Canadiens sign William Trudeau to one-year, two-way contract

The Montreal Canadiens announced Thursday they signed defenseman William Trudeau to a one-year, two-way contract.

According to PuckPedia, the contract will pay Trudeau, who was a restricted free agent, $775,000 at the NHL level and $90,000 in the minors, with a guaranteed salary of $100,000.

Trudeau, 22, spent the 2024-25 campaign with the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, scoring five goals and 14 assists for 19 points and 54 penalty minutes in 68 regular-season games. He also recorded three assists in eight Calder Cup Playoff games.

A native of Varennes, Que., Trudeau has played 198 regular-season games with the Rocket across three seasons, scoring 20 goals and 50 assists for 70 points and 182 penalty minutes.

Taken in the fourth round by Montreal in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Trudeau spent three seasons in the QMJHL with the Charlottetown Islanders, scoring 20 goals and 70 assists for 90 points in 166 career regular-season games. His best season came in 2021-22, when he recorded eight goals and 36 assists for 44 points in 68 games. During the 2022 QMJHL Playoffs, Trudeau scored seven goals and added four assists for 11 points in 14 games.

The Canadiens finished the 2024-25 season with a 40-31-11 record and 91 points, fifth in the Atlantic Division while clinching the No. 2 Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference and earning their first playoff birth since their Stanley Cup Final run in 2021. They were eliminated by the Washington Capitals in five games.