Puck Daddy

While I have not left you, I have written a piece for Puck Daddy as part of their "Summer of disappointment series" I do hope you'll head over there and read it, and am thankful for the love shown to me by Greg Wyshynski and the Puck daddy staff.

"There’s entirely too much sunshine in the summer. So your friends at Puck Daddy are offering a month of thrown shade and perpetual gloom. Behold, our Summer of Disappointment series, in which we ask fans of all 30 teams to recall the biggest bummer moments, teams and players in franchise history! Please wade into their misery like a freezing resort pool, and add your own choices in the comments!"

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/puck-daddy-s-most-disappointing-summer-series--montreal-canadiens-045821442.html

Stay tuned in the coming days, as there is a new HABS-TOWN edition on the horizon, and training camp is fast approaching.
  

2014 Draft - Who Habs got - NIKITA SCHERBAK

When Marc Bergevin and Trevor Timmins stepped up to the podium to make their first selection of the 2014 NHL draft, four of my top six favourite picks were still available for the pickings.

My number one for the Habs was Adrian Kempe out of Modo, he was eventually selected at 29th by the Kings.

The Habs brass selected Nikita Scherbak of the Saskatoon Blades who was not on my list. I am quite pleased indeed with this selection. The player, it should be noted, did not make my list as I did not believe he would be available at 26th over-all.

Scherbak acquitted himself very well in many interviews last night. Especially for a person who didn't speak a word of English less than a year ago. He came off as charming, funny, and grounded. After interviewing close to one hundred draft hopefuls this week, it's a fair bet that the Canadiens brass believes that Scherbak has the "character and compete" that they are looking for from all their players.

The "character" part was certainly on display last night.

Nikita Scherbak - RW - 6'0/172 - Saskatoon (WHL)

The 27th ranked draft eligible player according to International Scouting services.
The 16th ranked draft eligible player on McKeen's list.
The 15th ranked North American skater according to NHL Central Scouting
Ranked #35 overall by TSN's Craig Button
Ranked 21st by TSN's Bob McKenzie
The 14th ranked draft eligible player on HockeyProspect.com
The 18th ranked draft eligible player according to The Hockey News
The 23rd ranked draft eligible player according to Sportsnet Magazine.


• In 2013-14, his first season in North America, Scherbak led all Western Hockey League rookies in scoring by 19 points with 28-50—78 in 65 games.

• Scherbak was named the Blades’ Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Plus/Minus Leader and 3-Star Award Winner. He earned the team’s Top Scorer Award after leading the Blades in goals, assists and points, becoming the first rookie to lead Saskatoon in scoring since Garett Bembridge in 1996-97.

• A vibrant personality who is known to talk a lot on road trips, Scherbak has been taking English classes and learning at an accelerated rate. Saskatoon head coach Dave Struch jokes: “On the five or six-hour bus trips he sits four seats behind us (coaches) and that’s all you can hear, him talking the whole way.”

• He lists Pavel Datsyuk as his childhood hockey idol and wears No. 27 in tribute to Russian superstar Alex Kovalev.

"Excellent scoring instincts and he arrives at the right times to take full advantage. Awareness of how to exploit opportunities is very good and is vigilant and alert in this regard. A versatile player who can play off strengths of others." - Craig Button (TSN)

"Great skill and smarts, he's played all three forward positions thisnyear but his strength is on the right wing being a left hand shot, because he loves to drive the net. He really uses his linemates well, he's an unselfish player and has really adapted well to the North American game." - Peter Sullivan (NHL Central Scouting)

“The best thing about him is that he’s very coachable and teachable. Because he can skate he can get on the puck. But when he’s not on it right away he’s not afraid to make or take a hit. When you’ve got that part of a game from a Russian player it’s exciting.” - David Struch (Saskatoon Blades, head coach)

"Teams always ask Russians about commitment to the NHL over the KHL. Scherbak might land in round 2 after missing the combine due to visa issues." - Gare Joyce (Sportsnet)

For a more detailed look at Nikita Scherbak, please check out this excellent profile on him by Ryan Pike of The Hockey Writers. Nikita Scherbak THW: Close Up

Follow the latest Hab on Twitter @neketos22

Lars Eller - The Great Dane

Think back. Early on in the 2013 lockout-shortened season, Lars Eller got off to a slow start. There were even rumors beginning  to swirl that the Montreal Canadiens were looking to trade the young Dane. At that time I began putting together an article to disprove the notion that the Habs would contemplate such a move.

Life got in the way, I never finished up the article. Some details changed, David Desharnais signed a long term contract with the Canadiens and Lars Eller started to look dominant en route to the playoffs and his eventual meeting with Eric Gryba. 

As it becomes more and more evident just how important the 24-year old Dane is to the future of the Montreal Canadiens, I felt it was time to revisit the article I was putting together. I started looking over my old research. I started editing What I had already started to piece together. What we're left with is a profile on an emerging future NHL star.

Since early last season, Michel Therrien has had a plan for Lars Eller. Eller is being groomed.  At the start last season, Eller spent time on both special team units while playing fourth line minutes at even strength.I was and remain convinced that Coach Michel Therrien's plan was to virtually "build the player from scratch". Lars Eller is being groomed into the role of Thomas Plekanec 2.0. 

I can see a day in the near future, say 1-2 seasons from now where Plekanec' burdens are lessened. Where he is eased in to a 3rd line role at Center.A shutdown role playing 15 minutes with Lars Eller and Alex Galchenyuck as the top two centres. That scenario would turn an older Plek into a Carbo/Gainey type -  ELITE shutdown Centre - While putting size and skill in the Top 6 at C.

