A CZECH GOALIE FOR THE MONTREAL CANADIENS IS A SIZZLING STORY

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Have you been watching these 2026 National Hockey League playoffs? In particular, have you been watching the Montréal Canadiens? And, a certain goalie?

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Well, if you are a Habs’ fan or not, what a magical spring playoff run it has been for the Canadiens. They have already become the youngest team in NHL history to win back-to-back playoff rounds by virtue of Game 7 victories over two teams that finished ahead of them in the regular season rankings — the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres.

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And not only that, the Canadiens did so led by a rookie Czech goalie who just recently celebrated his 25th birthday. Imagine what the future might hold.

On to that Czech goalie. My goodness, what a goalie. My goodness, what a story.

Jakub Dobeš is Montreal’s — and the NHL’s — new goalie sensation. And — get this — he was not selected until the fifth round, 136th overall, by the Canadiens at the 2020 NHL Draft.

What a journey it has been for Dobeš, who left his native Czechia at the age of 16 and found his way to St. Louis, Missouri.

He initially joined the St. Louis AAA Jr. Blues youth team and eventually made his way to the Topeka Pilots of the Tier 2 level North American Hockey League. He then advanced to the Omaha Lancers of the Tier 1 level Omaha Lancers and was drafted to the NHL by Montreal ahead of getting a Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association commitment to play for the Ohio State University Buckeyes effective the ’21-’22 season.

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Upon leaving Ohio State, Dobeš signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Canadiens in March of 2023 and subsequently joined Montreal’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Laval Rocket, though he did not see a single minute of action over the remainder of what was the ’22-’23 season.

After attending the Canadiens’ training camp in the fall of 2023, Dobeš was assigned to Laval to start the ’23-’24 season and eventually became the No. 1 goalie for the Rocket — and led the entire AHL in games played with 51.

After posting a record of 9–3–1 with Laval to start the ’24-’25 season, Dobeš was summoned by the Canadiens in late December. He quickly made his first NHL start and made 34 saves in a shutout win over the mighty Florida Panthers.

Prior to the start of the current ’25-’26 season, Dobeš signed a two-year extension with Canadiens. And with starter Sam Montembeault struggling at the start of this season, Dobeš assumed a more prominent role. But after a sizzling start, his play became sporadic, and by December the Canadiens recalled Jacob Fowler from Laval to give Montreal three goalies.

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Amazingly, for a while, Dobeš was the least utilized of the three before he gradually re-established himself and became the Canadiens’ starter from March of this year onward — with Fowler as his backup and Montembeault in the minors with Laval. Dobeš finished this ’25-’26 regular season with a record of 29–10–4 record and a .901 save percentage to go with a 2.78 goals against average.

And then came this spring’s playoffs and a new star was born in the Montreal net. Not only that, fans who are not even Montreal fans have become Montreal fans, thanks in a big way to a Czech goalie who has become a household name to just about anyone who has been following this spring’s NHL playoffs.

Dobeš!

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