Montreal Canadiens announce 2009-2010 schedule

canadiens.com
Jul 15, 2009, 3:00 PM EDT

PRESS RELEASE

MONTRÉAL -- The Montreal Canadiens and the NHL today released the schedule for the 2009-10 season. For a ninth consecutive year, the team will open the season on the road, facing the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, October 1st.

The Canadiens’ home opener at the Bell Centre will be on Thursday, October 15 against the Colorado Avalanche. The Canadiens’ regular season will end on Saturday, April 10 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, at the Bell Centre, wrapping up an 82-game schedule over 192 days (including a 16-day Olympic Break between February 14 and March 1st).

All weeknight games at the Bell Centre will start at 7:30 p.m. The traditional Saturday night home games will start at 7:00 p.m. with the exception of three weekend afternoon games; Sunday, January 3 against Buffalo (3:00 p.m.), as well as the two matinee games during the traditional Super Bowl Weekend on Saturday, February 6 against Pittsburgh and Sunday, February 7 against Boston. Both games will be presented at 3:00 p.m.

In 2009-10, the Canadiens will face their division rivals (Boston, Buffalo, Ottawa and Toronto) six times (24 games). Four games will be played against each of the other 10 teams from the Eastern Conference (40 games). The remaining 18 games will be played versus Western Conference teams for a minimum of one game against each of the 15 Western teams, plus three (3) "at large" games featuring Canadian rivals (Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton).

The Canadiens will play seven preseason games between September 17-26, including five (5) games at the Bell Centre, as the team will host Florida, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Boston and Buffalo. Two preseason games will be also be played in Ottawa (September 19) and at the Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City (September 20 vs Boston).

All Canadiens regular season games will be broadcasted on RDS-HD, CJAD and CKAC. RDS will once again feature a number of Canadiens games for their Tuesday night broadcasts Les Méchants Mardis (15).

Canadiens home games will be played at least once on each day of the week. Saturday remains the busiest day on the schedule with 24 games, including 15 home contests.

Centennial Game
On this Centennial Year, the Canadiens will play a home game against the Boston Bruins on December 4th, 2009, the official date of the foundation of the Club. The game will take place at the Bell Centre, at 8:00 p.m.

Shawn Belle under contract for 2009-10

Montreal Canadiens
Jul 15, 2009, 1:04 PM EDT

PRESS RELEASE

MONTREAL -- Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey announced Wednesday the signing of defenseman Shawn Belle (two way) to a one-year contract for the 2009-10 season. As per club policy, financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

Last season, Shawn Belle registered 13 points (3 buts, 10 assists) and posted a plus-19 rating with 93 penalty minutes in 60 regular-season AHL games with the Hamilton Bulldogs. In four AHL campaigns, the 24-year-old amassed 39 points (10 goals, 29 assists) with 321 penalty minutes and a plus-6 rating in 241 regular-season contests, with Iowa, Houston and Hamilton.

Belle also represented Canada at the World Junior Championship on two occasions, winning the silver medal in 2004 in Finland, and the gold medal the following year in the United States.

The 6-1, 235-pound blueliner was acquired by the Canadiens from the Minnesota Wild in return for Corey Locke, on July 11, 2008. A native of Edmonton, Belle scored one point (1 assist) and recorded a plus-4 rating in nine NHL career games, all with Minnesota in 2006-07.

Belle was selected in the first round by the St. Louis Blues, 30th overall, at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Habs ink Guillaume Latendresse to a one-year deal

Montreal Canadiens
Jul 15, 2009, 1:00 PM EDT

PRESS RELEASE

MONTREAL – Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey announced Wednesday the signing of forward Guillaume Latendresse to a one-year contract for the 2009-10 season. As per club policy, financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

Last season, Latendresse, 22, scored 26 points (14 goals, 12 assists) and served 45 penalty minutes in 56 contests with Montreal. Despite missing 21 games due to injuries, the 6-2, 230-pound right-winger ranked third on the team with 140 hits and recorded an NHL career-best plus-4 rating.

In three seasons with the Canadiens, the Ste-Catherine, Quebec, native registered 82 points (46 goals, 36 assists) with 133 penalty minutes and 354 shots on goal in 209 regular-season games.

From 2003 to 2006, Latendresse amassed 210 points (96 goals, 114 assists) in 169 regular-season games with the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs. In 2006, the forward won a gold medal with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship, in British Columbia.

Latendresse was selected in the second round by the Canadiens, 45th overall, at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

ESPN predicts Habs will miss the playoffs in 2010

ESPN Summer NHL preview: East projections for 2009-10 season

By Terry Frei
Special to ESPN.com
July 13, 2009


Compared to the wild goings-on in the Western Conference, with its dizzying succession of front-office upheavals and coaching changes, it has been fairly quiet in the East. That's pending the final disposition of Dany Heatley's pouting request to be traded, among other things. As with the West last week, this look at the events in the East is listed in a highly conditional predicted finish in the conference next season, albeit with the slotting of the defending division champions in the top three spots.

1. Pittsburgh Penguins

The only significant loss was Rob Scuderi, who signed with the Kings. Otherwise, with the young core (Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal and Marc-Andre Fleury) locked up for years to come, the only way they can slide is if it becomes clear that the Penguins are just too top-heavy in the cap age. But Bill Guerin is no fool, and he was willing to take a big-time cut just to have a chance to stick around and have another shot at raising the Cup. The amazing thing is how demoralized and struggling the Penguins were at midseason. That isn't happening again.

2. Washington Capitals

The somewhat under-the-radar and late signing of Brendan Morrison adds a steady and calming veteran voice up front, not to mention a reliable two-way center. The league would greatly benefit if it gets another Alex Ovechkin versus Malkin/Crosby matchup in the conference finals, and if this rivalry stays heated in the regular season. And, oh, yes, it wouldn't be an insult to the game's traditions and cultures to play up the young stars, and the fact that they're not going to be meeting for sandwiches and beers at Primanti Brothers the night before the games in Pittsburgh. Regardless, though, we know that Ovechkin, going for the Hart Trophy hat trick, will do his part, and that the signing of Mike Knuble to play right wing on his line could make him even more dangerous. The Caps' unsettled goaltending situation -- at least Jose Theodore again has the incentive of being in a contract year -- is the major question mark.

3. Boston Bruins

GM Peter Chiarelli's extension certainly was deserved, despite the second-round loss to the Hurricanes that took much of the glitter off that terrific regular season and No. 1 seed. Pretty much standing pat, which means bringing back Mark Recchi on a one-year deal, made more sense than overreaction -- a temptation the No. 1 seed from the other conference, San Jose, seemed more in danger of succumbing to, but didn't, either. Zdeno Chara's Norris Trophy was the right call, and even a bit of an upset, in that voters weren't overwhelmed by Mike Green's offensive numbers at Washington. The point is, the big Slovak is at the top of his game, too, and he isn't going to lose it. Yes, I've projected the Bruins to drop a bit in the regular season, but if Tim Thomas remains the poster boy for reclamation projects, the Bruins are bona fide Cup threats.

