Jacob Fowler’s night started with a first-star finish, but the postgame story that stuck was the one on his mask.
After Fowler backstopped the Montreal Canadiens to a shootout win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night, he was already in the spotlight. He handled the usual round of questions in the dressing room after a live interview on Sportsnet, with the conversation centered on the game, the shootout and where he fits in the organization.
But there was another topic worth asking about: the new mask he wore, the one that included a tribute to Diane Bibaud. Fowler said the gesture came from a desire to recognize the organization in different ways, and he was immediately sold when Sylabrush’s Sylvie Marsolais and Alexandre Mathys suggested the tribute.
“Yeah, I mean, I always look for kind of different ways to honor the organization, but when they [Sylabrush’s Sylvie Marsolais and Alexandre Mathys [https://www.instagram.com/sylabrush/]] had the idea to put her on the side of the mask and do a little tribute to her, I saw it and immediately said that was an incredible thought, and I’m happy she likes it; I was hoping she did.”
The mask didn’t just resonate in Montreal, either. After the article about it was published last week, Curtis Cook, the Buffalo Sabres arena organist, shared it on X and said it was cool that Fowler had done it.
When that came up, Fowler laughed and fired back with a line of his own:
“Maybe Buffalo’s feeling a little jealous now, their guys need to do it too.”
The tribute clearly landed well beyond the Canadiens’ room, and Fowler’s reaction made it clear he enjoyed the attention it drew. Whether Alex Lyon or Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen answers the challenge remains to be seen, but Fowler’s gesture has already made its mark.
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At 2-2-1, the margin for error is already thin, and the lineup questions only add to the pressure on a group trying to settle in early. Florian Xhekaj, Oliver Kapanen and Mike Matheson are among the players creating uncertainty as the Canadiens try to navigate a demanding stretch without much time to reset between games. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Face A Costly Dylan Larkin Dilemma Kent Hughes Can't Ignore
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For Montreal, that kind of framework matters because it hints at how steep the market would be before the Canadiens even get to the hardest part of the equation. Kent Hughes can check in, but the real obstacle may be getting Larkin's side to view Montreal as the right landing spot, and until that changes, the Canadiens are stuck watching a chase that looks expensive long before it looks realistic. [Read more 🡒]