Who Are the Laval Rocket?

The Laval Rocket were founded in 1969 as the Montreal Voyageurs. They spent two seasons there before moving to Nova Scotia and becoming the Nova Scotia Voyageurs, then the Sherbrooke Canadiens in 1984, the Fredericton Canadiens in 1990, the Quebec Citadelles in 1999, the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2002, the St Johns Ice Caps in 2015 and finally the Laval Rocket in 2017. They are the AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, and have been since 2015.

The Rocket are named after notable Montreal Canadien and Hall of Famer Maurice “Rocket” Richard, as a result of a fan poll.

The Rocket have never won a Calder Cup in Laval, but as the Hamilton Bulldogs, they won the Calder Cup in 2007, as the Sherbrooke Canadiens in 1985, and as the Nova Scotia Voyageurs in 1972, 1976 and 1977.

In the 2022-23 season, the Rocket finished with a record of 33-29-7-3, finishing fifth in the North Division. They lost to the Utica Comets in the first round of the playoffs.

Their current head coach is Jean-Francois Houle, they do not currently have a GM, and they play out of Place Bell.

Notable Rocket players include Michael Hutchinson, John Scott, Cale Fleury and Cole Caufield.

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