HENDERSON, Nev. — Cole Caufield is one American hockey player who can’t foresee requesting a trade south of the border.
Sure, the Montreal Canadiens’ 50-goal sniper is aware of countrymen Brady Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes and Connor Hellebuyck asking out of their intensified Canadian markets.
But, please, don’t paint all U.S.-born stars with the same brush.
“Only speaking for myself, I think being in Montreal, if you love hockey and have a passion for it, there’s no better place or city to teach you lessons through the good and bad. You learn to embrace it throughout those bad times that there’s brighter days ahead,” Caufield told Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas Wednesday during a recording of their 32 Thoughts podcast.
“It’s a city where you work and you earn things. Just every night at the Bell Centre is sweet. There’s no better feeling than being out there. And the city, as a whole, like, I just love being there. And you can tell, just by the guys that we have, the guys that want to be there, it's very inspiring for our group, and it's contagious in the way that we come to the rink every day. I really love to be there. Top to bottom, staff-wise, player-wise, it’s just really exciting. I love it there, and it’s tough to see myself somewhere else.”
Caufield, 25, is one a several prime-age, high-draft-pick Canadiens talents who signed long-term as part a steadily improving core that reached the 2026 Eastern Conference final. His increasingly team-friendly $7.85 million cap hit runs through 2031.
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As difficult as it was for Caufield to process the Habs’ Round 3 ousting by the eventual Stanley Cup champion. Carolina Hurricanes, he is encouraged by the young squad’s swift development.
No longer the underdog, Caufield watched closely the Vegas-Carolina final and is relishing Montreal’s newfound status as an Atlantic Division power.
“Just hungry for more. I think we’ve got to taste what it could or should be like for us moving forward, and it’s only going to get more difficult. But I think we got the mentality in the room, and we have the staff too that keeps us honest and keeps us hungry,” he said.
Caufield believes the Canadiens have graduated from the hunter to the hunted.
“We’ve worked to get there," he said. "You want to be on that side, rather than to chase everybody down. And I like where we’re at. But again, it's just the beginning, and it’s a tough mountain. I think we got the right guys in the room to get the job done.”
And a rabid Canadian fan base that will follow them every step of the way.
“I mean, it’s weird, like, when you’re just in your car and somebody has to triple-take and might just be chasing you or something, you kind of get used to those things. It is weird. Kind of everybody knows you or just follows the team,” Caufield said, smiling.
“So, I’m very fortunate to be in that position and just want to make a positive impact on the everybody.”
