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

Mitchell Kujavsky recently started tweeting, and today launches his website "The Funny Accountant". 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. 

While funny is a subjective thing which you'll have to glean for yourself, some of Mitch's humour shines through in this editon of HABS-TOWN. 

 

What got you into hockey, more specifically the Habs? 

I was born and raised in Montreal!   

It’s difficult to grow up in this city and not become at a minimum interested in hockey, and fanatical at the max.  I consider myself somewhere in the center and a classic example of an armchair fan as I was never much of a skater and never played organized hockey even as a kid.  

So what got me into hockey?  Easy – growing up in Montreal.  What got me into the Habs?  Easier – growing up in Montreal.

Do you remember your first Habs game? 

It took some research because I remembered just a handful of details about my first Habs game. Upon further review, after an online search and a discussion with my Father (who brought me to the game along with my sister), it was May 9^th, 1986, the day the Canadiens eliminated the New Rangers in the Conference finals enroute to winning the Stanley Cup 2 weeks later.  I remember very little about the details of the game, aside from what I’ve watched and read about it since then.  All I really remember is that I had never before experienced a sound quite like the explosion of noise at the end of the game and hadn’t experienced it again until years later at the Bell Center.

Do you have a favorite Habs player ever?

Not really….if I had to choose one all-time favourite though it would probably be one of the many so-called grinders that have come through Montreal.  A gritty guy like Claude Lemieux or Chris Nilan.

Where do you like to watch games?

I watch 99% of games on the 93-inch projector in my living room. In the past, I’ve preferred watching alone but since getting married, I’ve occasionally invited the wife to watch with me. Soon, my 1-year-old will develop the same obsession as her Daddy and I’ll have to free up another spot on the couch.
 

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

Just one – and it’s shared I’m sure by most Habs (and hockey) fans. Don’t talk about the victory until the final siren. Just don’t!

What's the best game you ever went to? What do you remember about it? 

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.

Do you have any funny or interesting stories that are somehow related to the Habs?

It’s funnier and more interesting for others than for me but while living in Toronto in December 2009, my apartment was robbed one afternoon (luckily no one was home at the time).  They got my wife’s jewelry, some electronics equipment and…..wait for it….my official (with fight strap in the interior lining) #31 Cary Price jersey.  Now, while I’m sure a Price jersey carries a very nice resale price on the Montreal black market, I’m pretty sure it’s good for nothing more than kindling on the streets of Toronto.  Enjoy my jersey you dumbest-thieves-ever.  I hope you tried it on and got tangled in the fight straps.

What do you think of the hiring of Marc Bergevin and his moves so far?  

So far, so good.  I don’t know much about the guy other than what I’ve read since his hiring but he certainly isn’t afraid to make bold moves.  The transactions he’s responsible for so far seem to have added a bit more of a physical aspect to the team.  Plus, even though we didn’t get our hands on a big-ticket player this past summer, with the Gomez issue behind us, hopefully there is some opportunity for a very exciting group of rookies/sophomore players (Leblanc/Galchenyuk?) to get some regular ice-time.  

Are you looking forward to the lockout shortened season?

I always look forward to hockey season, shortened as it is.  While I was initially planning some sort of statement or boycott, is there really a point?  Yes, the lockout could have been avoided.  Yes, there was a complete lack of forward-thinking on both sides of the table as the CBA expiration day approached.  Hopefully, the Canadiens organization comes up with some kind of gesture to fans that will placate the masses.  If not, it will just create a bitterness that will definitely hurt the game in the long-run. Rebuilding the trust and goodwill of fans will be a longer process in Montreal than in other NHL cities due to the fact that the sport is such an integral part of our fall/winter/spring culture.

How will the Habs fare this season?

On the record, a cup win is already in the books.  Off the record, if we stay relatively healthy (especially core guys like Plekanec, Markov, Subban Pacioretty et al) and if another over-performing rookie emerges (see - #94), in my opinion the 5^th or 6^th seed in the East isn’t out of reach.

For more from Mitch Kujavsky, follow him on Twitter @HahaAccountant