This Montreal Canadiens brass led by Michel Therrien and Marc Bergevin is building these players for tomorrow, not for today. Long term vision. Brian Wilde wrote a great piece on this months ago. "Time. Patience. Faith". That's what Bergevin is working with and Michel Therrin is HIS Coach. They have a plan. Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada once told TSN 690's Mitch Melnick that when Bergevin first took the job he was getting calls from other General Managers about Eller. Bergevin would say he needed time to evaluate. 

I am certain, it didn't take long for both the Coach the GM to complete their evaluating, they've seen what other GM's saw and they now have their plan in place. 

David Desharnais signed a long term deal last season. Two years ago he had a phenomenal season, and recently he seems to have regained that form. After long stretches of aimlessness from him, I believe he is being given every opportunity to earn a place for next season, either with the Canadiens or with another team. I don't believe he is in the teams long term plans. I do believe Lars Eller is.

On June 17th 2012, The Globe and Mail's Sean Gordon wrote a long piece spotlighting then General Manager Pierre Gauthier's acquisition of Lars Eller; 



"If Gauthier's more than willing to take his lumps, it's partly because he isn't playing on the same chessboard as the team's fervent supporters; the trade provides something close to a mission statement.

"We're looking into the future … in the big picture of things, going forward, we feel very comfortable with having done this," Gauthier said.

He will be criticized for getting a relatively paltry return of two prospects for the 25-year-old Halak, whose legend was cemented with fans during the postseason.

But 21-year-old centre Lars Eller, the 13th pick in the 2007 draft, and rough-hewn Calgary Hitmen winger Ian Schultz (the 20-year-old brother of the Washington Capitals' Jeff) fit Gauthier's vision.

Indeed, Blues GM Doug Armstrong said he tried to steer Gauthier away from Eller, who had two goals in seven NHL games last season and scored 18 goals and 39 assists in 70 AHL games, but that the Habs wouldn't relent.

"It's not like we viewed [Eller]as expendable," Armstrong said. "It may be difficult for some of the fans in Montreal, but once they see him play, they'll understand."

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Dane projects as a second-line centre, and both the Blues and Canadiens view him as NHL ready for this fall.

Citing the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, Gauthier said the new paradigm involves piling up cheap, young talent that allows you to add higher-priced pieces later on. It explains why he didn't insist on a current roster player in the bidding (sources suggest four teams were involved).

As it is, the Canadiens acquired two players for roughly what Halak cost last season - probably the best they could hope for in a year where there is a rich vein of free-agent goaltending.



"That's the type of maneuvering we have to do with this new cap system," Gauthier said. "And to acquire good young players who will play for you under their entry-level contracts, that becomes very important. You look at players and how good they're going to get. You can get established players, but you can also get them in unrestricted free agency on July 1."

Fans of the former General Manager are few and far between here in Montreal and while Ian Schultz seems to be an NHL bust, Lars Eller was always the center-piece of the deal for Gauthier. This is a deal that had his fingerprints all over it. Whatever we think of Gauthier, his deals involving emerging NHL talent have all seemed to work out for the Canadiens.

Patrick Holland, Michael Bournival, Greg Pateryn and Lars Eller are all young players that the Canadiens acquired under Gauthier's watch. All four are projected to be NHLer's. Gauthier as General Manager acquired three of them - two of whom are currently on the roster. For all his failings as GM, this is one area where the man deserves to be praised. 

In Gordon's piece, Pierre Gauthier cited the Chicago Blackhawks model which is interesting to note, not just because Gauthier now works in Chicago, but the Canadiens current General Manager came from the Blackhawks system, making Eller likely a player that fits his vision. 

Looking further back to 2007, Bill Meltzer of HockeyBuzz profiled Eller leading into the NHL entry draft in a May 6th piece. His piece, almost the entirety of which I am reprinting here shows you just how high the ceiling could be for Eller;


"Among the 2007 draft prospects, Eller is arguably the most intriguing. The Dane has shot up the rankings to the point that he's become a fashionable "sleeper" first round candidate whom many say has the upside to someday outshine many of the top ten picks.

Over the last few weeks, I've talked to as many people as possible to get a sense of how far Eller has risen. Two scouts were kind enough to respond so far. In the upcoming weeks, I have arranged to speak with Eller's Frölunda head coach Jens Gustavsson and, hopefully, to several other NHL scouts to whom I've reached out. I've also poured over as many English and Swedish scouting reports on him that I've been able to find.

I have yet to see Eller play first-hand, so I can't offer any personal observations. Because Eller is Danish, he plays at the Division I level at the World Championships. And because he's been playing at the Swedish junior level for Frölunda, rather than Elitserien, no clips from his games are readily available.

However, veteran hockey people who know a lot more than I do have been raving about Eller. I thought I'd share their commentary and excerpts from the scouting reports.

Eastern Conference NHL amateur scout (via e-mail):

"Eller has come on as much as any player in this draft. Last year you could see the skill level but he was undersized even for a junior player. This year he's grown and added strength. In terms of skill, he is a plus skater and shooter and an excellent playmaker. He's a kid with a lot of upside."


Independent scout (via telephone):

Would you say Eller is the best kept secret in the draft?
"No, because Eller isn't a secret anymore. He's on a lot of team's radar screen."

