Former Harvard forward Louis Leblanc has now officially had his cup of coffee in the NHL, leaving a fairly strong impression with the Montreal Canadiens. In 14 games with the club, Leblanc registered five points (two goals, three assists), while also recording 16 shots, 17 hits, and playing an average of 9:45 per game. He scored his first goal on Dec. 15.

But on Jan. 4, Leblanc was sent back down to Montreal’s AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs.  The decision to send him down was made even more difficult by Leblanc’s strong play in his first few games in the NHL, according to assistant coach Larry Carriere.

Leblanc was originally expected to have a short first stint in NHL, filling in originally for a suspended Max Pacioretty on an injury-ridden Canadien squad.

Former head coach Jacques Martin believed this to be the best option to help Leblanc progress, suggesting that the forward still has a lot to learn.

In his last two games before being assigned to Hamilton, Leblanc was a healthy scratch.

In his first stint with the Bulldogs, Leblanc had scored four goals and recorded six assists in 14 games. Since then, he has recorded six overall points, with five goals and one assist in nine more games in the AHL.

Leblanc shined in a two-goal performance on Jan. 13 against the Adirondack Phantoms, netting back-to-back scores in a 5-4 loss.