WINNIPEG — Jacob Fowler feared he was not going to get his day in the sun.
When the Montreal Canadiens wrapped up training camp in late September, the rookie goaltender was reassigned to the AHL’s Laval Rocket rather than opening the season in the NHL.
While the Florida native agonized over the games he might miss, none stung quite like the Heritage Classic outdoor game at Princess Auto Stadium against the Winnipeg Jets.
“Our whole team has been thinking about this game for a long time,” Fowler said. “When I first got sent to Laval, I was pretty disappointed, just thinking that maybe I wasn’t going to get a chance to play in this game. It’s just so cool to kind of live in the moment of something I’ve dreamt of my whole life.”
Fowler didn’t just play — he stole the show.
The 21-year-old turned in a stellar 33-save performance to lead the Canadiens to a 2-1 victory over the Jets before a sellout crowd at Princess Auto Stadium, the home field of the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The Canadiens improved to 6-3-2.
Fowler spent less than two weeks in the minors. Recalled Oct. 7, he has won five consecutive starts, improving to 5-1-0 with a 1.79 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage.
“It’s all really positive what he’s doing,” head coach Martin St. Louis said of Fowler. “He’s done that at every level. Now it’s the level that he wanted to get to and he wants to prove it.”
Montreal defenceman Lane Hutson, who opened the scoring with his second goal of the season, echoed Fowler’s praise for the festive atmosphere in Winnipeg, which included fan festivities, a gala and an alumni showcase game.
“It was a pretty special event. Two incredible fan bases, two storied teams,” said Hutson, who got the Canadiens on the board at 7:19 of the second period. “It was really fun to be a part of, and feeling the energy as we’re driving up to the rink, it was pretty cool. Seeing all the Habs fans, it’s always special to play in front of them.”
Fowler said the travelling Montreal contingent made its presence felt early.
“When our bus was pulling in tonight, it was crazy,” he said. “Just a mob of Habs fans. They were getting the Ole! Ole! chants going when we were getting off the bus. It was really cool to see how all these fans travel, and we definitely felt the support.”
For the Jets (4-4-3), the spectacle could not completely rid the sting of a sixth loss in seven games, especially as they lose ground in the Central Division standings.
“It was a spectacular spectacle,” said Jets captain Adam Lowry. ”It takes you back to youth hockey, it takes you back to growing up when you fell in love with the game. Obviously, a disappointing result, but I thought the NHL and Winnipeg fans did a great job making it another great event.”
The weekend risked being overshadowed before it even began. With franchise netminder Connor Hellebuyck nearing the end of a team suspension on Friday, the Jets traded him to the New Jersey Devils for a package of players and picks.
Jets head coach Scott Arniel acknowledged the relief of finally having closure on the Hellebuyck saga.
“Obviously, yesterday and today are great memories you take away from it,” Arniel said. ”The Helle part, that’s the one where there’s closure. I’m really glad I’m giving the guys a day off tomorrow. I’m really glad Monday’s coming and we can just start fresh about our work toward what’s coming on Tuesday and then our road trip.
“There’s been a lot on our guys. If maybe the trade happened without all this coming it might not have been such a heavy burden for a lot of guys, especially our leadership because they’re the guys that got asked the questions the most, but I thought they handled it fantastic.
“They handled the trade fantastic. Even prior to that, from training camp to the point on Friday. Then all of this excitement, the event that happened the last two days. Now I just want to go forward. I just want to worry about the rest of the season. Now we can.
“This was a fantastic weekend, but now I just want to go. Let’s get back to normal hockey.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 25, 2026.
Jeff Hamilton, The Canadian Press