Canadiens prospect Tyler Thorpe dropped the gloves with the Senators' Djibril Touré tonight, two days before NHL rosters are due.
William Dubé shared the clip, simply noting that the two "go at it."
The pair squared off right at center ice. Thorpe stands 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds.
The Canadiens drafted him 130th overall in 2024.
His best junior season came with the Vancouver Giants in 2024-25, when he put up 52 points in 68 games.
He added 69 penalty minutes that year, so tonight wasn't exactly out of character.
So what does a moment like this do for a 21-year-old who hasn't played an NHL game yet?
You can see the fight here
Tyler Thorpe turns heads with massive fight before Canadiens roster decision
His first full pro season with the Laval Rocket was a grind. He managed 16 points in 68 AHL games.
He also piled up 77 penalty minutes there, then dressed for five playoff games with Laval last spring.
His AHL debut had come a year earlier, when he picked up two assists in his lone game with the Rocket in 2024-25.
That same season, he finished plus-11 for Vancouver. The year before, he scored 23 goals for the Giants.
Moments like this matter more in September than people admit. A young winger with limited offense needs coaches to remember him for something, and this will do it.
It's like a job candidate who knows his resume is thin, so he makes sure the interviewer never forgets his handshake.
The Canadiens came into tonight at 3-0-0 this preseason. The Senators arrived still looking for their first win at 0-2-1.
Martin St-Louis's group opens the regular season Tuesday in Toronto.
Roster churn is everywhere this weekend. William Trudeau, another Canadiens draft pick who spent four seasons in Laval, was claimed by Nashville from the Rangers today.
Thorpe wears No. 54 in camp, and the Richmond, British Columbia, native is still waiting on his first NHL regular-season shift.
Kent Hughes and his staff now have one more memorable clip to weigh. Whether it earns Thorpe a spot or a trip back to Laval gets decided within 48 hours.
Did Tyler Thorpe just earn himself a spot on the Canadiens' opening night roster?
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