4. Philadelphia Flyers

Chris Pronger had yet to take an ill-advised penalty for the Flyers when they signed him to a seven-year extension. His lack of discipline and unpredictability certainly is part of his game and thus his effectiveness, whether against the Penguins or Capitals or anyone else, and it's not as if the Ducks' approach was anything close to passive the past few years. John Stevens' challenge is to keep Pronger -- who knows the main reason he has been brought in is to harass the conference's young superstars (well, except for Jeff Carter and Mike Richards), and probably already is taking Russian lessons to pick up a few terms for Army boots and worse -- from getting too caught up in the Broad Street atmosphere and doing at least as much harm as good. But if Ray Emery indeed is a changed man, there will be a lot of general managers deservedly getting heat for not taking a shot at him -- and we're talking about a wrister from the slot.

5. Carolina Hurricanes

After managing to re-sign Jussi Jokinen and Erik Cole, who were so instrumental in the playoff run, and Chad LaRose, the Hurricanes and Eric Staal are in good position to build on the momentum they had after Paul Maurice stepped back behind the bench and their miracle finish against the Devils re-energized the Golden Triangle. Or, at least it did before the flop against the Penguins.

6. New Jersey Devils

After Brent Sutter decided he wanted to go home, the Devils without a coach until Lou Lamoriello's Monday announcement that he was bringing back Jacques Lemaire. Brian Gionta signed with Montreal and John Madden, 36, bid farewell and ended up signing with the Blackhawks. While those losses and the demoralizing collapse against the Hurricanes might seem to provide some rationalization for writing off the Devils, I'm not going to fall into that trap again. Zach Parise's ascendance and Martin Brodeur's return to health -- not that Scott Clemmensen was a stiff last season -- plus Lamoriello's track record for picking up pieces are reasons enough to keep the faith, and keep the Devils ahead of the Rangers.

7. New York Rangers

	It's anyone's guess how the oft-injured Marian Gaborik will fair in New York.

Now having said that (with apologies for stealing Gary Bettman's pet phrase), one of the most intriguing stories in the league will be tracking Marian Gaborik's work with the Rangers in the midst of Glen Sather's major reconstruction. There is no questioning Gaborik's talent and the fact that the Wild never took complete advantage of it under Jacques Lemaire, but given the Rangers' spotty free-agent track record and Gaborik's medical file, this could turn out to be anything from a brilliant move to a complete disaster with five years of cap effects. If he's finally over those linked hip and groin issues for good, look out. If not, they'll be pining for Scott Gomez. (Just kidding. Kind of.)

8. Toronto Maple Leafs

Brian Burke isn't very good at camouflage, and he's taking the same approach he did at Anaheim: He's trying to assemble a complement of toughness and skill, as often as possible in one package. (Sometimes you wonder if he rolls up his sleeves and puts on the foil before making phone calls.) But he's making progress in trying to make something of this mess, even winning the recruiting war for Jonas Gustavsson, who if things turn out well will only be needed to be a Monster backup to Vesa Toskala in his first season in North America. The additions of Mike Komisarek and former Duck Francois Beauchemin will help considerably on the blue line, and the feeling here is that the Leafs will be back in the playoffs.

9. Montreal Canadiens

At the All-Star break, everything seemed serendipitous. Owner George Gillett Jr. was still being hailed for not just finding a huge bargain when he bought the team and building, but his wisdom in hiring Bob Gainey and staying out of the way. Alex Kovalev was happy and shining; Saku Koivu was the entrenched captain; Carey Price and the other young potential stars weren't in the tabloids for things other than on-ice exploits; and Guy Carbonneau seemed to be doing a terrific job. Well, less than six months later, Gillett has agreed to sell the properties back to Molson family members; Jacques Martin is the new coach after Carbonneau's late-season ouster and Gainey's interim stint behind the bench; and the roster overhaul has been significant. If Kovalev tears it up at Ottawa, his departure will be embarrassing -- especially under the circumstances that, as the free-agency deadline approached and passed, had Strother Martin looking down and saying, "Reg, Reg, that reminds me. I was coachin' in Omaha in 1948 and Eddie Shore sends me this guy … " Oops, wrong movie. I mean Strother Martin was saying of the Kovalev camp and the Canadiens, "What we have here is a failure to communicate." At least the departed Koivu will be in the other conference (with the Ducks). Taking on Gomez's contract in the trade with the Rangers is far more potentially troublesome than taking on Gomez, but there will be plenty of speed with him and Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri. And the pesky Travis Moen, he of the hilarious cameo with the Cup(s) in "Corner Gas," has checked in as a UFA. With Komisarek leaving, the hope is that Hal Gill and Jaroslav Spacek help fill the void.

10. Buffalo Sabres

It would be quite a trick to finish 10th three years in a row, actually, but the Sabres seem to be all about either watching talent depart or standing pat. In a rather uneventful offseason, the biggest loss was The Aud, finally knocked down. Resilient GM Darcy Regier and coach Lindy Ruff kept their jobs, which is either inertia or recognition that they've done a good job under trying circumstances -- depending on your perspective. The Sabres did bring in Steve Montador to attempt to make up for the loss of Spacek. There's still enough quality sticking around, including Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller in the net, to give the Sabres a chance to get back into the postseason.

11. Ottawa Senators

Uh, Dany, what's the deal here? Demand to be traded because you can't stand your coach, but then veto a bona fide deal with the Oilers because you were "blindsided"? You'd think a guy with such talent, but also a deserved reputation for immaturity that has even had tragic ramifications, would be more conscious of trying to demonstrate something other than problem-child conduct. At least Kovalev already is here to try to make the Sens forget Heatley, if he leaves, as the Sens try to rebound from their perplexing free fall after the loss in the 2007 Finals.

12. Florida Panthers

Martin left as GM to go back behind the bench at Montreal. The Panthers did a terrific job to just miss the playoffs last season, especially with Tomas Vokoun missing so much time, and Peter DeBoer and assistant Mike Kitchen deserved more credit than they got. But if they get this group in the postseason, DeBoer should get the Jack Adams Award by acclamation. At least the Panthers got something -- Jordan Leopold and a draft choice -- from Calgary for Jay Bouwmeester's rights, but it's hard to conclude anything other than that the Panthers have taken steps backward.

13. Tampa Bay Lightning

At least the linesmen have stepped between the owners, Oren Koules and Len Barrie, theoretically leaving Brian Lawton with less to sort out as he goes about his business. Vinny Lecavalier is still here and hasn't been the subject of a new trade rumor for several hours. Steve Stamkos looked to be in way over his head for the first half of the season before somewhat validating management's decision not to send him back to major junior for one more season, and now he'll be able to call Victor Hedman "Kid."

14. New York Islanders.

John Tavares showed how coachable he is when he joined in the lobbying effort for a new arena about 17 seconds after the Islanders drafted him. It's not as if the front office was distraught to be at the top of the Tavares standings down the stretch last season, but the interesting thing was that the group on the ice didn't toss it in -- and that was a credit to Scott Gordon. Dwayne Roloson's signing to a two-year, $5-million deal was a bit curious for a franchise that has Rick DiPietro under a lifetime contract, but at least the Isles will have a reliable stand-in if (or when) DiPietro is hurt again.

15. Atlanta Thrashers

Poor Ilya Kovalchuk, who continues to be electric in relative obscurity. If the enigmatic Nik Antropov ever lives up to his potential, much less to that four-year, $16 million contract the Thrashers gave him, that at least will help.

