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Report: Murray, Leblanc to make season debuts for Habs tonight

Louis Leblanc

Montreal defenseman Douglas Murray and forward Louis Leblanc will play their first games of the year tonight, according to various reports.

Murray, 33, has missed all 11 games this season due to an upper-body injury suffered in the preseason. The veteran Swede, who signed with the Habs as a depth defenseman in August, will be counted upon more than first thought with Alexei Emelin (knee) and Davis Drewiske (shoulder) out of commission.

The Habs have also sent young defensemen Nathan Beaulieu and Jarred Tinordi to AHL Hamilton, paving the way for Murray to jump right into the mix.

Leblanc, 22, will make his debut after a curious exhibition campaign.

The club’s first-round pick (18th overall) at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, he was something of a surprise cut early in training camp, a decision that drew the ire of his girlfriend, Canadian tennis player Aleksandra Wozniak.

Wozniak took to Twitter to blast the Canadiens, calling it “the worst excuse ever,” adding “this is wrong!”

Shortly thereafter, Montreal head coach Michel Therrien defended the move to send Leblanc down.

“He came into camp with a good attitude and he was in better shape, but we know Louis Leblanc and we wanted to get to know some of the other players better,” Therrien said, per the Montreal Gazette.

Leblanc has fared well in Hamilton, scoring four goals and six points in seven games. He’s set to play on a line with David Desharnais and Rene Bourque.