The Hamilton Bulldogs - the AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens - announced Wednesday that 42 players will participate in the club's official training camp on Friday.
Canadiens draft selections include defencemen Nathan Beaulieu, Morgan Ellis and Jarred Tinordi and forwards Brendan Gallagher, Louis Leblanc, Gabriel Dumont and Michael Bournival.
The Bulldogs also announced Wednesday the signings of goaltender Cedrick Desjardins, forward Aaron Palushaj and defenceman Frederic St-Denis to American Hockey League contracts.
As per club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Last season, Desjardins played 32 games with the Lake Erie Monsters, posting a 16-11-5 record and three shutouts. During the 2011-2012 season, his sixth as a professional, Desjardins led the AHL with a .932 save percentage, finished third in the league with a 2.11 goals against average.
In four seasons with the Bulldogs, he played 92 regular season games, accumulating a record of 49-27-5, a 2.34 goals against average, a .909 save percentage and 10 shutouts.
Palushaj, 23, finished third on the Bulldogs in points in 2011-2012 with 35 (15 goals, 20 assists), while collecting seven power play goals, six game-winning goals, 115 shots on goal and 35 penalty minutes. He recorded his first career NHL point on Feb. 5 against the Winnipeg Jets and scored his first-career NHL goal on Mar. 17 against the New York Islanders.
St-Denis, 26, played 58 games with Hamilton last season, recording 28 points (three goals, 25 assists), 114 shots on goal and 18 penalty minutes.
In 200 career AHL games, all with Hamilton, St-Denis has produced 70 points (12 goals, 58 assists), 96 penalty minutes and a plus-29 rating.
FORWARDS
Alexander Avtsin, Brendan Gallagher, Michel Ouellet, Spencer Bennett, Blake Geoffrion, Aaron Palushaj, Alain Berger, Kyle Hagel, Steve Quailer, Michael Blunden, Patrick Holland, Brendan Ranford, Michael Bournival, Louis Leblanc, Kyle Rank, Stefan Chaput, Philippe Lefebvre, Ian Schultz, Gabriel Dumont, Daultan Leveille, Zack Stortini, Bobby Farnham, Stephen Macaulay, Zack Torquato, Olivier Fortier, Joonas Nattinen
DEFENCE
Nathan Beaulieu, Brendon Nash, Joe Stejskal, Antoine Corbin, Sebastian Owuya, Jarred Tinordi, Morgan Ellis, Greg Pateryn, Cody Wild, Kevin Gagne, Frederic St-Denis
GOALTENDERS
Scott Darling, Cedrick Desjardins, Cody Reichard, Peter Delmas, Robert Mayer