Do you see him going in the first round?
"I don't see why he shouldn't. There's kind of a cat-and-mouse game that I think could go on with him, where teams are going to try to feel out how long they can wait and maybe grab another player or two they like before they take him. But more and more I think someone's going to blink pretty early on him and take him."

Could it be a situation-- like Forsberg in 1991 -- where he goes in the top 10 even though he's projected by Central Scouting and others anywhere from mid-to-late first round or the second?
"Well, you never want to put that kind of expection on a kid. Top 10? That might be a little high, but not much. If some team has the [guts] to do something like that, though, this might be the year."

How would you rate his skill level?
"He has no real weaknesses to his game. Skating- top notch. Stickhandling-top notch. Passing-- top notch. Plus he's a mature, two-way player. He's filling out his frame, so size isn't really a concern any more. He isn't afraid to get hit. If there's a flaw, it's that he's sometimes a little too unselfish and passes up open shots."

I've heard some people compare him to Henrik Zetterberg when Zetterberg was a teenager. Is that a fair comparison player, in terms of raw skill level?
"That's a real high standard to meet-- that's setting the bar really high, I think. You know that Detroit was able to draft Zetterberg in the seventh round (210th overall in 1999). There were size questions about Zetterberg back then and he didn't really come into the limelight until after he was drafted. I don't think it's fair to expect Eller to do what Zetterberg did. What I will say is he has the skill level to a be a special player if he continues improving at the same rate."

So if Eller clearly has that kind of upside, why is he still not a top 10 prospect-- or even a top 30 according to some sources? In a year where there are question marks about pretty much everyone, why isn't he in the mix?
"I'd say it's two things. He's from Denmark, so even though he plays in a very good junior program in Sweden, scouts couldn't get to look at him in the (elite level) of the WJC and Under-18s. The highest competition he's faced was in the Swedish junior playoffs."


Okay, but Kyle Turris was pretty much in the same boat. And that hasn't really held him back.
"No, it hasn't. You're right. But Turris has shown he can play for [Team] Canada and he's been accepted to a proven college hockey program at Wisconsin. But there are guys who don't feel comfortable pushing the Danish kid up until they actually see him at a higher level on a regular basis. There isn't the track record to go on."

What was the second reason why he's down a little bit in the rankings from what his skill level is supposed to be?
"In some ways it helps him and in some ways maybe it hurts him a little that he's surrounded by so many skilled players [on Frölunda]. It helps him because there's been scouts at a lot of his games. But it hurts him because maybe he wouldn't be as effective when other teams focus on stopping him. There's guess-work in projecting that, because the quality of defense and goaltending below the Elite league-- and same thing for the Division I tournament -- isn't always the best.

"Next year, Denmark will be in the WJC and he should be there. He should also be a rookie in the Swedish Elites by that point. He'll already be drafted by then, but we'll get to see how far he's come along. "

What's a best-case and worst-case scenario for him at the NHL level? Could he potentially not make it at all?
Unless it's a [Sidney] Crosby or [Alexander] Ovechkin level player, anyone could fall a little short. He could get hurt. He could stop developing. He could have trouble adjusting to the next level. But I think he doesn't have any real weaknesses to hold him back. I think he'll be an NHL player and could be a very good one." 

There's more to find in Meltzer's Eller Profile on HockeyBuzz.com and I encourage you to check it out.

Time. Patience. Faith.

If this recent streak the Habs are on has show us anything, it's that these three things are things fans need to have. The Coach has it - Listen to his speech before the Columbus game on 24CH recently. The GM has it - look at how his moves worked out. Now we need to have it to.

The Habs are on their path, let's follow them on it and enjoy the ride. 

HABS-TOWN: "Bournival is raising a lot of eyebrows this season"

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've likely got at least passing knowledge of Chantal Desjardins. The affable girl from small town Winnipeg who made it all the way to big time Montreal to become a hit with local Media. 

Since arriving in Montreal in 2006, Chantal has been everywhere! She has worked on CHOM, CJAD and Virgin radio in various capacities. She's emceed many events. She's run for charity, she's dabbled in stand up comedy and most recently she's been seen on CTV Montreal Television hosting sports and entertainment segments.

Chantal holds a communications degree from the University of Winnipeg and a Creative Communications diploma from Red River college. Early on in her career she appeared as a guest on morning shows for Q94FM and BOBFM in Winnipeg before moving to Montreal permanently. 

Chantal has proven quick on her feet over her many years in Radio dealing with the likes of Aaron Rand, PJ stock and "Bad Pete" Marier. Not only has she held her own with some of their quick wit, but she has improved the quality of their broadcasts. Mike Cohen of the Suburban lauded her "amazing" chemistry with Aaron Rand, a trend that has followed her at all of her career stops. 

A constant running in thread throughout her career has been sports - particularly Hockey. From her earliest days in Winnipeg, to her current post at CTV, Chantal has been the Sports Girl, a title she's glad to hold as her love of the game an passion for talking about is is evident. Chantal is a huge part of HABS-TOWN and if you weren't quite sure why or how, this is the place for you.

What first got you interested in the game of hockey?

When I was five I wanted to be a ballerina, but it took exactly one dance class to realize that I had about as much grace as Elaine from Seinfeld and my mom decided that boys hockey might be better suited to my skill set. I’ve played hockey ever since and I still can’t dance.  

Is it safe to bet, that growing up in Winnipeg the JETS were your first hockey love?

I loved the Jets as a kid. When I was nine years old, my best friend had season tickets right behind the Jets’ bench. 

