St-Louis announces starting goalie vs. Red Wings as a surprise return emerges at practice

Jake Evans jumped on the ice wearing a regular jersey, a sign that his return is progressing. Kaiden Guhle was also in a regular jersey after being managed carefully for several weeks.

Evans has not played since his lower-body injury on December 20.

At a morning skate, that detail matters, because contact returns quickly in the drills. The group skated in Brossard, and the atmosphere finally felt like that of a real return.

Kirby Dach and Patrik Laine were also there, but wearing non-contact jerseys. That allows them to get their timing back without taking hits in battles along the boards. Laine played five games this season before having to slow down, but he is still skating.

For the Habs, seeing four important names on the ice the same morning is already a win. Now the focus turns to whether Martin St-Louis will test them in more complete line combinations.

In the last few minutes, we learned that Jacob Fowler will be the starting goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens against the Detroit Red Wings.

In 2024-2025, Evans played 82 games and produced 36 points, including 13 goals. Laine finished that same season with 33 points in 52 games, with 20 of those points being goals. Dach recorded 22 points in 57 games, while Guhle posted 18 points in 55 games.

This season, Dach has 7 points in 15 games, and he has already hit the scoresheet five times. Laine has one point in five games in 2025-2026, which shows just how much time he has missed.

This season, Guhle has played only five games so far, which explains the attention around his jersey.

The defensive pairings will also become clearer, especially if Guhle keeps his spot with the regulars. The real test will be seeing who accepts full contact, and then who gets the green light.

For now, the Habs will take a morning where the injured players finally look like they can breathe again. If the jerseys stay the same tomorrow, the Bell Centre could let out a big sigh of relief.

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