Kent Hughes signs former teammate of Joshua Roy, Israel Mianscum

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David St-Jean
June 5, 2024 (10:13)

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Last season, during the 2023-24 season, the Montreal Canadiens organization faced significant challenges, as both the Canadiens and the Rocket failed to qualify for the playoffs.

While this was somewhat expected for the Canadiens amidst their rebuilding phase, it was a surprising and disappointing outcome for the Laval Rocket, who had high expectations for the season.

The problems for the Rocket were identified too late, leading to their narrow miss of the playoffs. The primary issues were the underperformance of their goaltenders at the beginning of the season and a lack of depth in their attacking lineup, which was exacerbated when key players, such as Joshua Roy, were called up to the Canadiens.

Determined not to let history repeat itself, Kent Hughes has already taken steps to address these weaknesses. He signed goaltender Connor Hughes to support Jakub Dobes and has now added a promising forward to the roster.

«The Laval Rocket announced that the team has agreed to terms on a two-year, AHL contract (2024-25 � AHL, two-way and 2025-26 � AHL, one-way) with forward Israel Mianscum.» - Rocket de Laval

Israel Mianscum, who played his entire junior career with the Sherbrooke Phoenix, is a former teammate of Joshua Roy. At 21 years old, Mianscum had an impressive season in the QMJHL, scoring 87 points, including 35 goals, in 61 games.

This signing by Kent Hughes brings in a depth player who has the potential to surprise and contribute significantly, or at the very least, strengthen another tier such as the Trois-Rivières Lions.

«The Laval Rocket announces that they have signed Quebec forward Israel Mianscum to a two-year contract.

Mianscum, 21, 6'2"/202 lbs, just finished his junior career with the Phoenix. He tallied 87 points in 61 games.

Trois-Rivières is also an option for 2024-25.» - Marc-Olivier Beaudoin

Clearly, the Canadiens see potential in Mianscum, as evidenced by the two-year contract, which indicates a strong belief in his abilities. If there were doubts, the contract would likely have been for just one year.

We'll get a better look at Israel Mianscum's capabilities during the Canadiens' training camp in September, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him paired with Joshua Roy on the ice a few times.