I should clarify - She became my best friend when I found out she had season tickets behind the Jets bench. Anyways, I swear that whole season, Tie Domi would wink at me every time he returned to the bench. Either that or he just had a weird eye twitch from fighting so much. Either way, that’s how Tie Domi became my favorite player (even now that he’s on those lame commercials selling long distance plans) and the Jets became my team.

Did your allegiances change to the Habs only when you moved to Montreal?

The Jets left for Phoenix back in 1996. I swear the whole city went into a depression. For years after a new petition would pop up every few months trying to bring the team back. It would get hundreds of thousands of signatures…and then nothing. So when I moved to Montreal 6 years ago, the Jets, and my winking Tie Domi, were so far removed from my memory that it was pretty easy to switch teams. And when I started covering the team for CJAD800, I got so wrapped up in the story lines that I found myself cheering for the Habs whenever the two teams would play each other.

How do you feel about the latest JETS incarnation?

I think Winnipeg getting the Jets back  is an amazing accomplishment for the city. The Bell Centre atmosphere is electric, but from what I hear, the MTS Centre in the 'Peg is definitely comparable. Now if Claude Noel can just keep his players more focused on hockey and less on tweeting pictures of themselves in Vegas surrounded by stacks of dolla bills...they'll be fine.  

Do you remember your first Habs game?

My first ever live Habs game was in 2007 after I moved from Winnipeg. It was an October game and the Bruins were in town, and the Bell Centre was electric.  They Habs totally dominated, I think they won 6-1, and the crowd went crazy every time the Canadiens found the back of Boston’s net. It was amazing.

Do you have a favorite Habs player ever?

I don’t really have a favorite player these days. Working in sports, you’re supposed to stay neutral, but if I had to choose one, it would probably be Saku Koivu. I love a good story of overcoming adversity, and his story is one of the best. I also had the chance to interview him a few times, and he was always so genuine. Sometimes that’s hard to find when you’re dealing with athletes making millions of dollars.

Where do you like to watch games? 

I get distracted easily, so if I really want to focus on the details, I need to watch the games alone on my couch. But of course, there’s nothing like watching a game from the Bell Centre. Watching from the press box is okay, but you’re so high up that the players sort of look like ants and since you’re supposed to be “working”, you can’t have a beer up there. The best is when you’ve scored tickets down in the Reds, $12 beer in hand…good times.

When you're not working, do you watch games for fun? If so do you prefer to watch with guys? with girls? why?

I do watch games when I’m not working, partly so that I can be in the loop the next day when I am working, and partly because I love hockey. I usually have a group of friends that will watch it at their place or at a pub. It’s usually guys who are die-hard hockey fans, but I have a few girlfriends who enjoy it too.

Do you have any pre-game rituals or in game superstitions? 

Ha, no I’m not that crazy. Maybe if I was on the team. You think I have a shot?

Maybe you do have a shot at the team, crazier things have happened. Matt Darche was 33 before he signed with the Habs, and he'd only played 101 NHL games before that over 10+ pro seasons. Of course there's always the Manon Rheaume comparable too, and even the Habs have called in Kim St-Pierre to practice with them before. As Randy Teiman likes to often say....."You never know"

Do you still play hockey regularly? You MUST have some pre-game rituals for you own games...

I play beer league hockey with the guys. A lot of them end up talking about their good ol' Junior days...back before they'd get an injury just from tying up their skates. It's still a lot of fun though, even if no one is going pro anytime soon. I don't really have any pregame rituals though... 

 

Many people may recall you spent a year working with a former Hab - PJ Stock. What was that like? 

It was loud. I worked with Pete Marier, and PJ Stock…both loud personalities. Put them in a room together, and it was basically like babysitting two kids. Two really fun, really talented kids.

Did you and PJ spend lots of off-air time talking hockey? 
Not really. Sports was just one part of the morning show on CHOM, so we spent a lot of time trying to think of different elements we could bring to the show. Like the one time a guy called into the morning show and said they’d gotten a ticket for playing street hockey with his kid. So PJ called up a few buddies and organized a huge charity street hockey tournament for the next day. It attracted hundreds of people and raised a bit of money for charity. He really used his “celebrity” status to help out when he could. 

Lots of people think PJ's a "HAB-HATER" and really a Bruin at heart, what do you think?

I think PJ just likes to stir the pot. He would say the pro-Bruins comments, which would rile up Pete Marier (and most of our listeners). I’m not sure if he even always bought into what he was saying, but it made for great radio.

When PJ was working on Team 990, I felt the same way as a listener, he's just trying to rile people up. It's shtick. I think he enjoy being the heel. (to borrow a wrestling term)

 

What are your expectations for the 2013-2014 edition of the Montreal Canadiens? 

I think having Therrien and Bergevin are exactly what the Habs have needed to rebuild a winning franchise. There are a lot of injuries right now, so if they can stay healthy, this could be the year. (Now I really sound like a Habs fan…)

For the moment Jarred Tinordi and Michael Bournival are with the Canadiens, do you expect them to last the season here, why or why not? What are your expectations for them?

Whereas Galchenyuk and Gallagher were great surprises last year, Bournival is raising a lot of eyebrows this season. He really seems to be holding his own as a rookie, and he’s making those around him better too. I hope he stays up for the year.

For more from Chantal Desjardins, follow her on Twitter @Chantalonair or check her out on the web at www.chantaldesjardins.ca

Saku Koivu: The MIGHTY Duck

Tomorrow night, Saku Koivu returns to Montreal for only the second time since leaving the team in 2009.

