Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton have truly succeeded in building a core of very talented young players who should make the Habs a competitive team for many years to come.
However, beyond the talent of this core, the organization has managed to assemble a group of players who seem genuinely eager to play in Montreal and, above all, to play together—even if it means leaving money on the table to do so.
The players spend a lot of time together during the summer, both on and off the ice, and they can often be spotted around town at the various events that mark Montreal summers.
The most recent example was at the latest edition of the LASSO country music festival, held at Jean-Drapeau Park, where Zachary Bolduc, Jakub Dobes, and Ivan Demidov were spotted.
The three players appeared in a video from the festival last night, which was shared on platform X.
Zack, Doby, and Demi @ Lasso #ILoveMyFestivalHabs pic.twitter.com/Sb3mG3SJbo
Bolduc, who still hasn't signed a contract for next season, tried his hand at filmmaking by carefully filming Thomas Rhett's performance.
Then, we catch a quick glimpse of Dobes and Demidov watching the same show together from their side of the crowd.
It certainly looks like country music is popular among the Habs players. Could this perhaps be the final legacy Carey Price left behind for his former club?
In fact, it wasn't just the team's players who were at the LASSO festival—Youppi! also joined the fun in his western jacket and hat.
The famous mascot even joined in on the line dancing!
Youppi!'s summer continues at LASSO!#GoHabsGo
— Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) August 16, 2026
But seriously, I think it's really nice to see the guys on the team spending so much time together and in Montreal.
Many hockey players, especially Europeans, tend to return to their home countries to spend most of the summer training on their own or with fellow countrymen.