Terry Frei is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. His books include "Third Down and a War to Go" and the upcoming "The Witch's Season." He can be reached at terry@terryfrei.com

Kostopoulos signs with the Canes

TSN.ca Staff
7/14/2009 9:49:07 PM

The Carolina Hurricanes announced Tuesday that the team has agreed to terms with right wing Tom Kostopoulos on a three-year contract.

The deal will pay Kostopoulos $700,000 in 2009-10, $950,000 in 2010-11 and $1.1 million in 2011-12.

"Tom is a character player who adds grit to our lineup," said President and General Manager Jim Rutherford. "He is a strong penalty killer and plays a high-energy game that will fit our team's style of play."

Kostopoulos, 30, completed his seventh NHL season in 2008-09, totaling eight goals and 14 assists in 78 games with the Montreal Canadiens.

The Mississauga, Ont., native was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the seventh round, 204th overall, in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. Kostopoulos has totaled 40 goals, 65 assist and 468 penalty minutes in 376 career NHL regular-season games.

Numbers for new Habs

canadiens.com
Jul 14, 2009, 9:00 AM EDT

MONTREAL – While they’ve yet to slip on a Habs jersey for the first time, all newly acquired Canadiens now know what numbers they will wear on their backs in 2009-10.

First up is Jaroslav Spacek, who will don Tom Kostopoulos’ former No. 6, the same number the veteran defenseman sported while with the Sabres, Blackhawks and Oilers.

As for scrappy forward Travis Moen, he will be rocking the No. 32 he wore when he raised the Stanley Cup in 2006-07 with the Anaheim Ducks.

Fresh off his winning of the Stanley Cup with the Penguins, king-sized blue-liner Hal Gill was obviously unable to claim his usual No. 2, with it currently hanging above the ice at the Bell Centre in honor of Doug Harvey. As a result, Gill has gone with the No. 75 in honor of his birth year. Gill becomes the first to wear it since Yann Danis in 2005-06. Only four other players had worn the number dating back to 1934-35.

Fellow rearguard Paul Mara turned back the clock by opting for the No. 22, the digits he wore for his first NHL game back in 1998-99 with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

After having worn nothing other than the No. 14 while with the New Jersey Devils, Brian Gionta decided against asking Tomas Plekanec for his number. Instead, the speedy winger went with Christopher Higgins’ former No. 21, making Gionta the 46th player to ever wear those digits for the Habs. Only the No. 20 has been more popular with Canadiens players over the years, with 55 different players having worn it dating back to 1909.

Manny Almela is a writer for canadiens.com

Canadiens ink Engqvist to three-year deal

TSN.ca Staff
7/13/2009 12:04:31 PM

The Montreal Canadiens continue to add size to their lineup.

On Monday, the club announced the signing for forward Andreas Engqvist to a three-year two way contract.

Last season, the 6-3 centreman notched nine goals and seven assists in 31 games with Djurgardens IF of the Swedish Elite League. He missed the last 24-regular season games with a wrist injury.

In his three seasons in the Swedish Elite League, Engqvist has recorded 15 goals, 17 assists and 44 penalty minutes in 126 games.

Engqvist participated in the Canadiens' development camp last week.

One-year contract for Chipchura

Montreal Canadiens
Jul 11, 2009, 12:51 PM EDT
PRESS RELEASE

MONTREAL – Montreal Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey announced Saturday the signing of forward Kyle Chipchura to a one-year contract for the 2009-10 season. As per Club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Last season, the 6-2, 204-pound centreman registered three points (3 assists), five penalty minutes and five shots on goal in 13 regular-season games with the Canadiens. Chipchura also amassed 35 points (14 goal, 21 assists) with 65 penalty minutes and a plus-28 rating in 51 AHL games with the Hamilton Bulldogs. The 23-year-old concluded the 2008-09 campaign by adding three points (3 goals) and six penalty minutes in six playoff contests with Hamilton.

In 2006-07, Chipchura helped the Hamilton Bulldogs to their first-ever Calder Cup Championship, scoring 13 points (6 goals, 7 assists) and serving 20 penalty minutes in 22 AHL playoff contests.

Chipchura also acted as captain of Canada’s gold-medal squad at the 2006 World Junior Championship held in British- Columbia, leading the team with four goals in six games.

A native of Westlock, Alberta, Chipchura was selected by the Canadiens in the first round, 18th overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Habs ink Travis Moen

Montreal Canadiens
Jul 10, 2009, 3:15 PM EDT
PRESS RELEASE

MONTREAL – Montreal Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey announced today the signing of forward Travis Moen to a three-year contract (2009-10 to 2011-12). As per Club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

« Travis Moen is a character player. He is versatile, and he plays hard. His size and style will contribute to adding physicality to our team », said Bob Gainey.

Last season, the 6-2, 215-pound left-winger took part in 82 regular-season contests with the Anaheim Ducks and the San Jose Sharks. Moen registered 16 points (7 goals, 9 assists), 91 penalty minutes and 101 shots on goal while blocking 78 shots and delivering 171 hits. In five NHL seasons, the 27-year-old amassed 56 points (29 goals, 27 assists), served 487 penalty minutes and fired 402 shots on goal in 362 regular-season games, with the Chicago Blackhawks, the Anaheim Ducks, and the San Jose Sharks.

A native of Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Moen was a member of the 2007 Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks, scoring 12 points (7 goals, 5 assists) in 21 playoff games. In the 2009 playoffs, he led the San Jose Sharks in hits (16). Moen has appeared in 42 career playoff contests, scoring 15 points (9 goals, 6 assists) and serving 36 penalty minutes.

Moen was selected in the fifth round by the Calgary Flames, 155th overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

One-year contract for Paul Mara

Montreal Canadiens
Jul 10, 2009, 12:25 PM EDT
PRESS RELEASE

MONTREAL – Montreal Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey announced today the signing of defenseman Paul Mara to a one-year contract for the 2009-10 season. As per Club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

« Paul Mara will bring size and experience to our group of defensemen. He can contribute to all facets of the game », said Bob Gainey.

Last season, the 6-4, 212-pound defenseman scored 21 points (5 goals, 16 assists) with 94 penalty minutes, 102 shots on goal, a plus-2 rating and an 18:57 time on ice average in 76 regular-season games with the New York Rangers. In 10 NHL seasons, the 29-year-old amassed 239 points (63 goals, 176 assists), fired 943 shots on goal and served 640 penalty minutes in 639 regular season games, with Tampa Bay, Phoenix, Boston, and the New York Rangers.

A native of Ridgewood, New Jersey, Mara represented Team USA at the World Junior Championship on three occasions (1997 to 1999) and won a bronze medal at the 2004 World Championship, in Czech Republic.

Mara was selected in the first round by the Tampa Bay Lightning, 7th overall at the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.

Now That the Dust Has Settled

Posted by Kyle Roussel

Are we happy yet? Are we ready for the 2009-10 season yet? I suspect the answer to both of those questions will be mixed.

It's very rare to see such a radical, drastic turnover on a team in such a short time. These wholesale changes take a couple seasons to execute, but general manager Bob Gainey has replaced the head coach (Jacques Martin), who in turn brought in his own assistant Perry Pearn, and goaltending coach Pierre Groulx. Abruptly dismissed were Doug Jarvis, Rollie Melanson and Don Lever. The latter was replaced both as a Habs bench coach, as well as the head coach of the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs (replaced by Guy Boucher of the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL, who will inevitably replace Jacques Martin one day).

