Rocket Head Coach Praises Canadiens Top Goalie Prospect

The Montreal Canadiens' American Hockey League head coach had encouraging words about the Canadiens' top goalie prospect.

Apr 7, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Pascal Vincent comes off the ice after their loss to the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images / James Guillory-Imagn Images

The Montreal Canadiens have been building their prospect pool from the ground up, with Kent Hughes adding an impact player at every position since joining as the club's general manager, and one of his most important draft selections goaltender Jacob Fowler, viewed as one of the top goalie prospects, drew high praise from his head coach with the Laval Rocket.

Pascal Vincent, the coach of the Canadiens' American Hockey League affiliate, has been tasked with turning the Rocket into a playoff contender and development factory for future Canadiens' hopefuls. Fowler, despite playing just three regular-season games and eight playoff games with the Rocket, has already impressed Vincent.

Laval Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent on goaltender Jacob Fowler:

"This guy could be a captain! His attitude is phenomenal... I was really impressed with him"#GoRocket #GoHabsGo #thesickpodcast @MurphysLaw74 pic.twitter.com/oubZbO31uL

— The Sick Podcast - The Eye Test (@sickpodnhl) August 20, 2025

Vincent's comments should not only excite Canadiens fans, but reaffirm the belief across the fanbase that Fowler is going to be a huge part of the future between the pipes for the Canadiens. There hasn't been a goaltender named captain of a team since Roberto Luongo donned the 'C' for the Vancouver Canucks, an announcement the team made on September 30, 2008.

Luongo was the captain for close to two seasons, deciding to step down as the club's captain on September 13, 2010. Luongo cited wanting to focus solely on playing his position to the best of his ability without having the distraction of leading and mentoring the team and young up-and-coming players.

Back to Fowler, however, who likely isn't going to have the captaincy over Nick Suzuki, when he eventually arrives at the NHL level, and like Luongo with the Canucks, Fowler's sole focus is on perfecting his game; in preparation for an eventual shot with the Canadiens, but also in hopes of bringing a Calder Cup Championship to Laval.

Apr 13, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Boston College Eagles goaltender Jacob Fowler (1) is introduced before the championship game against the Denver Pioneers of the 2024 Frozen Four college ice hockey tournament at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Fowler was a dominant goaltender in the NCAA ranks, posting a career record of 57-13-3, along with a fantastic 1.90 goals against average and a very respectable .932 save percentage. Before he was drafted, during pre-draft meetings, Fowler had developed a chip on his shoulder after being passed over by the CHL and USHL during his draft year and was vocal with Canadiens management about that.

His willingness to not only welcome but full-on embrace pressure came through in the NCAA, and then translated to the AHL with the Rocket. It speaks highly to his maturity and skills, the fact that he played during the playoffs for Laval and didn't look out of place.

While he won't likely ever be a captain, the confidence that the Canadiens players and coaches will have with a player of his calibre in the net is immense, and should only benefit the Canadiens when the times get tough. A captain-like impact from a goaltender is sure to help the organization massively.

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