Peoria Native Dillan Bentley Signs Two-Year AHL Deal With Laval Rocket

Dillan Bentley, a 6-foot-4 winger out of Peoria, Illinois, signed a two-year, one-way AHL contract with the Laval Rocket, the Montreal Canadiens' primary affiliate, taking a significant step toward professional hockey after wrapping up his college career at UMass-Lowell.

The contract covers the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons. The one-way structure guarantees Bentley his AHL salary even if he is assigned to a lower professional level, a meaningful distinction for a player making the jump from college hockey. He could make his professional debut even sooner: the Rocket may bring him in for a look this spring, with Laval currently sitting in first place in the AHL's North Division at 36-18-5.

Bentley closed out his UMass-Lowell career as the team's leading goal scorer, posting 14 goals in 33 games in his final season while serving as an assistant captain. At 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, he profiles as the kind of power winger who can make an immediate physical impression at the pro level.

Bentley is believed to be just the third Peoria-born or former Peoria Youth Hockey Association product to reach the AHL's class-AAA level. That distinction carries weight in a hockey community that has leaned heavily on figures like Jean-Guy Trudel, head coach of the SPHL's Peoria Rivermen and a central figure in the Peoria Youth Hockey Association, and former Rivermen captain Alec Hagaman, who mentored Bentley during his development.

Trudel did not hold back in his assessment of what the signing represents. "I'm so proud of Dillan, he's everything you want in a hockey player," Trudel said. "He's completely dedicated to the process of growth, he's become a great leader, works harder than everyone else. He keeps fighting and believing through all the adversity that his career has brought his way. He loves the game, and he's being rewarded."

For Bentley, the moment prompted reflection on a journey built more on love of the sport than any external reward. UMass-Lowell recently asked its seniors to write a summary of their time in the program, and the exercise gave Bentley space to take stock of how far he has come.

"I was able to think about the journey a lot," Bentley said. "One thing that comes to mind is doing it because I loved it, not because of anything else. Still do. I was just trying to become the best player I could be. I just wanted to be as best as I could on and off the ice."

Landing with a Laval team in the thick of a North Division title race gives Bentley a meaningful environment to debut in. The Rocket's position as Montreal's top farm club also means any standout performances will register directly with an NHL organization actively developing its pipeline.