If that wasn't enough, George Gillet sold the team to the Molson Brothers prior to the Draft, which was also in Montreal. Just a minor detail.

And then there's the roster itself.

With 10 unrestricted free agents to deal with, anyone following the Habs knew that they would be a drastically different team next season. Who would be jettisoned? Who would be retained? We now have the answer. Everyone was jettisoned, nobody was retained (at least not yet). With Mike Komisarek signing with the Maple Leafs, Alex Kovalev with the Senators, and finally Saku Koivu with the Ducks, the Canadiens 3 big pieces have all landed elsewhere. Yes, Alex Tanguay, Robert Lang, Mathieu Schneider, Francis Bouillon, Tom Kostopoulos, Patrice Brisebois and Mathieu Dandenault are all still available, but at this point, if any of them are brought back, it will be a quiet pick up (except for Tanguay, who the Habs can't afford and don't need). Besides, if no one else wants them, do the Habs really need them?

The Canadiens have been overhauled from ownership, to behind the bench, to ice level, and even down on the farm. These types of extensive changes typically take several years to complete, but the Canadiens have made them happen in a few short weeks. How will such radical change translate in the standings as of next year? Nobody knows, and don't listen to anyone who claims to know one way or the other.

We'll take a look at what's transpired with regards to the players, but let's first go back to when Gainey took over from Claude Julien in 2006. He took over behind the bench, and hand picked Guy Carbonneau to succeed him following that season's end. Everyone, including myself, assumed that would be Gainey's chance to audit the team and rid the room of any bad apples. Oops! Fast forward 3 years, and he's again dropping the axe, this time firing his friend and protegé Guy Carbonneau in favour of...himself. Again. "NOW," everyone said "he'd better get it right. Find the bad apples and get rid of them". I think it's abundantly clear that Gainey wanted a new dressing room by not signing one of the 10 UFAs that he had. He tried to resign Kovalev, but that's a sordid saga for another day (and for which we probably will never know the full truth).

Gainey's first bold move came on June 30th, one day before the Free Agent Frenzy began. The sometimes enigmatic Chris Higgins was dealt, along with Ryan McDonagh (a former 1st round draft selection) and Pavel Valentenko (who may never play in North America) for Scott Gomez. Yes, the guy with the $7.5M / year deal until 2014. The move at the time was almost universally panned. "For 3 million more per season, he's no better than Koivu" was the party line. It seems Habs fans should have showed a little more patience, because the next day, Gainey signed former Devil (and Gomez linemate) Brian Gionta, as well as the top scoring unrestricted free agent in Mike Cammalleri. Both were signed to 5 year deals, at 5, and 6 million per season, respectively. Anger and rage over losing a 1st rounder (McDonagh) was at least partially soothed by the new faces high profile faces, though I still wonder why McDonagh had to be a part of that deal. It seems to me that taking a huge contract off of the Rangers books should have been enough to get that deal done. If it adds anything to the argument, both Gionta and Cammalleri alluded to the fact that the acquisition of Gomez was the single biggest reason why they decided to sign in Montreal, so let's move on from here. I'd trade McDonagh and Higgins for Gomez, Cammalleri and Gionta any day, so let's let this issue rest. Until McDonagh becomes an all-star.

Prior to signing Gionta and Cammalleri, Gainey was hard at work in re-establishing experience on the blue line. He first signed power play specialist and former Sabre Jaroslav Spacek to a 3-year, $11.8M deal, then signed gentle giant (and recent cup champ) Hal Gill to a 2-year, $5M contract.

With their heads spinning, fans and analysts were hard at work trying to gauge Gainey's work for the day. The Canadiens were suddenly more potent and durable up front, but remarkably small and expensive. Defensively, the Canadiens were neither younger, or tougher, but they did add 45 points with Spacek, and some badly needed size with Gill. The question Habs fans are asking about the revamped blue line is why didn't the Canadiens retain Komisarek and at least try to bring in home town boy François Beauchemin? Surely the extra expense would have been worth it? Truthfully, we may never know if the Canadiens offered Beauchemin a contract, but it would help to ease matters if fans knew that he was on Gainey's wish list.

The one thing we can say about all of the guys brought in is that they have playoff experience. Spacek was with the Oilers during their magical cup run of 2006, and Gill, Gionta and Gomez each have a Stanley Cup ring on their finger (Cammalleri doesn't have much playoff experience to speak of, but he has been a key member the Canadian World Junior team.) I don't think this is a coincidence, and I for one am glad to have this sort of experience in the room. It will serve guys like Lapierre, Latendresse, the Kostitsyns, as well as veterans like Markov well.

All of these signings speak to the team's new identity that Jacques Martin will be sure to instill: reliable, responsible, defense-first, 2-way hockey. No more free-flow, run & gun hockey at the Bell Center, and especially not on the road. And Habs fans had better get used to it because for better or worse, we are stuck with these new forwards until 2014, when they will all be in their mid-30's. Hopefully these fat new deals won't cause salary cap headaches for Gainey next year (or should we say headaches for Habs capologist Julien Brisebois?). Cornerstone goaltender Carey Price will be a restricted free agent, as will several other key young players. Will they be resigned, or traded (or stolen) because paying them their worth will become impossible?

There's always the risk that this whole "experiment", as TSN's Pierre McGuire refers to it, blows up in Gainey's face. If Gomez can't bring his 'A' game, it will likely drag Gionta and/or Cammalleri down with him. On the upside, if Gomez and Gionta can find their former chemistry again, it's high fives all around for Habs fans. With Gomez as his centerman, Gionta potted 48 goals in 2005-2006. He's declined in each season since (25, 22, and 20 goals this past season), so hopefully for Gainey this works out.

If you ask me, this is definitely Gainey's last kick at the can. With new owners looming over his shoulder, they won't need much reason to let him go after 6 years on the job and no real results to show for his tenure. If Stanley Cups are the measure by which a Habs GM is measured, then Gainey has been a failure. Harsh criticism, especially from a huge Gainey supporter, but if that is the criteria, then not advacing beyond the second round of the playoffs in 6 years is all that you can label him as. Sure he could have rebuilt the farm, or made the Habs a destination for free agents again, but if there's no new banners to show for it, nobody will care. Gainey has opted to retool the team instead of begin a classic rebuild from scratch. For his job's sake, he better hope that his team realizes immediate success. I can easily imagine the Molsons pulling the plug after just one sub-par season. I'm not saying that it's 'Cup-or-bust' this season, given all the changes, but the Canadiens will need to win at least 1 playoff round and continue to show promise.

Personally, I think the Canadiens are a better team today than the group that was swept by the Bruins. They're younger up front (Gomez, 29; Cammalleri, 27; Gionta, 30 vs Koivu, 34; Tanguay, 29; Kovalev, 36) and probably about the same on defense. 40-year old Mathieu Schneider is gone, as is 38-year old Patrice Brisebois. Bouillon is 33, as is Dandenault. Those 4 guys' average age is 36, while the average age of Spacek/Gill is 34.5 years old. Call it a wash. For the next 3 years, I would expect this new core of forwards to bring their best to the rink before age begins to become an excuse.

At the end of the day, Gainey's most important changes took place behind the bench. The installation of Jacques Martin as coach should insulate Carey Price with a defensively responsible system, which will help. Price had a terrible 2008-2009, for reasons which have been widely and wildly speculated upon, but the fact remains that as Carey Price goes, so will the 2009-2010 Montreal Canadiens.

