Several rumors had circulated about the hiring of the new member of the organization last month, but now it's official.
Former Arizona State University head coach Albie O'Connell is back with the Montreal Canadiens organization. He now holds the position of chief scout for players based in North America.
This is quite a vote of confidence for the former Arizona State University coach, considering that North America is a talent hotbed each year with the USHL, NCAA, and the three Canadian junior leagues (OHL, WHL, and QMJHL).
We remember that he held the position of scout for the Montreal Canadiens in 2022-2023 after spending eight years in the prestigious Boston University program.
He is therefore extremely familiar with the NCAA.
The rumor that circulated a month ago has now been confirmed.
We learned that O'Connell had suddenly left his head coach position at Arizona State to seize a new opportunity in the Bettman circuit.
This opportunity was indeed with the Montreal Canadiens, as Arpon Basu indicated:
Will this positively affect the ranking of American players in the upcoming drafts? It's certainly possible! At the same time, if the Canadiens have another difficult season, they could potentially land Hagens, one of the top prospects in the draft.
Credit: Marqueur
An interesting hire has just been confirmed for the Canadiens
POLL | ||
According to you, what will be the nationality of the 2025 1st round pick of Montreal Canadiens? | ||
USA | 53 | 23.6 % |
Canada | 142 | 63.1 % |
Sweden | 16 | 7.1 % |
Finland | 14 | 6.2 % |
List of polls |