Philip Danault: back home with the Canadiens and in good spirits

Meeker Guerrier looks at the Canadiens decision-making, and the latest with the NFL.

Forward Philip Danault, who was recently acquired from the Los Angeles Kings, said he is very happy to be back home with the team he grew up rooting for.

He will play the first game of his second stint with the Montreal Canadiens against one of the Original Six teams in Montreal’s last game before the Christmas break.

“There’s nothing better than this, Boston, Toronto, the rivalry, obviously, and I’m super happy to be here,” Danault said during his first press conference, which was broadcast by the Habs on social media a few hours before the game against the Boston Bruins.

The 32-year-old Quebec native said the change of scenery will do him a world of good, as he was limited to just five assists in 30 games this season with the Kings.

“When you play hockey, the seasons can be long, and when you’re not comfortable in a certain place, you end up in a kind of funnel towards the end. It was difficult to recover from that, so yes, I think the change was welcome,” he told the media at Boston’s TD Garden.

Danault, who was part of the Habs’ playoff run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021, admitted that it felt strange to return to the Montreal locker room, as there were very few familiar faces around him.

“It’s weird, for sure. I practised with the guys yesterday, but yes, all the players, the staff, everyone has changed. But I’m happy to be here, it’s a good group of young guys and we have a bright future ahead of us,” said the Victoriaville native.

As for his disappointing offensive statistics so far in 2025-26, he admitted that he needed to take a look in the mirror, but also attributed some of his struggles to the Californians’ style of play.

“It’s a more defensive system, whereas Montreal is totally attack-oriented,” he noted. “I’m going to try to keep it simple, and I’m not worried that it will click pretty quickly. When you’re in a good mental state, the puck follows you.”

Will he be able to get on the scoreboard in his first game with his new teammates? We’ll find out soon enough, as the game starts at 7 p.m.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Dec. 23, 2025.