As the Montreal Canadiens wrapped up their season and faced the media one last time, all eyes turned to Joel Armia, whose future with the team had been a subject of much speculation. In a refreshing turn of events, Armia took the podium and offered a candid glimpse into his mindset and conversations with management.

Unlike some of his teammates, who sounded uncertain or even resigned to leaving, Armia spoke with genuine enthusiasm about the possibility of returning to Montreal next season. His openness about ongoing discussions with Kent Hughes and his clear desire to remain a Canadien struck a hopeful note for fans eager to see stability and commitment from their roster.

With his contract set to expire soon and his impressive resilience on display—playing nearly every game despite injury—Armia’s statements have added an intriguing layer to the Canadiens’ offseason narrative. His journey from being sent down to the minors to becoming a key contributor is a testament to perseverance, and now, as free agency looms, the question remains: will Joel Armia be back in red, white, and blue next year?

Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

To wrap up the Montreal Canadiens’ season-ending media day, forward Joel Armia took the podium in front of reporters. During his press conference, he dropped a few hints about his meeting with Kent Hughes.

It was especially interesting to see the contrast with Christian Dvorak.

In Dvorak’s case, he spoke about his time with the Canadiens in the past tense and was quite reserved.

Listening to him this morning, it definitely sounded like he won’t be returning to the Canadiens next season.

With Joel Armia, it was the complete opposite!

Joel Armia seems to indicate he’ll be back with the Montreal Canadiens next season

Not only did he agree to answer questions on the subject and on the possibility of a contract extension, but Armia outright admitted that discussions with Kent Hughes have taken place.

He added that he is very interested in returning to the Habs next season!

“I’ve had some discussions (about coming back next year), I really want to be here in the future!”

– Joel Armia

Interesting!

Let’s remember that Armia’s contract technically ends on July 1st, and he will be free to sign wherever he wants at that point, but he can obviously also sign a new deal with the Montreal Canadiens.

Speaking of little revelations from Joel Armia, he also shared this:

“Joel Armia fractured his left hand in Vancouver on March 11. He missed the following game in Seattle, but that was it.

He finished the season having played 81 games, plus the five games against the Capitals.”

Patrick Friolet

Wow! All the press conferences are available below:

Joel Armia, 31 years old, 6 feet 3 inches, and 216 pounds, recorded 29 points in 81 games this season, including eleven goals (with a -2 plus/minus rating).

He added two points in five playoff games.

Armia has come a long way since being sent down to the Laval Rocket after the 2023 training camp.

At the right price, would you like Kent Hughes to offer Joel Armia a contract extension?

To be continued!