The only other time Koivu played in Montreal, it wasn't exactly a banner night for him. He had zero points, took three penalties - including 2 which resulted in goals, and the team needed a shootout to pull out a victory. The Montreal faithful, voted Koivu the games first star, however, because the game was decided in extra time, the games first star automatically goes to the player who scored the winning goal. Saku Koivu was relegated to second star. That garnered the former Captain his second ovation of the night.

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Saku Koivu. I can't hide it. His name often comes up in HABS-TOWN features and I wrote full feature about him a few years ago. The numbers for Koivu don't lie, he will go down as one of the all-time greats to play for one of the most storied franchises in all of pro-sports. Had Koivu accomplished all he did here - on and off the ice - with any other team, his jersey would be retired.

When Koivu had to leave Montreal in the summer of 2009, Mitch Melnick called for people to write in emails that those at the station would then forward along to Saku. I raced to my computer and wrote something as quickly as I could:

I can remember the summer of 1994. I was 13 years old and was only starting to be interested in sports. I had followed the Canadiens cup run in '93 and watched much of the next season, I was of course excited but what I saw, but really didn't understand the game the way I do now. I was saddened the day my favorite player - Kirk Muller - was traded away - but I would soon find a new #11 to cheer for. So enamored with Captain Kirk was I, that I started to wear #11 on my jersey in every sport I've played since - however much as I tell that story, noone believes it. Everyone believes I wear #11 for Saku Koivu.

I can remember that summer of 1994, I had no idea who Saku Koivu was. My friend Lee however told me that there was this little Finnish guy named Koivu who was going to be the next great player for the Habs. I can remember us walking along Decarie to the old Sports Cards Colisseum shop (in the even older Snowdon Theatre building) and both of us buying Saku Koivu "debut cards". Saku had yet to play a game in the NHL, so in the picture on the card, he's of course wearing Finnish colours. In the picture, Saku's in the middle of his famous "Tiger Jump" (as coined by Pierre Mcguire) - a move that any Habs fan would recognize instantly.

Saku Koivu made his debut in 1995, and I can remember during the 0-5 start that got Jaques Demers fired one clear moment that defined Saku Koivu for me, at instantly made him my newest favorite Hab. The tiny little Koivu in only his 3rd or 4th game in the league levelled the much larger Eric Lindros into the boards. Lindros fell over and Saku skated off with the puck. In my memory Saku crushed Lindros even harder than Scott Stevens eventually would. Perhaps my memory has embellished the story a little bit - but I prefer it this way.
 
Saku played with the heart of a lion. He was never afraid of guys that were bigger or stronger then him. He faced the toughest defense and the toughest checkers every night, and still he excelled. Some would say he was never a true first line Center, I say he never had first line wingers to play with. (Mark Recchi aside). When Mike Ribiero had his one breakout year with Montreal, and when The Kostitsyn - Plekanec - Kovalev line was really running 2 seasons ago, "experts" and fans would claim that Saku had been relegated to the 2nd line, I would disagree. Saku's minutes never dipped down, and he always had the other teams best defensive pairing shadowing his line - so no matter what people here may have said - to the rest of the league whichever line had Saku Koivu on it was always the Canadiens most dangerous.

I vividly remember watching Hockey Night in Canada that night in December of 96 when the Habs played the Hawks and everything changed for the "next big star". Saku was leading the National Hockey League in scoring when a knee on knee hit changed the next 3 years. Saku showed everyone the courage and dedication to this team he had by always foregoing surgery on the knee - since with rehab he could get back to playing faster. Each time he would come back, look great, and re-injure the knee. People called him "injury-prone" - ignoring that it was the same injury over and over - I call him a fierce competitor.

I remember the Cancer diagnosis. This was just after Saku had finally had surgery to repair his knee. He was finally going to be healthy. He would finally become dominant again, but it was not to be - at least on the ice. Off of the ice however, Saku dominated the disease that riddled his body. He beat all the best predictions and came back to play phenomenal hockey in a magical playoff run that was cut short by the stubborness of the coach at the time. Saku looked like he hadn't missed a beat on the ice.
When the press conference was held to announce that Saku was cancer-free and he would be attempting to make a comeback before the season's end I followed intently and listened to every sound byte possible to make certain I would be at that game. I paid full face value to sit in the Air-Canada club and free food be damned, I was at that game, and it was the greatest moment I have ever been a part of. The Canadiens won their 7th straight game, clinched a playoff spot for the first time in 4 years, and SAKU! SAKU! SAKU! was back. I will NEVER forget that moment.

I believe the Canadiens management should be ashamed at how they have handled this. Saku Koivu was not only a phenomenal person on the ice, but off the ice as well. Saku can be measured by his success on the ice (he currently sits 10th on the Canadiens all-time scoring list where there is NOONE from his generation anywhere close), but most importantly he can be measured by his worth as a man. The Saku Koivu foundation is a phenomenal lasting legacy that I hope will continue it's fantastic work. I hope it will not be forgotten by the people of Montreal - the same way I doubt Saku Koivu ever will.

My Koivu #11 Ducks t-shirt is already on order, and I plan on wearing it proudly (the only time I will ever wear a visiting team's logo at the Bell Centre) when Saku and the Ducks visit this year.

Saku, you've been an inspiration to everyone in the city of Montreal whether they realize it or not, they will one day. I can only hope that others follow your path as a man, and try to do good the way you have in the face of adversity.

