Winger Cole Caufield suited up for his first NHL match as the Montreal Canadiens took on the Flames in Calgary on Monday night.
Habs interim head coach Dominique Ducharme confirmed the news during a pre-game presser.
Ducharme, however, wouldn’t confirm whether Jonathan Drouin, Paul Byron and Tomas Tatar would be be on the ice, saying their status was uncertain and that a final decision would be made just before game time.
Both Drouin and Byron missed Saturday’s game against the Flames, while Tatar left the game early in the third period.
Caufield was a first round draft pick in 2019, selected 15th overall by the Canadiens.
The Habs prospect took home the Hobey-Baker Award as the top player in the NCAA after scoring 30 goals in 31 matches with the University of Wisconsin Badgers.
The Wisconsin native also helped the US bring home the gold at the World Juniors in Edmonton, scoring two goals and three assists in seven games.
Caufield, 20, made his professional début with the Laval Rocket in April scoring three times and registering one assist in two matches.
Monday’s game against the Flames could be pivotal as the race for the playoffs tighten.
The Habs have a four-point lead and one game in hand over the Flames for fourth place in the North Division.
In eight games, the Canadiens are 2-6-0 against the Flames with only 13 goals.
The team faces an uphill battle, having lost eight of its last 11 games since Brendan Gallagher suffered a thumb fracture on his right hand.
The Flames will be without defenceman Noah Hanifin. who will be undergoing surgery for a shoulder injury suffered during Saturday’s 5-2 win over the Habs.
— With files from Global News’ Annabelle Olivier
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