By Jeff Gard/Today’s Northumberland
Port Hope’s Owen Beck has been recalled by the Montreal Canadiens on an emergency basis, the NHL club announced Friday night.
Beck, now playing with the Ontario Hockey League’s Peterborough Petes following a trade from the Mississauga Steelheads, will join the Canadiens in Ottawa and is expected to make his NHL debut on Saturday night against the Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre.
Montreal has already made two emergency recalls from its AHL affiliate Laval Rocket and is now eligible to recall a junior prospect signed to an entry-level contract.
Under an agreement between the NHL and Canadian Hockey League, which includes the OHL, an emergency recall can be used in a situation where the NHL club doesn’t have two healthy goaltenders, six defencemen or 12 forwards due to injury, illness or suspension.
The junior player can play a maximum of five games, but can’t miss more than one game with their CHL club. Peterborough hosts the Hamilton Bulldogs on Sunday at 2:05 p.m. and the Niagara Ice Dogs on Thursday at 7:05 p.m.
Beck was selected 33rd overall by the Canadiens in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He signed his entry-level contract Oct. 4 after a successful training camp with Montreal.
Just prior to his trade to Peterborough earlier this month, Beck was also called on an emergency basis to join Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Halifax. He replaced injured forward Colton Dach before the quarterfinals and went on to win gold with Canada.
The Peterborough Petes announced on social media Friday evening that Beck would make his NHL debut for the Canadiens in Ottawa.
“On behalf of the Petes, I’d like to congratulate Owen on reaching this career milestone,” Petes general manager Mike Oke stated in a release. “This opportunity speaks not only to Owen’s work ethic, but also to the dedication of Petes coaches and development staff, as well as James Richmond, Jeff Kyrzakos and the entire Mississauga Steelheads organization where Owen started his OHL career.”
Saturday’s game between the Canadiens and Senators will be the main early broadcast for Hockey Night In Canada.