Thanks for the memories, good luck with your new team, and here's hoping to see you one day once again in the bleu - blanc - rouge.

I have no idea if Saku Koivu ever read what I wrote, but I think it's of little consequence. Towards the end of his tenure in Montreal, some here had soured on him, preferring instead to campaign for an enigmatic Russian to be re-signed while letting the longest tenured Captain in the history of the franchise go out with a whimper.

Hab fans remembered Saku fondly when he returned in 2011, and I am sure they will do the same again tomorrow night. Let's just hope it's not for the last time - maybe just the final time as a visitor.

For more on Saku Koivu the hockey player: "Saku Koivu: By the numbers"

The Breakdown: Week in review

I've been told that on occasion it's hard to catch up on all my writings, or to go back and look at older articles. So starting this week, I'll be posting a week in review of stories from the previous week.

We started out the week with the first edition of HABS-TOWN for the 2013 season. Mitchell Kujavsky, aka "The Funny Accountant" stopped by during a busy week of Blog launching. Since 2001, Mitch has been splitting his time between Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, honing his accounting skills. In 2009, Mitch opened his own Tax and Business consulting service, MK & Associates. In between, Mitch was fine-tuning his personal and corporate tax skills, diversifying his knowledge in the related fields of bookkeeping & business consulting, and finding himself a Wife. 

Mitch told us that the best game he ever went to was the Playoff game in 2006 when Saku Koivu almost lost an eye. "April 24^th, 2006.  Game 2 of the Conference quarters against the Carolina Hurricanes.  Putting aside for the moment the result of the series and the gut-wrenching, crushed-to-the-core-of-my-being feeling that I went home with following the series-ending game 6 loss, this was the single most exhilarating moment I’ve felt as a Canadiens fan.  After wrecking the favoured Hurricanes in game 1, the Canadiens knocked out the Hurricanes goalie Martin Gerber just a few minutes into game 2.  The crowd was going absolutely bananas (please see explosion of noise reference above) but the drama was only just beginning! The Habs blew that early 3-goal lead and needed a double-overtime comeback win to take a 2-game-to-nil series lead back to Carolina.  Again, forget the result…the rollercoaster ride that was game 2 was one of the most exciting sports moments I’ve experienced so far in my life."

Read more here: HABS-TOWN: " A cup win is already in the books"

On Tuesday as Brandon Gallagher was getting pumped up for his NHL debut, the rest of the town was buzzing about the return of Alexei Kovalev. We previewed the game hours before puck drop: Snapshot Preview: Habs vs Panthers - January 22nd 2013

The Game with the Panthers ended up being a rather eventful night of firsts. Alex Galchenyuk, in a classy move, was named the first star of the game after scoring his first NHL goal. He had a great game. His line with fellow rookie sparkplug Brendan Gallagher was hopping all night. Shift after shift guided along by their "babysitter" Brandon Prust they drove to the net creating chances. 

There were many encouraging signs out of the Montreal Canadiens last night. Many players played well. Many players worked very hard. Many hits were thrown, players stood up for eachother and offense was created. Michel Therrien, as promised has even started to evolve his coaching tactics often pushing a defenseman into the offensive zone as a fourth attacker supporting the forwards. Last night, the Canadiens drove the pace. But, let's be honest here, this was a Florida Panthers team playing it's 3rd game in 4 nights.

Read more about the game here: "ONE" 

Back in a few hours with a preview of tonight's HABS/DEVILS tilt.

 

Previously on "The Breakdown" - Habs Season Preview Part.1

The Lockout is over.
The National Hockey league is back.
The Montreal Canadiens are back.
The Breakdown is back.

I would like to apologize to my readers for this extended hiatus, and thank you for returning to the blog. I put a lot of effort into writing these pieces and hope you appreciate them.

In the coming days an exact start date for NHL training camps will be announced. (Expected to be January 11th or 12th) and shortly thereafter the 2013 NHL season will begin. Likely a 50 game season starting on the 19th of this month. While those details still have themselves to work out, we can get back to talking hockey.

Consider this your season preview. We'll be splitting it up into three sections.

Previously - Getting you up to speed on what's happened since last season.

Prospects/Philosophy - Who are the exciting young guns in the Habs system? Will they be at the abbreviated Training camp? Do they have a shot at playing with the team?

Lineup - What will this years edition of the Habs look like?

Due to the length of each section, I will be splitting the piece over the coming days. Today we'll round up a long, busy off-season in Montreal. 

Previously

The biggest changes in the off-season started at the top for your Montreal Canadiens. Their hired a new General Manger - Marc Bergevin who not only acquired some players, but also surrounded himself with a team of hockey minds. Many in the local media, myself included, have been impressed with his work thus far.

Bergevin was not my first choice for the GM position, my choice was Pierre McGuire. That's less a knock on Bergevin, and more speaking to the fact that I'm much more aware of Pierre McGuire and what I felt he'd bring to the table. I did, however at the time, explain to people that everything I heard about Marc Bergevin sugested that he too would be a good hire.

Bergevin immediately following his hiring started surrounding himself with great hockey people.Suddenly the Canadiens had personnel in Hockey Operations positions that hadn't existed before. The first big hiring was of Rick Dudley as his Assistant GM. Dudley comes to the Canadiens most recently from Toronto where he served under Brain Burke as Director of Player Personnel - a position to be filled in Montreal by former NHLer Scott Mellanby. 

