MONTREAL – Prime Minister Mark Carney visited the Montreal Canadiens dressing room after the staff’s 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in an exciting sport Thursday evening.
Carney was in Montreal for a Liberal social gathering conference working by way of Saturday, attending the sport following a day of media appearances and speeches throughout the town.
He met with Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki, forwards Alex Newhook and Jake Evans, and defenceman Mike Matheson after an eventful sport that featured fights, a dramatic end and Cole Caufield scoring his fiftieth aim of the season.
“I’m going to be trustworthy, I haven’t had that a lot enjoyable in over a yr,” Carney stated, drawing laughs from the gamers. “Implausible sport.”
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Carney arrived in the beginning of the second interval with the rating 0-0 and sat three rows behind the Canadiens’ bench, shaking fingers and chatting with close by followers.
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When Caufield scored his milestone aim six minutes into the interval, Carney jumped up and hugged those self same spectators.
He joined the energetic crowd in doing the wave, took images on his telephone and high-fived followers as soon as Juraj Slafkovsky’s late aim sealed the win for Montreal, the one Canadian staff to clinch a Stanley Cup playoff spot to date.
Carney positioned a hand on his chest and applauded as he entered the locker room, telling gamers they wanted no introduction.
“It’s an actual, actual honour,” he stated whereas shaking Suzuki’s hand. “It was a key second within the sport, the way in which you stood up, it was unbelievable.”
Suzuki answered that it was an actual pleasure to fulfill him.
“Is that every one you bought?” Carney joked.
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis, in the meantime, stated he mentioned “management” with Carney once they briefly met after the sport.
Carney wore two completely different Canadiens hats regardless of being a lifelong Edmonton Oilers fan. He grew up in Edmonton throughout the Wayne Gretzky period and was a third-string goaltender at Harvard College.
Final March, he joined Connor McDavid and the Oilers at apply and beforehand posted a photograph of himself sporting a “McJesus” T-shirt.
The Liberal conference in Montreal — and Carney’s go to to the sport — comes forward of three byelections on Monday, and a day after a fifth opposition MP crossed the ground to affix the Liberal caucus.
— With information from Erika Morris and Daniel Rainbird.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed April 9, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press