With the remaining time between now and the start of the season, I would like to see Gainey add one more top-4 defenseman, preferably one that is rugged and dependable. I don't know who is going to be bringing their hardhat to the rink for this edition of the Habs, but this might be, to paraphrase Michel Therrien, the 'softest defense in the league'. With Kovalev going to Ottawa, and Komisarek, Orr, Beachemin and Exelby landing in Toronto, the Habs will have a much tougher division to compete in. They'll need shut down guys and some toughness to avoid being outscored and outmuscled.

(Note to Georges Laraque: Please fix your groin and your back. Do whatever you need to do. It looks like you'll have your hands full this season. Thanks, Kyle)

What say you? What did you think of Gainey's moves and where do you think this team is headed for 2009-10? Please leave your thoughts below.

Saku Koivu Officially Says Goodbye

tsn.ca

7/8/2009 1:45:46 PM

After spending his entire 13-year career in Montreal, Saku Koivu will be calling Orange County his home as the Anaheim Ducks have signed the free agent centre to a one-year, $3.25 million contract.

Koivu, 34, had been the Canadiens' second-longest serving captain. His nine seasons with the 'C' trailed only the legendary Jean Beliveau, who was captain for 10 seasons.

The move to Anaheim reunites Koivu with fellow countryman Teemu Selanne. The duo helped Finland earn a silver medal at the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin, Italy.

"I'm very excited to join the Ducks this coming season," Koivu said in a statement. "I'm also looking forward to a full season with Teemu Selanne as a teammate."

Koivu, who was drafted by the Canadiens with the 21st overall pick in the 1993 draft, hoped to stay with Habs but realized if a deal did not get completed quickly, he would likely look elsewhere.

"If I'm not signed by July 1, I don't think I'll be back in Montreal," Koivu said after the Canadiens were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Bruins. "Finishing your career with one team would be awesome in a way, but it's too early to say because I don't know what the team's plan is."

Koivu, one of the club's most celebrated players in its 100-year history, had a great deal of hard luck in Montreal. He suffered a potentially career-ending eye injury in 2006 in the playoffs against the Hurricanes and missed most of the 2001-02 season with Intra-abdominal non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

Koivu has suited up in 792 games and has scored 191 goals with 450 assists. He played in only 65 games for the Habs in 2008-09 after dealing with a foot injury. He scored 16 goals and posted 36 assists.

"Saku Koivu's character and leadership qualities are unquestioned," said general Manager Bob Murray in a team statement on Wednesday. "He is a skilled playmaker and we are thrilled to add him to our team."

Lucky numbers for Cammalleri and Gomez

canadiens.com
Jul 7, 2009, 11:25 AM EDT

MONTREAL – Less than a week after joining the Canadiens family, Mike Cammalleri and Scott Gomez have already made a few tough decisions, including choosing the numbers they plan to make famous here in Montreal.

After almost 80 years on the shelf, lucky No. 13 will see action again for the second straight season. Alex Tanguay dusted off the cobwebs in 2008-09, foregoing superstition to don the folkloric number. Prior to Tanguay, Edmond Bouchard and Billy Boucher were the last Canadiens players to break with tradition, sporting No. 13 in 1921-22. Speedster Mike Cammalleri, the fifth Hab to wear the number in team history, will be bringing lucky back when he suits up in his new sweater for the first time this fall. Far from spooked about the prospect of breaking mirrors or walking under ladders, Cammalleri has worn 13 throughout his six-year NHL career with the Flames and Kings, during his time in the AHL with Manchester as well as during his days at the University of Michigan.

When it comes to Gomez’s jersey selection on the other hand, the Habs’ latest acquisition is a victim of the franchise’s storied history thanks to the exploits of his new GM Bob Gainey and former coach Larry Robinson. With the No. 23 he popularized with the New Jersey Devils currently joining the No. 19 he wore with the Rangers in the Bell Centre rafters, Gomez had to search a little harder to find a suitable number here in his new NHL home. Inverting his previous digits, Gomez has settled on No. 91, becoming the first Hab to ever don the number. There are now just 11 numbers remaining that have never been worn in the first 100 years in Canadiens history.

The three other newcomers, Hal Gill, Brian Gionta and Jaroslav Spacek have yet to decide which digits will suit their new bleu-blanc-rouge sweaters the best this year.

Shauna Denis is a writer for canadiens.com

Todd: Koivu is a fighter and a hero

Koivu is a fighter and a hero
"Injuries and illness did not diminish him one bit as a man."

JACK TODD
The Gazette

Monday, July 06, 2009

In early December of 1996, I was in Hong Kong visiting my wife, who was a singer with the Cirque du Soleil's Alegria production. In those days before the Internet became unavoidable, I scanned the sports pages of the South China Post each morning to get the NHL scores and standings.

It was there one morning, reading the newspaper over breakfast in the company of Russian acrobats and Mongolian strongmen, that I saw the bad news: Saku Koivu, the great young hope of the Montreal Canadiens who was leading the NHL in scoring with 13 goals and 25 assists, had torn up a knee in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

My heart sank. Koivu, then in his second season with the Canadiens, was such a likable, determined young man. It seemed supremely unfair that he would be seriously injured just as his NHL career was really getting underway.

That knee injury would be the first of many catastrophes for the diminutive Finn who would be the face of the Canadiens for more than a decade. He would miss 32 games that season but still returned to score 56 points in 50 games, showing an ability to bounce back from injury and near-tragedy that would never desert him. Still, it is possible that he was never again quite the offensive force he was before that first knee injury.

At the very least, the injuries and illness he has suffered kept Koivu from being the player he might have been, although they did not diminish him one bit as a man.

Although it was far from the most serious injury he would suffer, the one I remember most (perhaps because I was there when he was hurt) was the slash in Washington that broke Koivu's hand shortly before the playoffs in 1998. It wasn't the injury that was so bad but the timing. Koivu would return during the first round of the playoffs but he was ineffective as the Canadiens were swept in the second round by the Buffalo Sabres.

So it went. During the 1999-2000 season, Koivu missed 40 games with a dislocated shoulder and 24 more with another knee injury. The next year it was 28 games following arthroscopic surgery to his left knee. In 2003-2004 there was another knee injury, 13 games lost.

Then there were the really serious near-tragedies: the Justin Williams slash to the left eye during a playoff game against the Carolina Hurricanes that left him lying in a darkened hospital room while his team fell out of the playoffs and the courageous return following surgery that summer to repair a detached retina.

Given his history, it's not surprising that Koivu would provide the most memorable moment of the past 15 years for the Canadiens when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in September 2001, underwent a horrifying course of treatment and returned to an eight-minute standing ovation at the Molson Centre. Koivu was supposed to miss that entire season but he would return to lead the Canadiens to an upset of the top-ranked Bruins in the playoffs.

That has been the public face of Koivu's career: great successes but more painful failures, great heart and talent too often derailed by bad luck.

The private man, the man who would somehow find time to call a cancer victim during a playoff run, the man who never shrunk from the pitiless eye of the camera horde during the worst moments for his team, the man who kept his cool even when baited by language bigots who tried to demonize this quiet, unassuming Finn for not involving himself in Quebec's endless and petty language wars - that Koivu we know rather less well.