Prior to his job with the Maple Leafs, Rick Dudley served as the General Manager of the Atlanta Thrashers for two seasons.Jonathan Willis wrote an excellent Blog posting on Dudley and his resume which I urge you to check out. Bergevin and Dudley, of course, are extremely familiar with each other having previously worked together for the Chicago Blackhawks.

On June 3rd, I wrote a posting entitled "Playing with Fire" where I discussed my thoughts on who should be the next head Coach of the Montreal Canadiens, and why. TSN's Bob McKenzie who doesn't usually get these things wrong, tweeted the other day that "Now that Bob Hartley is new head coach in CGY, MTL job is down to Michel Therrien or Marc Crawford."

I am not against Michel Therrien, I think he is a better coach now than when he was last in Montreal, but I think it's time for a different face here. After Martin, Julien, Therrien and Vigneault it's time to bring in an offensive coach, not ask a coach to change his style.

Therrien preaches defense, Crawford preaches offense. Therrien throws players' under the bus, Crawford protects his players. Therrien has been to a Stanley Cup Final, Crawford has won a Stanley Cup. Therrien has coached here before, Crawford is dying to coach here once - evidenced by the fact that he is taking French lessons just to interview for the job.

Since being hired, Michel Therrien has said all the right things. He told TSN 690's Mitch Melnick in a recent interview that he wants his players to "play on their toes," a reference to a more aggressive, offensive system. I hope that to be the case. As Melnick himself suggested, this could be a similar situation to when GM Mike Gillis inherited Alain Vigneault in Vancouver a few years ago. Vigneault and Gillis sat down with the General Manager telling the Coach that he liked him as a hockey guy, liked his personality, but hated his system. The Coach evolved, hopefully Therrien has as well.

Following the hiring of new/old Head Coach Michel Therrien, The Canadiens headed to the NHL draft in Pittsburgh (more on that below) and by all accounts had a fantastic day. Less than one week later, Marc Bergevin had a busy Canada day. 

Proving that his relationship with new Head Coach Michel Therrien is one built on strong communication, Bergevin signed 2 players who have played for Therrien before. Defenseman Francis Boullion returns to Montreal for his 3rd tour of duty with the club - the first of which was spent under Michel Therrien. Colby Armstrong who played for Therrien in Pittsburgh was also brought in. But, the biggest acquisition of the day was Brandon Prust.

Prust, was actually on the list of players that I felt the Canadiens should take a hard look at on the free agent market. As he proved during his time with the New York Rangers, Brandon Prust is a rugged bottom 6 forward. He kills penalties (averaging 1:40 per game on the PK in 2011-2012), He can fight - having been charged with 20 fighting majors last season, but he can also play hockey. Prust averaged over 10 mins a game last season - for a Rangers team that finished 1st in the NHL. He threw 144 hits, took 156 mins in penalties, and scored 2 game winning goals.

Jesse Spector is a US National Hockey writer for the Sporting News, and Brett Cyrgalis is a sports writer at the New York Post covering the Rangers, I asked them for further insight into Prust. 

Spector: "If you're into Intangibles, how about the fact that despite fighting pretty much anyone who asks, Prust hasn't missed a game in the past two seasons?"
Cyrgalis: " Brandon was a real leader throughout his time in New York. His teammates always looked up to him for his tough play, and his sacrificing his body for the betterment of the team.  He never got many of the headlines, but he got the famed Broadway Hat more often that most would expect, showing how much his teammates looked up to him and the way he played."
Spector: "Hockey players are famously tough, but Prust takes it to another level. As injuries besieged the Rangers in 2010-2011, he was asked about some knocks he had taken. His reply? "It's just pain." It became a rallying cry for a team that just squeaked into the playoffs."
Cyrgalis: "He will undoubtedly bring that same intensity to his game in Montreal"
Spector: "He's nails through and through"

After Brandon Dubinsky was traded to Columbus as part of the Rick Nash trade, many in the twitter-verse speculated that the Rangers had lost a lot of heart in the off-season between Dubinsky & Prust. Hockey fans could see alot of that side of Dubinsky in the HBO 24/7 series earlier this year. I asked both Cyrgalis and Spector to fill me in on some things about the character of Brandon Prust that the average fan might not know.
Spector: "Well, he's a big Blue Jays fan/ Aside from that, Prust is someone who is unflinchingly honest and appreciates what it takes to succeed in the NHL because he's had to battle his way through every stage of his career."
Cyrgalis: "What the average fan doesn't know about Brandon is that he's funny.He used to make everyone in the room laugh, and although he was exactly the most articulate speaker with microphones and cameras in his face, he was open and candid when possible."
Spector: "He's got a subtle sense of humour and it's kind of infectious. I don't think that means anything on the ice, but he's a good guy for young players to learn from when it comes to putting in a full effort all the time, regardless of how things are going."
Cyrgalis:  " He also found a way to lighten the mood -- which is very important for a team playing hugely important games down the stretch and in the playoffs"

For more on Brandon Prust, please read "Welcome to Montreal: Brandon Prust"

Bergevin also brought in Colby Armstrong, and brought back Francis Bouillon. There are many commonalities among the three players - the main being that they are hard workers who will bleed for the logo on their jersey. In the case of Bouillon and Armstrong however, they also have familiarity with Head Coach Michel Therrien.

When Michel Therrien took over as Head Coach of the Canadiens (the first time) in November 2000, he was instrumental in getting Bouillon his first taste of NHL action. Bouillon played 74 games that season. 

