Last summer was very difficult for Maxime Comtois.
First, he requested a trade from the Ducks at the deadline in 2023, which didn’t work out.
He was not qualified by the Ducks, by mutual agreement, to be able to test the free agent market, but it did not work out as he hoped.
It’s on the podcast Without restriction, hosted by Kevin Raphaël, who he confided in about his incredible story which led him to find another NHL contract.
“It’s been a long summer, a lot has happened. I finally accepted a tryout in Vegas. I had a good camp, but they already had quite a lot of their team. It was a little hard to find one spot. » – Maxime Comtois
The Golden Knights kept Comtois until the end and 30 minutes before the deadline to announce final cuts, Comtois learned he was cut.
It was very difficult for him, especially considering the fact that all the teams already had their final formation at that time.
He stayed another week and a half in Vegas with his wife and dog, a stay paid for by the team.
He had received offers in Europe, but he wasn’t really interested because he wanted to come back to the NHL.
The AHL’s Chicago Wolves, who had no affiliation with an NHL team, contacted him, but nothing was confirmed.
Comtois therefore decided to leave Vegas for Montreal with his car and if something happened with Chicago, he would stop on the way, because he was going that way anyway.
Comtois stopped in Colorado to sleep and left the next morning and it was around dinner time that his agent informed him that the Wolves had offered him a contract.
So he signed his contract in the car.
Incredible when you think about it.
He ultimately collected a total of 44 points in 65 AHL games in 2023-24.
His efforts earned him a one-year, two-way NHL contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, a contract he signed last March.
He was even able to play a match with the Ducks this season, where he collected an assist
It just goes to show that efforts pay off one day or another.
Comtois will be a restricted free agent this summer, as his contract with the Hurricanes expires July 1.
Will he be able to find work in the NHL or will he have to turn to Europe?
His offensive flair and good size should certainly interest some teams looking for depth at a low price.
A lot of
– It should be remembered that Kapanen cannot play in the AHL in 2024-25 because of his contract in the SHL, the Swedish first division. It’s either the NHL or the SHL.
– Nice gesture for Father’s Day.
– According to Arnaud Gascon-Nadon, the situation of Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars is very similar to that of Jesperi Kotkaniemi, when his rookie contract ended. [BPM Sports]
– To read.
