Cole Caufield and Jakub Dobes draw attention at Canadiens practice after emergency meeting
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Montreal's private team meeting before a recent practice has fans talking, and Cole Caufield's rebound drill against Jakub Dobes added more fuel.
The Montreal Canadiens closed the doors before a recent practice and spoke as a group before anyone stepped on the ice.
The meeting came after a loss to the Winnipeg Jets, and what followed turned a routine session into a talking point across the fan base.
What Happened on the Ice
Once practice began, Caufield was assigned to shoot low on Dobes during a rebound control drill, a staple exercise for goaltenders learning to steer pucks away from danger.
A Habs beat watcher noticed the pairing and offered his own read on it, suggesting Caufield may have been delivering a message of his own to the young goalie.
That interpretation is a personal take.
Nothing in the reports confirms that the drill was anything more than ordinary practice work, but it definitely raised some eyebrows.
Why It Matters for Dobes and the Canadiens
Goaltending is the position where confidence matters most, and a drill built around a top scorer firing pucks at you is a normal part of the job.
What gives the moment weight is the timing.
A loss, a players-only style conversation and a heavy dose of shots at the young netminder all landed within hours of each other.
Caufield is among the league's most dangerous finishers, having scored 49 goals through 74 games last season.
Facing a shooter like that in practice is useful work for any goalie, especially one still establishing himself as a dependable option in Montreal's crease.
The real answer will not come from a meeting room or a single drill.
It will come from how the Canadiens respond in their next games, how tight their defensive structure looks, and whether Dobes keeps earning starts.
If the team plays with more structure and urgency, the meeting will look like a turning point.
If the same issues repeat, it will fade into the noise of a long season.
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