The youth movement is in full swing for the Montreal Canadiens, with two 20-year-olds, Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson. Meanwhile, Oliver Kapanen (21) just debuted, and Jayden Struble (23) is close to returning to action.
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Moreover, Emil Heineman (23) has two goals this year, with Kaiden Guhle lighting the lamp too. Considering the Canadiens are the second youngest team in the NHL, there are plenty of opportunities for the youngsters to score goals.
Despite debuting at 18 and 196 days old, Slafkovsky has come the closest to being the youngest player ever to score for the Canadiens but missed the mark and now ranks in the top five.
Even though no one else in this season’s lineup (thus far) has a shot at breaking this record, who are the youngest players to score a goal for Montreal?
Alfie Turcotte – Jan. 28, 1984 (18-237)
As the 17th overall pick in the 1983 Draft, Alfie Turcotte debuted at 18 and scored seven goals as a rookie. He spent three years with the Canadiens, finishing with 15 goals and 38 points in 85 games. He was formerly ranked as the third youngest goal scorer in franchise history. His son Alex Turcotte now plays for the Los Angeles Kings.
Juraj Slafkovsky – Oct. 20, 2022 (18-204)
Montreal’s most recent first-overall pick, Slafkovsky, scored his first NHL goal in his fifth game. Although he only had ten points in his rookie campaign, he exploded for 50 in his sophomore season, reaching 20 goals for the first time.
Claude Lemieux – Dec. 4, 1983 (18-141)
Claude Lemieux is one of the best clutch playoff performers of all time. Initially a second-round pick (1983), he only played eight games during his rookie season. In his third game, he scored his first goal to become (at the time) the second-youngest Canadiens player to light the lamp.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi – Nov. 1, 2018 (18-118)
Despite debuting at 18 and 89 days, Jesperi Kotkaniemi never had a shot of breaking the franchise record for the youngest goal scorer. The former third overall pick (2018) waited until his 12th game to tally his first goal, pushing him further away from the top spot—however, second place isn’t bad for a kid who scored 22 goals in three seasons.
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Mario Tremblay – Nov. 16, 1974 (18-075)
Four-time Stanley Cup champion Mario Tremblay set the Canadiens record as the youngest goal scorer of all time with his first goal just 75 days after his 18th birthday. Several players have come close in the past 50 years, but no one has dethroned Tremblay, who ranks 16th in team scoring with 258 goals and 584 points.
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