Domi joins Canadiens at training camp ahead of Cup Qualifiers

Max Domi joined the Montreal Canadiens at training camp Monday.

The forward is a Type 1 diabetic and more prone to having serious complications if he were to contract COVID-19. He and the Canadiens agreed when training camp opened July 13 to wait 7-10 days before deciding if he would participate.

"He's on board," coach Claude Julien said. "He's back, but we know that anything can happen. If there's something that comes up that would put him at risk, he can leave again.

"For now, it was a good first day for him. He figured out quickly that the pace was pretty good for a team that's only been practicing for a week. It was good to see him out there, and he seemed very upbeat and very encouraged by the fact that we have a group that's healthy."

The Canadiens (31-31-9, .500 points percentage) enter the Stanley Cup Qualifiers as the No. 12 seed in the Eastern Conference and will play the No. 5 seed, the Pittsburgh Penguins (40-23-6, .623). The best-of-5 series will begin at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, the hub city for the 12 participating teams from the East, on Aug. 1.

The winner will advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the loser will have a chance at the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft in the Second Phase of the NHL Draft Lottery, to be held Aug. 10.

"We had a program put in place where we'd gradually build guys up to get in better shape, where he's just jumped into the second week," Julien said. "He skated a few times before he came here, whenever he could, and he's always in really good shape and he still is. He'll get better as we move forward here, but Max is going to be honest when he tells you it was a tough practice to keep up with the pace. But that's what he'll tell you, and we'll tell you from a coaching point of view that he did a pretty good job for a first day."

Domi scored 44 points (17 goals, 27 assists) in 71 games before the season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. He is in the second season of a two-year, $6.3 million contract ($3.15 million average annual value) and can become a restricted free agent after this season.

"It was really good to see him today," goalie Carey Price said. "He brings a lot of enthusiasm and excitement to our team. And he has a unique laugh that everyone loves to hear."