Kent Hughes and the Canadiens may have found another promising piece up front in L.J. Mooney, and the early signs are encouraging.
The young forward, selected 113th overall in the fourth round of the 2025 draft, slipped partly because of his size. At 5-foot-8, he does not fit the mold of the bigger-bodied prospects who usually draw attention early.
But Mooney has never played like someone willing to be pushed to the margins. He brings a gritty edge, and he has shown he’s ready to lean into the rougher parts of the game for his team.
That part of his profile is only getting stronger. Over the summer, Mooney spent serious time in the gym, and the payoff is already visible. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic reported that he is up to 175 pounds, a jump from 165 last year.
Those 10 pounds matter, especially because they tie directly into the player Mooney has been trying to model himself after: his cousin, Logan Cooley. Mooney trains with Cooley every summer, and that connection has become a real source of drive for him.
The family bond runs deep. Mooney’s father has said that his son is working extremely hard to follow in the footsteps of the Utah Mammoth forward. No one is projecting Mooney to match Cooley’s level of dominance, but the influence is there, and it clearly matters.
Mooney’s on-ice production has backed up the progress off the ice. He put up 30 points in 34 NCAA games last season, and he had already made noise at a summer camp leading into the World Junior Championship. More strength, more confidence, and a clear standard to chase - that’s a pretty good combination for a Canadiens prospect on the rise.
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Gallagher also spoke about the value of culture, and how his years in Montreal left a lasting mark on the way he views leadership. His comments pointed to an approach built around patience, accountability and setting a tone in the room, a reminder that even as he changes organizations, the lessons from his Canadiens tenure are coming with him. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Fans Will Recognize Who Stepped Into Logan Cooleys Scuffle
Summer hockey can still carry a little bite, and Logan Cooley found that out in Pittsburgh during an IC Hockey 3v3 Elite League game. What started as a confrontation with Artem Kulakov escalated quickly, turning into a brief scuffle that brought a familiar face into the mix for Canadiens fans keeping tabs on former Laval Rocket players.
Peter Laviolette III stepped in once the gloves came off, adding a Montreal connection to an otherwise routine summer skirmish. Cooley was the player who set things in motion, but he did not stay involved after the fight between Kulakov and Laviolette broke out, leaving the moment to unfold without any further escalation. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Rookie Camp Has Two Names Fans Should Track Closely
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Two of the players worth tracking are Tyler Thorpe and Luke Mittelstadt, each bringing a different kind of intrigue. Thorpe arrives as a big winger with a year of pro experience under his belt, while Mittelstadt comes in as a defender with a long college rsum and the kind of two-way profile teams like to test in a setting where details matter as much as highlight plays. [Read more 🡒]