If there is one word that describes both the private and the public Koivu, it is courage. Courage of every sort: the courage to accept great physical pain, the courage to face up to much larger, stronger players night after night, the courage to bite your tongue in the face of great provocation, the courage to answer stupid questions without belittling the questioner.

I was there in Turin, Italy, the day of what may have been the greatest disappointment of Koivu's hockey career, when an upstart Finnish team led by Koivu and Teemu Selanne fell just short of Olympic gold, losing the final to their hated rivals, the Swedes.

Koivu looked pale and exhausted after that loss, but he stood without flinching in the mixed zone, answering dozens of questions in Finnish and English at a moment when he felt absolutely devastated.

Of course, Koivu's Finns had performed far better at the Olympics than the highly touted Canadian team manned by the likes of Vincent Lecavalier, Rick Nash, Jarome Iginla, Joe Sakic and Chris Pronger - but that would be no consolation at all to Koivu: Having come so close and failed to win it all caused him visible pain.

It will also pain Koivu that he was never able to fulfill his greatest goal, to bring another Stanley Cup ring to Montreal. He may yet play for a Cup-winning team but that team will be in New Jersey or Minnesota or somewhere else, not Montreal.

Koivu's departure is part of a stunning season-to-season shift that is unparalleled in the 100-year history of the Habs, with everything from the ownership to the head coach to half the roster changing, with Scott Gomez now the first-line centre and a team so radically altered from one season to the next that anyone who pretends to know how the 2009-2010 Canadiens will perform is simply blowing hot air.

There are some obvious questions about Gainey's moves. If you lose Alex Kovalev, Alex Tanguay and Robert Lang and gain Gomez, Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta, aren't you getting smaller, not bigger? And if you're going to sign free-agent defencemen, why not François Beauchemin? From where we sit, it looks like change for the sake of change, not change that is going to bring about dazzling success on the ice - but only time will tell.

The only sure thing is that this team has lost a great little captain. To his credit, Bob Gainey (who has not always been the best friend to his friends) had enough class to call Koivu and thank him for his contributions to this community, on and off the ice.

It was perhaps fitting that Felipe Alou was in town last week. Alou, another profile in courage, would grab his uniform jersey when discussing Pedro Martinez, another athlete who performed beyond his size. "The man," he would say, "the man, you understan', is bigger than the uniform."

Alou was talking about the heart inside that uniform. In all their illustrious history, the Canadiens never had a player with more heart than Saku Koivu. It is to our eternal shame that he was too often the target of attacks from bigots in this province: to our eternal credit that some of us were able to recognize what a rare individual Koivu is and to celebrate with him his greatest triumph, the return from cancer.

This city, Saku, will never be the quite same without you.

jacktodd46@yahoo.com
© The Gazette (Montreal) 2009

Kovalev signs two-year deal with Senators

TSN.ca Staff with CP files
7/6/2009 6:47:55 PM

A day after some fans held a rally to keep Alex Kovalev in Montreal, the forward's tumultuous tenure in La Belle Province has come to an end as the enigmatic sniper has signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Ottawa Senators.

One of the most skilled players in the league, the Togliatti, Russia native is also one of the most unpredictable. He can look spectacular one night, controlling the play, while completely disappearing for long stretches at a time.

The Kovalev signing comes at a time where the Senators are struggling to move forward Dany Heatley, who requested a trade last week, and twice wouldn't lift his no-movement clause to go to the Edmonton Oilers.

"I think you always want your player to play 100 per cent, and that's difficult over 82 games and if you are judgmental you can find a hole," Murray told reporters. "I think Alex, they claim, has been a little more inconsistent than he should be. I think the opposite. I think when he plays great he can win a game for you.

"In this organization we've got many hard workers and guys that will compete for us every night, but we needed something special to go with that and this guy's a special player."

Kovalev spent five up-and-down seasons in Montreal after being acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers for Josef Balej and a second round draft pick. He enjoyed his best season with the Habs in 2007-08 when he scored 35 goals, added 49 assists, was named a Second team NHL All-Star and helped lead the team to their first division title since the 1992-93 season.

Kovalev, like many of his Canadiens teammates, struggled under the weight of expectations during the Canadiens 100th anniversary campaign this past year. The low point for Kovalev came in March following the All-Star break when General Manager Bob Gainey told him to take some time away from the team in order to “clear his head.” Many speculated that Kovalev had played his last game for Montreal. He did return after missing two games and finished the season with 26 goals and 39 assists.

The 36-year old broke into the league with the New York Rangers after a stellar international career that saw him collect gold for the Soviet Union at the 1992 IIHF World Junior Hockey championship as well as gold for the Commonwealth of Independent States at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France.

Kovalev continued his winning ways upon entering the NHL as he helped the New York Rangers capture the Stanley Cup in his second year in the league.

In 1151 career games, Kovalev has 394 and 547 asssists and twice played in the NHL All-Star game, being named the game's MVP this past year in Montreal.

Higgins agrees to terms with Rangers

TSN.ca Staff
7/6/2009 2:09:36 PM

Restricted free agent Christopher Higgins has agreed to terms with the New York Rangers.

The 26-year old was acquired by the Rangers, along with Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko, from the Montreal Canadiens, in exchange for Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt and Mike Busto on June 30.

Terms of the deal were not released.

Higgins appeared in 57 games with the Montreal Canadiens this past season, registering 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points, along with 22 penalty minutes.

He has skated in 282 regular season contests with Montreal, recording 84 goals and 67 assists for 151 points, along with 96 penalty minutes.

The Smithtown, New York native was originally Montreal's first round choice, 14th overall, in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

Groulx and Pearn join Habs coaching staff

Montreal Canadiens
Jul 6, 2009, 11:23 AM EDT
PRESS RELEASE

MONTREAL – Montreal Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey announced Monday that goaltending coach Pierre Groulx and assistant coach Perry Pearn have been added to the team’s coaching staff to work alongside head coach Jacques Martin. These nominations complete the Canadiens’ coaching staff which also includes returning assistant coach Kirk Muller.

Pierre Groulx spent the past four seasons with the Florida Panthers organization under head coach and general manager Jacques Martin, as well as Peter DeBoer during the 2008-09 season. In his first two seasons with the Panthers, Groulx worked primarily as video coach before adding the duties of assistant/goaltending coach to his resume in 2007-08.

Groulx began his career at the professional level in Ottawa where he spent five seasons as the Senators video coach. Groulx was also a member of the coaching staff for Team Canada at the World Hockey Championships in Austria in April 2005.

Pierre Groulx started his coaching career as an assistant and goaltending coach with the Cumberland Grads of the Ontario Central Junior "A" Hockey League.

Perry Pearn is a career coach with a long and successful track record at the amateur, international and professional levels. Pearn has spent the better part of the past five seasons with the New York Rangers as an assistant coach. Prior to joining the Rangers, he had worked as an assistant to Jacques Martin with the Ottawa Senators from 1996 to 2004. His NHL career got underway in 1995-96 as an assistant to Terry Simpson with the Winnipeg Jets, after serving in various capacities for almost two decades at the university level, in the WHL and with Hockey Canada.

Perry Pearn began his international coaching career in 1986 when he was named an assistant coach for Team Canada’s Under-18 team. He served as an assistant coach for the Canadian National junior Team that captured gold at the 1990 and 1991 World Junior Championships. He was once again behind the bench in 1993, this time as head coach, leading Canada to another gold medal at the World Junior Championships.

