Gilbert Delorme blasts reporter after Jakub Dobes question sparks Canadiens tension
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Monday night, a question put electricity in the air at the Bell Centre.
After the win against the Canucks, Jakub Dobes found himself at the center of an exchange that took a particular turn. A reporter asked him how he would react if he were sent to the Laval Rocket despite the victory.
Dobes answered bluntly that he would not understand such a decision, especially given what has been happening in the crease these days.
A few minutes later, the same answer resurfaced during Martin St-Louis' press conference. And there, the head coach did not appreciate a reporter asking that question.
St-Louis criticized the question, suggesting that it was neither the right time nor the right way to ask it after a game.
This awkward moment comes in an already heated context, since the Canadiens are operating with three goaltenders. This season, Dobes has played 21 NHL games, with 14 wins, a 3.01 goals-against average, and a .888 save percentage. It feels like a situation where every start becomes an audition, even when no one is asking for it.
Gilbert Delorme Explodes After Dobes Is Put on the Spot
That's where Gilbert Delorme exploded. On the air, he could not stomach that a young goaltender was put in an impossible position, in front of everyone, right after a win.
"That's a case of an experienced reporter, and he sucked him in and then dumped the kid in the sh*t! That's exactly what he did: dump the kid in the sh*t!
At the expense of putting the kid in the sh*t - but that's fine, you're doing your job, you get clicks, you get a big story and all that! An experienced reporter, why do that? At some point, you have a relationship with the player, you have to protect the player a bit too."
- Gilbert Delorme
At the expense of putting the kid in the sh*t - but that's fine, you're doing your job, you get clicks, you get a big story and all that! An experienced reporter, why do that? At some point, you have a relationship with the player, you have to protect the player a bit too."
- Gilbert Delorme
For him, it's the kind of question that mainly serves to create a story, not to understand the game. Put simply: Delorme felt it showed a lack of judgment.
Meanwhile, the pressure is also rising, as Jacob Fowler is pushing hard. He already has nine NHL games, with a 2.46 goals-against average, a .908 save percentage, and one shutout.
Fowler is 21 years old and was drafted 69th overall in 2023. Dobes, meanwhile, is 24 and was selected 136th overall in 2020, which makes managing the situation even more delicate.
If the Canadiens want to eventually resolve the three-goalie logjam, the Laval Rocket option will come back onto the table. And when you sense that the locker room is already on edge, you understand why St-Louis responded the way he did.
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