The Montreal Canadiens announced Tuesday that the club has signed right winger Tyler Thorpe to a three-year, entry-level contract to begin in the upcoming 2025-26 season. As part of the agreement, Thorpe will join the AHL affiliated Laval Rocket on a professional tryout basis for the balance of the current campaign.

Thorpe was originally chosen by the Canadiens in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Draft.

Through 68 appearances this season with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, Thorpe collected 27 goals and 25 assists to rank seventh in team scoring with 52 points. The 6-foot-5 forward then added another goal and two assists for three points through five playoff outings. In all, through three seasons with the Giants totaling 167 career contests, Thorpe has registered 54 goals and 48 assists for 102 points.

Prior to joining the Giants, the 19-year-old native of Richmond, B.C., spent a single season with the BCHL’s Langley Rivermen where through 10 outings in 2022-23 he put up three points counting two goals and one assist.

Thorpe is the second player to sign his entry-level contract with Montreal in recent days. On Friday, the Canadiens agreed to terms with 20-year-old goaltender Jacob Fowler, a third-round selection from the 2023 NHL Draft. Through 35 appearances this season with the NCAA’s Boston College Eagles, Fowler posted a 25-7-2 showing coupled with a .940 save percentage, 1.63 goals-against average, and seven shutouts.

For the Canadiens, on the season the club sits 38-30-9 and six points up on the Atlantic Division rival Detroit Red Wings for the second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. In the midst of a five-game winning streak, the Canadiens will aim for their sixth consecutive victory when the club retakes the ice Tuesday against the Red Wings. The Canadiens last qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2021.