Cowan: Canadiens prospect L.J. Mooney inspired by Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson
I was in Vancouver covering the 2019 NHL draft when former Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin selected forward Cole Caufield in the first round (15th overall).
Caufield was listed at 5-foot-7 and 163 pounds at the time. I’m 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds and when Caufield walked beside me en route to a podium for his first interview in a Canadiens sweater I wondered how he’d be able to play in the NHL at his size.
I was at the Bell Centre covering the 2022 NHL Draft when Canadiens GM Kent Hughes selected Lane Hutson in the second round (62nd overall). Hutson was listed at 5-foot-8 and 148 pounds at the time and during his first interview after getting drafted looked like a little kid who had borrowed his father’s Canadiens sweater, which was falling off his shoulders.
“Hopefully, I can fill the jersey out a little bit more,” Hutson said at the time.
I figured at the time there’s no way Hutson will be able to succeed in the NHL, but he has certainly filled out that sweater since then.
I was wrong about Caufield and Hutson — and so were NHL general managers who took a pass on both of them because of their size.
Last season, Caufield scored 51 goals, becoming the first Canadien to hit the 50-goal mark since Stéphane Richer scored 51 goals in 1989-90. Two seasons ago, Hutson became the first Canadien to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie since goalie Ken Dryden in 1972 and last season Hutson finished sixth in voting for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenceman after posting 12-66-78 totals while playing in all 82 games with a plus-36 differential.
Caufield is now listed at 5-foot-8 and 175 pounds, while Hutson is 5-foot-9 and 162 pounds.
The Canadiens took a chance on another small player at the 2025 NHL Draft when they selected 5-foot-7 forward L.J. Mooney in the fourth round (113th overall). Mooney took part in his second Canadiens’ development camp last month at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard and said he had gained about 10 pounds since being drafted. Mooney was measured at 5-foot-71/2 and 169 pounds at development camp, saying he hasn’t lost any of his speed while gaining weight.
As a freshman last season at the University of Minnesota, Mooney had 7-23-30 totals in 34 games to rank second on the team in points.
The odds are against Mooney making it to the NHL, but Caufield and Hutson have shown why you can’t count him out.
“Watching (Caufield) has been an unreal year,” Mooney said at development camp. “That’s pretty cool to see. You always hear it, but then you see him put up 50 goals … it (size) doesn’t matter. You see what he’s done, what other smaller guys have done. I think people can keep saying it, but I don’t think it (size) really affects anything.”
Martin Lapointe, the Canadiens’ director of player personnel and amateur scouting, described Mooney as “a talent” after drafting him, adding the team is looking to find “home runs” in the fourth round of the draft. Lapointe described Mooney as a competitor who is very dynamic on the ice and can score goals.
Canadiens management has made it clear they’d like to get bigger and add more grit. That doesn’t bother Mooney, whose compete level is very high.
“I think I kind of bring that physicality out there,” Mooney said. “Being a smaller guy, I think I still have that physicality. Just putting on weight now I think I can keep being more physical, better on the defensive side and everything. I’m going to try to put on some more weight before the season starts and I think it will be good.
“I think I can get up a couple of more pounds before the season starts,” he added. “I don’t really have a weight I want to be at right now. … Working with my trainers at home in Minnesota, they’re pretty good at that, knowing what to do. I haven’t lost any of my speed, I don’t think.”
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The University of Minnesota is coming off a tough season, finishing with an 11-22-3 record. Head coach Bob Motzko was fired after eight years with the school, including two trips to the Frozen Four tournament. Brett Larson was hired to replace Motzko after spending the last eight seasons at St. Cloud State.
Mooney could play centre on a line this season with freshman Wyatt Cullen — the son of former NHLer Matt Cullen — who was selected by the Nashville Predators in the first round (10th overall) of this year’s NHL Draft.
“I think we’ll have a good team,” Mooney said. “New coach, everything. We were just there for a month getting to know the guys and everything has been awesome. I’m really excited to get started.
“I think just getting better at everything every day,” Mooney added about his goals for this season. “You can’t stop getting better at everything. If you’re good at something, you got to keep working on it. I think just getting in the gym, working on everything on the ice. Just keep doing that and I think it will be good.”
