Canadiens sign Luke Mittelstadt to two-year, entry-level contract
The Montreal Canadiens have agreed to terms with defense prospect Luke Mittelstadt on a two-year, entry-level contract, the club announced Friday afternoon.
Mittelstadt, 23, collected two goals and 21 points in 36 games as a senior at the University of Minnesota in the 2025-26 season. The Eden Prairie, Minn. product spent four seasons with the Gophers, helping them reach the NCAA championship final in 2024.
According to the Canadiens, Mittelstadt’s entry-level deal will take effect in the 2026-27 season. The 5’11” left-shot defender will join the AHL’s Laval Rocket on a minor-league contract for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign.
The Canadiens have agreed to terms on a two-year, entry-level contract (2026-27 to 2027-28) with defenseman Luke Mittelstadt. News release ↓ #GoHabsGo nhl.com/canadiens/news…
The Canadiens originally selected Mittelstadt in the seventh round (No. 197 overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft, immediately after he wrapped up his freshman year with the Gophers. He is the younger brother of current Boston Bruins forward Casey Mittelstadt.
A product of the Eden Prairie High School hockey program in his hometown, Mittelstadt made the jump to the USHL with the Lincoln Stars and Madison Capitols before joining the Gophers in 2022. He played for Team USA at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, collecting three assists in seven games and winning a bronze medal.
Mittelstadt served as team captain with the Gophers in 2025-26 and wrapped up his collegiate career with a total of 80 points (11 goals, 69 assists) in 152 games over four seasons. He’ll now join a Laval team that currently sits atop the AHL’s North Division standings with a 36-18-2-3 record and 77 points through 59 games.
Laval’s parent club, the Canadiens, currently occupy the No. 3 seed in the NHL’s Atlantic Division with a 36-18-10 record and 82 points through 64 games in the 2025-26 season. As it stands, the Canadiens are on track to face either the Buffalo Sabres or Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, although Mittelstadt would not be eligible to play for them while on his current AHL contract.