Canadiens Sign Luke Mittelstadt to Entry-Level Contract

Brossard, Quebec - The Montreal Canadiens signed defenceman Luke Mittelstadt to a two-year entry-level contract on Friday, marking the 23-year-old's transition from college hockey to professional play with the NHL club that drafted him.

Mittelstadt, selected by Montreal in the seventh round, 197th overall, of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, also agreed to a one-year, one-way contract with the team's American Hockey League affiliate, the Laval Rocket. He will report to Laval for the remainder of the 2025-26 season, providing immediate depth to the club's minor-league defence.

The Eden Prairie, Minnesota native wrapped up a four-year career with the University of Minnesota Gophers in the NCAA, where he served as one of three team captains during the 2025-26 season. In 36 games this year, Mittelstadt recorded 21 points, including two goals and 19 assists, leading all Gophers defencemen in those categories and setting personal bests. Over his entire collegiate tenure, he amassed 80 points, with 11 goals and 69 assists, in 152 games. Standing at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Mittelstadt developed into a reliable two-way defender, though his smaller stature has drawn occasional scrutiny from scouts.