a two-year, two-way contract with the team Tuesday.

The 26-year-old Stauber divided this season between Utah and the Tucson Roadrunners after signing with the organization as a free agent last July. He went 2-1-1 | 3.26 | .892 in six games with Utah while also playing 21 games with the Roadrunners (12-7-2 | 3.14 | .897). 

Stauber returned to Tucson on March 28 and helped Tucson on its way to clinching a playoff berth on the final night of the regular season. He went into the Calder Cup Playoffs in a tandem with Matthew Villalta, but Roadrunners head coach Steve Potvin went with Villalta in Game 1 of Tucson’s opening-round series against the Abbotsford Canucks. After losing Game 1, Potvin turned to Stauber, who provided a 38-save performance that kept Tucson’s season alive. He stayed in net for Game 3, a 5-0 loss that ended Tucson’s season.

Villalta, who tied for second in the AHL with 43 regular-season appearances, went 18-22-3 | 3.03 | .905 with four shutouts. The 25-year-old is under contract through next season.


Protas, Thomas To Hershey

As the Hershey Bears prepare to bid for a third consecutive Calder Cup title, they have picked up two prospects from the Ontario Hockey League.

Washington reassigned forward Ilya Protas to the Bears from the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires on Monday. The younger brother of Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas, the 18-year-old prospect finished second in regular-season OHL scoring with 50-74-124 in 61 games. He then contributed 5-20-25 in just 12 playoff games before the Kitchener Rangers ousted Windsor in a seven-game second-round series. Washington selected him in the third round of last June’s NHL Draft.

Last Friday the Bears also brought in Brantford Bulldogs forward Patrick Thomas on an amateur tryout deal. Thomas, 20, led the OHL with 77 assists in 66 regular-season games and finished with 27 goals for 104 points. Captaining the Bulldogs, he added 3-10-13 in 11 playoff games. The Capitals made Thomas a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and have him under contract on a three-year entry-level deal that starts next season.


Marlies Recalled By Leafs

A host of Toronto Marlies players will be extending their seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Leafs recalled goaltenders Dennis Hildeby and Matt Murray along with defensemen Matt Benning, Mikko Kokkonen, Topi Niemela, Marshall Rifai, William Villeneuve, and Cade Webber from the Marlies. Also joining the NHL club are Marlies forwards Nick Abruzzese, Roni Hirvonen, Reese Johnson, Alex Nylander, Jacob Quillan, and Alex Steeves.

The Marlies fell to the Cleveland Monsters in a two-game opening-round sweep. Ahead in their first-round series against the Ottawa Senators, 3-2, the Leafs have another chance to end that series in Game 6 on Thursday at Ottawa.


Around The A

Utica Comets defenseman Santeri Hatakka has signed a two-year deal with SHL club HV71. The 24-year-old was limited to 19 games with the Comets by shoulder surgery this season and finished 1-1-2. He had come to the New Jersey Devils in Feb. 2023 as part of the deal that brought forward Timo Meier to the organization from the San Jose Sharks, but he only played 12 games last season with the Devils.

Utah announced that Tucson defenseman Max Szuber will represent Germany for the third consecutive year at the IIHF World Championship. Szuber, 22, ranked second among Tucson defensemen in points with 7-25-32 in 65 games.

How To Watch The AHL On FloHockey 

The AHL is streaming on FloHockey and the FloSports app. Live games, replays, highlights and breaking news also will be available on both platforms. Sign up today to watch every single game of the Calder Cup Playoffs live and on demand.

NHL Prospect Coverage On FloHockey

The best, and most complete, coverage of the NHL minor league hockey and NHL Draft is found on FloHockey. Don't miss the latest new prospect guides, rankings and more from Chris Peters and the FloHockey staff.

Watch the AHL, ECHL, USHL, And More On FloHockey

FloHockey is the streaming home to some of the best hockey leagues in North America, including the ECHL and more. Check out the broadcast schedule to watch more hockey.

Join The Hockey Conversation On FloHockey Social