Canadiens’ Kaiden Guhle back on ice after having appendix removed
Positive news for the Montreal Canadiens as defenseman Kaiden Guhle was back on the ice on Thursday.
The 22-year-old was skating by himself just eight days removed from having his appendix removed.
#Habs defenceman Kaiden Guhle on ice this morning in Brossard after having his appendix removed last week #HabsIO pic.twitter.com/K2Z0qeHpJ7
— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) September 26, 2024The team revealed that Guhle had the operation last Thursday, shortly before the team’s first on-ice session at training camp in Brossard.
Guhle was coming off his second season in the NHL, appearing in 70 games for the Habs in which he set career highs in goals (6), assists (16) and points (22). His play earned him a spot on the Canadian roster at the 2024 IIHF Men’s World Championship. In nine games, Guhle scored five points, as Team Canada finish fourth.
The Edmonton native was taken by Montreal in the first round, 16th overall, of the 2020 NHL Draft. After playing a couple more seasons in junior hockey, Guhle joined the Canadiens for the 2022-23 season. Unfortunately, injuries kept him out of the lineup for chunks of the year, playing just 44 games. However, when he was on the ice, the former Edmonton Oil King made a good impression, scoring four goals and 18 points.
His sharp development and adaptability to the NHL level led to general manager Kent Hughes signing the young defender to a six-year contract extension that will kick in for the 2025-26 season. Guhle will receive an AAV of $5.55 million through the 2029-30 season.
In 114 NHL games, Guhle has scored 10 goals and 30 assists for 40 points, with a plus/minus of -27. In his two years on the job, he has averaged 20:43 of ice time.
Prior to making it to the pros, Guhle had a fruitful career in the Western Hockey League. With the Prince Albert Raiders and Oil Kings, he established himself as one of the best prospects on the blue line. He helped the Raiders win the Chynoweth Cup in 2019, as well as Edmonton in 2022 when he earned playoff MVP honors.
Guhle also has won hardware on the international stage. With Team Canada, he won silver at both the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship.
