Laval Rocket Brings in Concordia University's Ilia Ejov as Interim Goalie Coach
The Laval Rocket, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, have made a strategic coaching addition by hiring Ilia Ejov as their interim goalie coach for the remainder of the AHL season. This move continues the Canadiens organization's trend of prioritizing development skills and fresh perspectives over extensive traditional coaching experience.
From University to Professional Ranks
Ejov joins the Rocket directly from Concordia University, where he served as goalie coach for the Stingers this season. The 39-year-old Russian-born coach brings a unique international background to his new role. Before entering coaching, Ejov had an extensive playing career that included two seasons with the QMJHL's St. John's Fog Devils, followed by 13 seasons in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League.
After his KHL tenure, Ejov returned to Quebec and played two seasons with the Laval Petroliers in the LNAH, giving him valuable familiarity with the local hockey landscape. His multilingual abilities—speaking English, French, and Russian—and his previous experience as a guest coach at the Canadiens' development camp last summer made him an attractive candidate for the organization.
Focus on Developing Top Goaltending Prospect
The primary focus of Ejov's appointment will be working with Jacob Fowler, the Rocket's promising young goaltender. Fowler has shown strong performance this season with a 15-7-0 record, 2.24 goals-against average, and .915 save percentage in Laval. He also gained valuable NHL experience with 10 games for the Canadiens in December.
Canadiens president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton emphasized that the organization was seeking "a new voice in the organization for all goalies" when explaining the coaching changes. Ejov replaces Marco Marciano, who was promoted to interim goalie coach of the Canadiens on January 28 after Eric Raymond was fired.
Continuing a Development-First Philosophy
This hiring follows a pattern established by Canadiens management in recent years. The organization previously hired Hall of Fame player Martin St. Louis as head coach despite his limited professional coaching experience, and brought in former NHL defenceman Stéphane Robidas as an assistant coach after his success with youth hockey in Quebec.
Gorton explained the careful consideration given to Fowler's development: "With Fowler, every decision we make with him is developing him in the right way and when we make decisions for him it's a group decision, and we spend a lot of time thinking about what's next for him and getting him enough starts, getting him enough practices."
The Rocket will continue their schedule with Ejov joining the coaching staff immediately as the team prepares for upcoming games against the Cleveland Monsters at Place Bell in Laval.