From 1978 to 1993, Pearn served as the head coach of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) of the Canadian College Athletic Association. Under his guidance, NAIT captured six CCHA national championships. Pearn was designated as CCHA Coach of the Year in 1983-84 and collected provincial Coach of the Year honors on five occasions. Before ascending to the NHL, Pearn spent the 1993-94 season in Europe coaching Ambri-Piotta of the Swiss Elite League before taking on the head coaching of the Western Hockey League’s Medicine Hat Tigers in 1993-94.

20 NHL players, including Tomas Plekanec, elect to take their teams to salary arbitration

TSN.ca Staff
7/5/2009 8:48:06 PM

Wingers Nikolai Zherdev and Ryan Callahan of the New York Rangers were among 20 players who elected to take their teams to salary arbitration, the NHL Players' Association said Sunday.

The only other club to have two players go that route were the Phoenix Coyotes, who are set to have hearings with forwards Nigel Dawes and Daniel Winnik.

Joining them were defenceman James Wisniewski of the Anaheim Ducks; Thrashers winger Colby Armstrong; forward Matt Hunwick of the Boston Bruins; Buffalo left winger Clarke MacArthur; Carolina Hurricanes forward Tuomo Ruutu; defenceman Aaron Johnson of the Chicago Blackhawks; Columbus defenceman Marc Methot; Detroit winger Jiri Hudler; blue liner Denis Grebeshkov of the Edmonton Oilers; Minnesota center Kyle Brodziak; Montreal centre Tomas Plekanec; New Jersey Devils forward Travis Zajac; Islanders winger Nate Thompson; Lightning defenceman Matt Smaby; Canucks forward Kyle Wellwood; and Washington Capitals defenceman Milan Jurcina.

The deadline for teams to decide to take players to salary arbitration is Monday at 5pm et. Hearings will be held in Toronto from July 20 to August 4.

Playing for 'the' rival

posted by Rocket
All Habs

I'm thinking, today, about Dick Duff. Duff played just over five seasons with the Montreal Canadiens. He won four Stanley Cups with the Habs and is a member of the Hockey all of Fame.

Not a big player in stature, Duff was known for being a fierce competitor and earned the reputation as "pound-for-pound one of the toughest men in the game". Duff was also a guy who would shine in big games, especially in the playoffs.

So why does Duff come to mind today? Well, prior to playing with the Canadiens, Duff was a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs (with a very short stay with the Rangers in between) where he had played for 10 seasons.

Duff knows all about playing on both sides of a fierce rivalry, which was perhaps more intense in his day with only 6 teams in the league. And Dick Duff wore #8.

Mike Komisarek is about to be introduced to Dick Duff's world, in reverse. When the NHL schedule for 2009-2010 comes out in a few weeks, Komisarek will circle his first trip back to Montreal. It's too much to ask the Bell Centre faithful not to 'boo' him. They will, probably every time he touches the puck.

But Jacques Martin should also circle that date. Because he and the rest of the Canadiens are about to find out how difficult it is to play against Mike Komisarek.

In the lead up to the free agency period, RDS was fond of discussing Komisarek's contract demands (thought to be in the $4-5 million range) with his point total for last season: 11 comprised of 2 goals and 9 assists.

Conveniently, left out of the reports, was the fact that Komisarek has been at the top of the league in hits and blocked shots since he starting taking a regular shift in the NHL. Brian Burke is a smart GM, and recognized Komisarek's contribution and his potential value to the Leafs.

It should be understandable that Bob Gainey could not devote that much of his salary budget to a pure defender. With the departure of Mathieu Schneider, Gainey needed to get a defenseman who could also play the power-play. Jaroslav Spacek fills that need.

Could the salary gap between the Canadiens and Leafs offers been narrowed? Not likely. Those who quote a half million dollar figure forget the substantial difference in taxes. In addition to financial considerations, Komisarek also had a front row seat to see the reputation of his teammates tarnished with false accusations by agenda-driven journalists. Does he need any more reasons?

It's very difficult to see a Canadiens player go to our oldest rival. But, we wish Mike Komisarek well in Toronto. He has been nothing but a classy and fierce competitor who proudly wore the bleu, blanc et rouge for just over five seasons.

Not unlike a fellow #8, Dick Duff.

Canadiens sign Glumac, Darche and Henry

Montreal Canadiens
Jul 2, 2009, 4:06 PM EDT

MONTREAL – Montreal Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey announced today the signing of forwards Mike Glumac and Mathieu Darche, as well as defenseman Alex Henry, to one-year, two-way contracts for the 2009-10 season. As per club policy, financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

Last season, Mike Glumac led the Hamilton Bulldogs in goals (33) and power-play goals (17). The 6-2, 200-pound right-winger amassed 52 points (including 19 assists), fired 190 shots on goal with a plus-3 rating and 60 penalty minutes in 66 AHL regular-season games.

Glumac, 29, played 40 career NHL regular-season games with the St. Louis Blues from 2005 to 2008, collecting 13 points (7 goals, 6 assists) and 38 penalty minutes. A native of Niagara Falls, Ontario Glumac spent four seasons with the Miami-Ohio University RedHawks in the CCHA from 1998 to 2002.

Last season, Mathieu Darche led the AHL’s Portland Pirates with 31 goals and scored 66 points (including 35 assists) in 80 regular-season games. He also posted a plus-1 rating and served 37 penalty minutes.

Darche made his NHL debut with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2000-2001. The 32 year-old left-winger totaled 24 points (8 goals, 16 assists) and 26 penalty minutes in 101 games over eight season, also suiting up for the Nashville Predators, the San Jose Sharks and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

A native of Montreal, Darche amassed 418 points (196 points, 222 assists) with 248 penalty minutes in 520 career AHL games and won the Calder Cup with the Milwaukee Admirals in 2004.

From 1995 to 2000, the 6-1, 210-pound forward compiled 130 points (60 goals, 70 assists) and 101 penalty minutes with the McGill University Redmen. A business graduate, Darche was named to the CIS All-Canadian Team and received McGill University Athlete of the Year honors in 2000.

Last season, Alex Henry registered 10 penalty minutes in two games with the Canadiens. The six-foot-six, 230-pound defenseman also played 79 contests with the Hamilton Bulldogs, scoring 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) with a plus-9 rating. He ranked second on the team with 127 penalty minutes.

In 2007-08, Henry served as captain of the Milwaukee Admirals in the American Hockey League. He recorded 16 points (3 goals, 13 assists) in 80 games and was second on the team with 142 penalty minutes.

Since 2002-03, the 29-year-old served 269 penalty minutes in 177 NHL games, with Edmonton (3), Washington (38), Minnesota (134) and Montreal (2).

Canadiens ink Gionta, Cammalleri, Spacek and Gill

TSN.ca Staff
7/1/2009 9:36:42 PM

After playing his entire seven year career in New Jersey, Brian Gionta is on the move having signed a five-year, $25 million deal with the Montreal Canadiens.

The Rochester, New York native enjoyed a solid season with the Devils, picking up 20 goals and adding 40 assists while sporting a plus- 12 rating. He added two goals and three assists in seven playoffs games.

Gionta's best season was in 2005-06 when he scored a career high 48 goals and added 41 assists. He also was part of the Devils Stanley Cup winning side of 2002-03.

