LOS ANGELES - The 2025 NHL Draft at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles is now complete.
The Canadiens were quiet on Day 1 after trading their 16th and 17th overall picks to the New York Islanders in exchange for defenseman Noah Dobson. As a result, Montreal did not take the stage in the opening round on Friday night.
But the wheeling and dealing didn’t end there. Early Saturday, Kent Hughes struck again, acquiring the 34th and 189th overall picks from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for the 41st and 49th overall picks in this year’s draft.
The Canadiens ended up selecting with the 34th, 69th, 81st, 82nd, 113th, 145th, 177th, 189th, and 209th picks at the event.
Round 2, Pick 34: Alexander Zharovsky, RW, Ufa Jr. (MHL)
Montreal used their first pick of the draft to select Alexander Zharovsky from Ufa Jr. in the MHL. The 18-year-old right winger, who stands 6-foot-1, posted 50 points (24G, 26A) in 45 games in Russia’s top junior league in 2024-25. Zharovsky is under contract with Ufa until the end of the 2026-27 season.
Round 3, Pick 69: Hayden Paupanekis, Center, Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
The Habs made another trade, sending picks 79 and 108 to the Boston Bruins in exchange for pick 69. Montreal used the pick to select centerman Hayden Paupanekis from the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets. A native of Winnipeg, MB, Paupenekis put up 22 goals and 21 assists for 43 points in 71 games for the Rockets and Spokane Chiefs this past season.
Round 3, Pick 81: Bryce Pickford, Defenseman, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Montreal stuck to the WHL for their next pick, selecting defenseman Bryce Pickford from the Medicine Hat Tigers. The 6-foot, 190-pounder registered 47 points (20G, 20A) in the regular season and 24 points in the playoffs to help the Tigers win the WHL title. His 13 goals in the postseason are the most by a blue-liner in modern WHL history.
Round 3, Pick 82: Arseni Radkov, Goalie, Tyumen Jr. (MHL)
With their 82nd overall selection, the Canadiens drafted their first goalie of 2025, taking Belarussian Arseni Radkov from Tyumen Jr. in the MHL. A towering ‘tender at 6-foot-4 and 194 pounds, Radkov posted a 4-8-3 record, 3.18 goals-against average, and .918 save percentage in 19 games in the MHL last season. He committed to UMass earlier this year, and is expected to make the jump for 2026-27.
Round 4, Pick 113: LJ (John) Mooney, Center, USNTDP
Montreal picked center LJ Mooney with their fourth-round pick. Mooney comes from the USNTDP, where he produced at a point-per-game clip (10G, 41A in 51 games). The 5-foot-8, 160-pounder also added five goals and 23 assists for 28 points in 26 games for the USNTDP in the USHL. Mooney is a cousin of Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley and is committed to the University of Minnesota.
Round 5, Pick 145: Alexis Cournoyer, Goalie, Cape Breton Eagles (QMJHL)
The Habs used their fifth-round pick to select another goalie, plucking Trois Rivieres native Alexis Cournoyer. The 19-year-old split his time between the Maritime Junior Hockey League’s Truro Bearcats and the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Eagles, where he posted a 13-6-1 record, 1.82 goals-against average, .942 save percentage, and three shutouts. This month, Cournoyer announced that he was committed to to Cornell University.
Round 6, Pick 177: Carlos Handel, Defenseman, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
With their first of two picks in the sixth round, the Canadiens chose right-shot defenseman Carlos Handel from the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads. Handel is a German-born rearguard who spent some time playing in Malmo, Sweden before hopping over to North America this season. Measuring 6-foot-1 and weighing 174 pounds, Handel had 26 points (3G, 23A) in 52 games in the QMJHL last season.
Round 6, Pick 189: Andrew MacNiel, Defenseman, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
Montreal selected defenseman Andrew MacNiel with their second pick of the sixth round. MacNiel is coming off his second season in the OHL with the Kitchener Rangers, where he played 33 games and finished with three assists. A native of Coburg, ON, MacNiel brings some size at 6-foot-3 and 196 pounds.
Round 7, Pick 209: Maxon Vig, Defenseman, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL)
With their final pick of the day, the Habs selected American defenseman Maxon Vig from the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the USHL. The 6-foot-2, 212-pounder posted 32 points (10G, 22A) in 62 games for Cedar Rapids last season, but he’ll be moving on to Bemidji State University in the NCAA Division I for the 2025-26 season.
