It is a cry of the heart. Anger from inside a clan that can no longer. The entourage of Cayden Primeau is in fury. And we can’t really blame them.
The father, Keith Primeau, former captain respected of the Philadelphia flyers, no longer understands how an organization can drag a young goalkeeper in as much uncertainty, instability and indifference.
Her son was loyal. He was humble. It was solid. And yet, it is relegated to oblivion as soon as the “organizational plan” dictates it.
In the shadow of the spotlight, Keith Primeau does not experience this constant away of his son. The former captain of the Flyers, who lived the rigors of the NHL, does not understand how a young man who gave everything to the organization can be dismissed so cruelly.
He sees Cayden as a model of resilience, a goalkeeper who crossed the storms and worn the rocket on his shoulders. According to him, this kind of behavior deserves recognition, not treating his son as a minus than nothing.
But Kent Hughes does not have the luxury of managing emotion. He does not do in paternal diplomacy. His message is clear and merciless: the Canadian is a business company, not a sentimental refuge. And every gesture he has made for months confirms.
The truth, as raw as it is, is that Kent Hughes has nothing to do with what the Primeau clan thinks. He manages a performance company. And in this world, feelings do not have their place.
This is the fundamental point that the entourage of Cayden Primeau seems to ignore – or refuse to accept. The Laval Rocket is a subsidiary. A school club. A development tool. It exists to feed the Montreal Canadian, point to the line. And it is with this in mind that the primer fate is decided.
Yes, Primeau was sensational this season in Laval. Its 21 victories in 26 departures, its efficiency rate of, 927, its average of 1.96 … everything shouts “dominant guardian”.
If he had been there all season, he might have won the most useful player trophy in the entire American League. But it is not enough. Because at the next level, it has never imposed itself.
In six professional seasons, Cayden Primeau accumulated 13 wins in the NHL, an average of 3.69, a percentage of stops of, 884.
And in an organization where Montembeault has won its stripes, where Dobes arrives at full speed, and where Fowler is clearly the future, Primeau is nowhere in the long -term equation.
The moment that started everything: match number 4 against Cleveland. Primeau could have – should have been left. But Pascal Vincent chose Jacob Fowler, a strategic, but also symbolic decision.
Fowler, just disembarked from the university ranks, received the praise, the minutes of play, and now the net. The same Vincent who, a few weeks earlier, said of the primer that he was an NHL goalkeeper, looked him straight in the eyes … and said no.
It didn’t take more to explode the Primeau clan. According to several sources, the guardian agent is furious. Keith Primeau, he would have entrusted his loved ones his misunderstanding and his disappointment. It is no longer a simple professional disagreement. It has become an emotional break.
But it must be said: the Canadian owes Cayden Primeau. The organization gave him every opportunity to prove himself.
At 25, he can no longer hide behind the “prospect” label. It is what it is: a very good AHL goalkeeper, but an unbeaned project in the NHL.
The Primeau Dream Clan of Philadelphia. We understand why. The father was a legend there. The team has a crying need in front of the net. Daniel Brière is a former Keith teammate. Any point towards a possible family meeting.
But Kent Hughes will not make a gift. The Canadian CEO will submit a premium qualifying offer this summer. For what? So as not to lose it for free. To protect yourself in the event of a hostile offer. To force an exchange.
And that’s exactly what will happen: a transaction. CH does not want to keep a primer, but he wants to monetize it. It’s brutal. It’s cold. It is the reality of the NHL.
Now you have to face things in the face: Cayden Primeau will never be the goalkeeper of the Montreal Canadiens. This title, which has long stuck to the skin, now belongs to Jacob Fowler.
And in this context, the Rocket becomes a showcase, not to help Primeau to set up, but to boost its market value. The fourth match of the series against Cleveland did not mark a simple change of goalkeeper: he signed the end of an era.
The entourage of Cayden Primeau is in fury? It is understandable. The feeling of injustice is human. But let them get used to it: CH has made its decision. And regardless of figures, regardless of emotions, the future of Primeau is elsewhere.
Kent Hughes does not have to account for Keith Primeau, neither to his agent, nor to his supporters. He must account for the organization. And in the current organization, Primeau has become useless.
The CEO of CH never needed to respond to Keith Primeau. He did not raise the voice, he did not summon the media, he did not publish an official declaration.
But he spoke stronger than any word: by offering Jacob Fowler a professional contract for 2025-2026 and a test contract in Laval, at the very moment when Cayden found his balance in Laval, then launching him in the fire of the series from his first days at the pros,
Hughes has signed a silent succession declaration. Father Primeau can shout well, ruminate or indignant, the CEO of the Canadian sends him to walk in his own way, without a word, but with gestures that resonate like a cleaver: the kingdom of Montreal and Laval already belongs to Jacob Fowler. In life, there is no need to speak to humiliate. Just act.
Philadelphia awaits him? Perfect. May Daniel Brière pay the right price. Otherwise, that he looks elsewhere.
This is the end of a story. And like many ends in the NHL, it does not end with hugs, but with a cold handshake … and a plane ticket.
