Kirby Dach was back on the ice this morning as the Montreal Canadiens reopened practice to the public.
The CN Sports Complex in Brossard had closed its doors to fans just one day earlier, and the reversal came quickly.
According to Maxime Truman, several fans confirmed they were able to watch the session without any access restrictions.
"Supporters confirm to me that the CN Complex was open to the public this morning," Truman said.
"They spotted a few players, including Kirby Dach, skating," he added.
That confirms two things at once: Dach is back in town, and he looks to be in good shape heading toward camp.
The reassurance matters given how the previous day's closed-door session raised real questions among observers.
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- Kirby Dach's return could change everything for Canadiens lineup
Some had connected that closure to Kaiden Guhle, whose situation has drawn growing concern over the past few days.
Guhle was spotted wearing a tracksuit earlier this week before missing two consecutive sessions entirely.
Nothing confirms the exact reason behind any of it, since the organization hasn't issued an official statement on the matter.
Dach himself is coming off a rough go last season, posting just 15 points in 37 games before adding 5 points across 19 playoff games.
He carries a $3,362,500 cap hit as a former third overall pick who's put up 136 points across 306 career NHL games.
Getting him healthy and skating well matters given how thin Montreal's middle six looked at times last season.
Is a one-day closed practice really nothing, or was Montreal buying itself time before news on Guhle became public?
Rookie camp is just days away now, putting real pressure on both situations to sort themselves out before the games start mattering.
My take: a one-day closure that reopens fast usually means the team was managing optics, not hiding something catastrophic.
Fans will be watching every session closely from here. The next update on Guhle is the one that actually answers the real question.
Do you think Kaiden Guhle will play in the Canadiens' first game of the season?
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