Montreal Called Boston For The First Time In 24 Years – To Draft Him! | Hayden Paupanekis
#haydenpaupanekis
The Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins are the oldest rivalry in hockey, and they almost never trade with each other. In June 2025, Montreal sent the 79th and 108th picks to Boston for the 69th and drafted centre Hayden Paupanekis. It was the first trade between the two clubs in 24 years, and the trade before it (Eric Weinrich for Patrick Traverse, February 2001) was itself the first in 37 years.
This video explains where that silence comes from: in 1964 Boston drafted goaltender Ken Dryden 14th overall, traded him to Montreal days later, and watched him win six Stanley Cups and five Vezina Trophies for the Canadiens.
Then it explains who was worth breaking the rule for. Paupanekis is from Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba, listed at 6’5″ and 203 pounds, with the 9th-largest wingspan at the NHL Combine (79.5 inches) plus top-five finishes in grip strength and the fatigue index. He was 15th in the entire WHL in faceoff wins (614, 49.7%), had 43 points in 71 games across two teams in his draft year after a mid-season trade from Spokane to Kelowna, and 37 points in 57 games last season.
It also covers the honest case against him — the scoring, and the fact that a body that reaches 6’5″ before the coordination does is a long-term project — plus the pattern that matters more than the pick: this front office has now traded up for Hage, Zharovsky, Pugachyov, Runtso and Paupanekis.
Montreal Canadiens prospect analysis. No game footage is used, all visuals are AI-generated stills. This video contains AI-generated narration and imagery.
— SOURCES —
Puckpedia — record of the trade (MTL receives 3rd round pick #69 from BOS for #79 and #108):
https://puckpedia.com/trade/1009
CHL / WHL — 2025 NHL Draft profile: Hayden Paupanekis (draft-day measurements, combine wingspan and grip strength, faceoff totals, coach quote):
Habs Eyes on the Prize — “The Montreal Canadiens select Hayden Paupanekis at 69th overall”:
2025 NHL Draft: The Montreal Canadiens select Hayden Paupanekis at 69th overall
Sportsnaut — “Top 20 Canadiens Prospects: Paupanekis Projects Pure Power” (current listing, trade-up pattern, 2025 draft class size profile):
https://sportsnaut.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/hayden-paupanekis-top-20-canadiens-prospects-report
A Winning Habit — “Canadiens Broke a Long-Standing Unspoken Rule During the 2025 NHL Draft” (Dryden 1964 deal, rarity of MTL–BOS trades):
https://awinninghabit.com/canadiens-broke-a-long-standing-unspoken-rule-during-the-2025-nhl-draft-01jyvyjabt4b
Windspeaker — “Nesbitt, Bear and Paupanekis drafted by National Hockey League clubs” (Norway House Cree Nation):
https://windspeaker.com/news/sports/nesbitt-bear-and-paupanekis-drafted-national-hockey-league-clubs
Kelowna Rockets / CHL — official team statistics:
https://chl.ca/whl-rockets/stats/
Montreal has now traded up in the draft five separate times, for five players: Michael Hage, Alexander Zharovsky, Gleb Pugachyov, Timofei Runtso and Hayden Paupanekis. My honest opinion is that this pattern tells you more about how this front office thinks than any prospect ranking does.
So give me two names. Which one of those five do you actually believe in — and which one do you think Montreal talked itself into? I'll pin the best argument I read, even if it's the one that says I'm wrong about Paupanekis.
And settle the simple one while you're here: a phone call to Boston, ten spots and a fourth-round pick, for a centre who is three years away from playing an NHL game. Worth it, or not worth it?