Canadiens give Gignac two-year contract and recall Condotta from Rocket

Laval Rocket’s Brandon Gignac skates prior to an AHL playoff hockey game against the Syracuse Crunch in Laval, Que., Thursday, May 12, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Brandon Gignac to a two-year, two-way contract.

General manager Kent Hughes made the announcement in a news release Sunday morning, a few hours before the Habs' practice session at the CN Sports Complex.

The news release states that the agreement covers the current campaign and the 2024-2025 season.

A Repentigny-native, Gignac played 43 games with the Laval Rocket this season, amassing 42 points, including 14 goals.

The 26-year-old forward leads Laval in goals, assists and points. He was tied for fifth in the AHL in scoring when he signed his contract.

A third-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2016, Gignac joined the Canadiens on July 29, 2021, when he signed a contract with the Rocket.

He played just one game in the National Hockey League, on March 9 2019, in a Devils uniform against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

The Canadiens have also announced the recall of centre Lucas Condotta from the Rocket.

The recall comes just under 48 hours after the deal that sent centre Sean Monahan to the Winnipeg Jets.

Condotta has five goals and eight assists in 40 games with the Rocket this season.

This is the second time in less than two weeks that he has been with the Canadiens, after being recalled by the Habs on Jan. 24.

Condotta took part in two games with Montreal this season, on Jan. 25 against the New York Islanders at the Bell Centre and two days later in Pittsburgh against the Penguins. He was blanked in both games.

The Canadiens returned him to the Rocket immediately after the game against the Penguins.

On April 13 2023, in his very first NHL game, Condotta found the back of the net in the Canadiens' 5-4 loss to the Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 4, 2024.