The Canadiens announced Saturday morning coaching consultant Roger Grillo has cancer.

“The Canadiens organization learned in the past weeks that coach consultant Roger Grillo is battling cancer,” the team said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with our colleague and our friend. We stand with him and his loved ones during his fight. We fight for Roger.”

The Canadiens hired Grillo last September ahead of the 2024-25 season.

Grillo was an assistant coach under head coach Mike Gilligan at the University of Vermont when Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis was a player there for four seasons, starting in 1993-94.

Grillo left for Brown University after St. Louis’s final season at Vermont in 1996-97 and was head coach there for 12 seasons until 2008-09. He joined USA Hockey as a

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