The last time Bouillon played in Montreal was during the playoffs of the disastrous Centennial Season. Bouillon came back early from injury, didn't look great, and wasn't re-signed in the off-season.
Unless something has changed since he was last in Montreal, I see Bouillon as a capable bottom pairing defenseman. Probably a 6/7 on most teams, who may play more minutes with Montreal (if he's healthy) due to his work ethic and familiarity with the coach.
Admittedly, I have only seen Bouillon play a few games since leaving Montreal in 2009 so I reached out to some people who have seen much of "Le Pettite Geurrier" during his time in Nashville.

Amanda DiPaolo is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Political Science at Middle Tennessee State University - but her true passion lies in Hockey. DiPaolo runs Inside Smashville.com - a Nashville Predators blog, similar to the Breakdown. Inside Smashville is a great resource for reading Amanda's take on all things Predators.
In speaking with Amanda, I discovered that like the coach Amanda has a history with "The Cube" (as he was affectionately known in Nashville). "Since (Bouillon) spent most of his time in Montreal, I doubt there is anything that fans in Montreal don't know... and of course since coming to Nashville already a seasoned veteran, I don't think his style evolved any."
"I used to live in Fredericton, New Brunswick and so I've been familiar with Bouillon from his American Hockey League days!"
DiPaolo also spoke fondly of Bouillon's hard work, team play and leadership. "As fans in Montreal must know, Bouillon is not only an excellent defensive defenseman who is tough on the ice, but he is a real team player off the ice. During Nashville's recent playoff run, defenseman Kevin Klein started a trend in the locker room. He cut his hair into a mohawk. Other players followed suit, including former Habs Hal Gill and Bouillon. But the veteran defenseman who has recently rejoined the Canadiens took it one step further, Bouillon's young boys also started sporting mohawks in support of their dad."

Charlie Saunier hosts the Prednecknation  Radio show on prednecknation.com and has been covering the Nashville Predators for various outlets for over a decade. I went a little more in depth with Charlie on Bouillon starting with his health.
"Francis Bouillon recovered nicely from the injury he had when he first joined the Preds & stayed healthy over his tenure in Nashville, except for a concussion that cost him the end of the 2010-2011 season. While out during that stretch, he was missed quite a bit."
I asked Saunier if anything stuck out in particular about Bouillon during his tenure in Music city. "He never took a minute of his ice time for granted. He played so much bigger than his size and was willing to play the "Predator" way as Head Coach Barrt Trotz loves to say. He hit, fought, and chipped in on offense when he could. His defense was solid and made it very easy for his partners to take more offensive risks."

Hard worker. Willing to fight for teammates. Perfect team guy. Sounds like a good fit.
Francis Bouillon typifies a depth defenseman. He'll put his hard hat and working boots on before every shift of every game and dig in for a long night's work. He's the type of gritty player Michel Therrien loves to have, he's the kind of guy teammates love, and he's the kind of guy who will bleed for the  logo in the front, not the name on the back. 

For more on Francis Bouillon, please read "Welcome (back) to Montreal: Francis Bouillon".

Colby Armstrong was bought out late last night by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto will actually be paying Armstrong $1 million to not play for them. While the Canadiens will be matching that figure after signing Armstrong to a 1-year $1 million contract.
Armstrong has run into injury problems the last couple of years. He's missed 75 games due to various broken bones. Armstrong says he's completely healthy now and is looking forward to playing with his childhood favourite team. He told CKAC radio in Montreal that his favourite player growing up was Kirk Muller, and that he had Muller's poster hung in his bedroom "right next to the Britney Spears poster".
Armstrong, like Boullion has also played for Michel Therrien before. "Michel knows how I play and he knows how to get the best of me. I wanted to end up with the Canadiens" Armstrong told RDS. 
When asked by CKAC if he had fielded other offers, Armstrong said that he knew there was interest from some other teams, but jumped at the chance to play for his childhood favourite team. He was after all, a card-carrying member of the Montreal Canadiens fan club. 

"I was disappointed that the Maple Leafs bought out my contract. I think I can still contribute and I hope to rebound this season. I'm glad the Canadiens think the same way as me. I think the transition will be easy after living in the middle of Toronto".

I spoke with CTV Montreal's Brian Wilde and TSN 690's Conor Mckenna about their thoughts on GM Marc Bergevin and his moves thus far. 

McKenna : He’s done a good job. He’s in a tough spot with some of the terrible deals he inherited but I like the job he’s done so far. He’s identified core players and signed them to deals that appear to be fair to both sides. Hard to say how the hire of Michel Therrien will work out, but his track record with younger players is outstanding. The future already looks a lot better with Bergevin at the helm if only because he’s had the sense to surround himself with intelligent hockey people and seems to be willing to listen to them. My expectations for this season are not high. It will  take some time for this team to become a real contender but based on this year’s draft and the strength of next year’s draft class, I think the team will contend in the next three or four years.  

Wilde: Bergevin has done perfectly for me. He seems to get it in every way and my initial impression is he is going to be an all timer at it. Yep I said it. He seems to understand about overvaluing an asset. He passed up on Jagr and Parenteau when it would have been easy to seek more strength short term.

He is going to be a great one. People need to let him plan. That's all.

Geoff Molson came down from the heavens and hired the answer to Hab fans prayers, the house is order, a season of sorts is on the way. 

Let's go to work.

Drop the Puck. 

 

Back tomorrow with part 2 of our season preview, discussing The Habs prospects and my philosophy on them.