One of the smallest players in the league, listed at 5'7'', Gionta was a third round pick, 82nd overall by the Devils in the 1998 NHL entry draft.

Earlier in the day, the Canadiens signed forward Mike Cammalleri to a five-year deal worth $30-million. Also, the Habs inked veteran blueliner Jaroslav Spacek to a three year, $11.5 million contract and defenceman Hal Gill to a two-year, $4.5 million contract.

Gionta will be reunited with Scott Gomez, who the Habs added on Tuesday. Both players posted their career highs in points in 2005-06 playing together in New Jersey.

"Gionta has a background with Gomez (with New Jersey) and he has a good reputation among the players," Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey told the media. "They know he's a good strong player.

"He's a top player in his position and depending on who he plays with, good things can happen. We hope that he can get back to 75-to-80 point seasons."

Gainey also said that all of Wednesday's additions would likely mean unrestricted free agents Saku Koivu, Alex Kovalev and Alex Tanguay all would not return.

The Habs also gave qualifying offers to Tomas Plekanec, Guillaume Latendresse, Kyle Chipchura, Matt D'Agostini and Greg Stewart. The team will look to sign all five restricted free agents to round out the roster.

Knee Jerk Thoughts to Higgins Trade

Posted by Kyle Roussel
All Habs

What a day.

I'm at my desk around 4:55 pm, anxiously waiting to skip out for the 5:06 train to catch a 6:30 viewing of Transformers 2. I loved the first, and have been waiting with baited breath for part 2.

Then, breaking news! Oh no! Please - not Vinny!

Could it get worse?

I don't know, but what I heard left a lump in my throat:

Chris Higgins has been traded to the New York Rangers.

Ok, ok, I can live with that. Higgins was a nice player, but I just couldn't put a finger on what he was supposed to be. A scorer? A shutdown guy? Who knows.

He's a restricted free agent so I couldn't see the Habs getting much in return. A middling draft pick. Then the storm clouds started swirling in my mind...what if Gainey swung a deal for one of the Rangers overpaid dogs in Wade Redden, Chris Drury or the sickest puppy of the bunch: Scott Gomez and his albatross contract?

I had to split for the train before hearing who the Canadiens got in return, but part of me wishes I still hadn't turned on the radio when I got to my car. Why couldn't I have just turned on Dave Matthews' wonderful new cd instead?

Chris Higgins, Ryan McDonagh, Pavel Valentenko and Doug Janik for Scott Gomez and 2 other guys.

I kid you not, I nearly rear ended the car in front of me. It HAD to be a joke. But nope, there was local radio anchor Mitch Melnick scratching his head with TSN's Pierre McGuire. If I could have turned in to the Hulk, I could have. I could have lived with Scott Gomez and his stupid contract. It's not quite as long or hideous as Vincent Lecavalier's. But to give up Ryan McDonagh AND Pavel Valentenko? The Rangers should have thrown in a draft pick just for the favour of taking Scott Gomez off of their books. Instead, Gainey threw a coveted first round pick at the Rangers.

I thought Glen Sather is usually the one to get bent over the barrel with these sorts of deals?
I thought stockpiling youth and prospects was to be used to build your team for the future, not to throw at rivals in exchange for 8 millions dollars of mediocrity. Oh sure, Gomez is a cute player and all. But for 60 points per season, I would have kept Saku Koivu thank you very much.

I truly hope Gainey is looking to parlay this deal in to something else. Immediately.

I've always supported Gainey, but this trade makes not one ounce of sense. It does not upgrade the Canadiens at all. In fact, it gives us another small forward with average production, but with an inflated price tag, and our farm is short 2 assets.

If this is the way it goes down, I hope the Molsons have their hand on the trap door button beneath Gainey's feet because this is getting silly. UFAs walking away for nothing, and now with a golden opportunity to rebuild the team, he's going to load it with bloated contracts? Enough.

I didn't want to write, nevermind post this because I'm just so dismayed at this sequence of events, but I always reserve the right to change my mind when and if Gainey decides to fix this colossal brain fart.

Oh well, at least 2.5 hours of robots smashing the hell out of each other helped to distract me.

Higgins excited about New York homecoming

Gomez trade brings Rangers a goal-scorer, former first-round draft pick
By Jim Cerny, newyorkrangers.com

Back in the spring of 1994 Christopher Higgins was miserable, an 11-year-old Montreal Canadiens fan living on Long Island and watching the Rangers capture the Stanley Cup. Now, 15 years later, Higgins arrives on Broadway looking to help the Rangers win their next Stanley Cup championship.

Higgins was acquired Tuesday afternoon by the Rangers as part of a six-player trade with the Montreal Canadiens in which New York also acquired young defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko in exchange for veteran center Scott Gomez, forward Tom Pyatt, and defenseman Mike Busto.

“In ’94 I had to hear it from all of my friends about how much better the Rangers were than the Canadiens, that wasn’t the best memory,” recalled Higgins, who is a native of Smithtown, N.Y. “But when (the trade) happened I was absolutely thrilled. If there was one team I wanted to play for besides Montreal it would be the Rangers. To play in front of my family and friends is a dream come true for me.”

The 26-year-old Higgins is coming off an injury-plagued 2008-09 season, one in which groin and shoulder injuries limited him to only 57 games of action. He netted 12 goals and recorded 23 points before potting a pair of goals during the first round of the playoffs against the Boston Bruins.

However, Higgins was a 20-goal scorer in each of the three seasons prior to ’08-’09, pouring in a career-high 27 just two years ago. A force on the power play and also while playing shorthanded, Higgins had 12 power-play tallies in 2007-08, and has notched eight career shorthanded goals, including two last season.

“We think Higgins is a goal-scorer and we are very happy to have him,” said Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather. “He’s also from the New York area, and he’s excited to be coming home. We think he is a good player and that is why we made the deal.”

Higgins was selected from Yale University in the first round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, 14th overall, by the Canadiens, and has since played in 282 games for Montreal, scoring 84 goals and 151 points.

Prior to attending Yale, the Long Island-born Higgins attended Avon Old Farms High School in Connecticut, the same school former Rangers great Brian Leetch went to as a teenager.

“I grew up watching Brian Leetch a lot because he went to the same high school I did,” noted Higgins. “I was always rooting for him and hoping the best for him. It’s great to see him in the Hall of Fame now.”

Higgins said that coming off an injury-marred season and then being traded will provide quite a bit of motivation for him next season. And he also expressed excitement about getting the chance to play in John Tortorella’s aggressive offensive system, one that Higgins believes dovetails nicely with his own game.

“I like to be moving my feet the whole time I am out there for my shift,” said Higgins. “I pride myself on my work ethic. I think when I am working my hardest that’s when I am playing my best. I hope to bring that energy and that type of work ethic to each shift every night.”

Along with Higgins, the Rangers also added to their growing stable of talented young defensemen by acquiring the 20-year-old McDonagh and the 21 year-old Valentenko.

Like Higgins, McDonagh was also a first-round pick of the Canadiens, being selected 12th overall in 2007. The 6-foot-1, 212 pounder played at the University of Wisconsin last season and recorded 16 points (5-11-16) and 59 penalty minutes in 36 games.

Valentenko, a 2006 fifth-round pick by Montreal, split last season between the Canadiens’ minor league affiliate in Hamilton and Moscow Dynamo in the KHL.

Ryan McDonagh, a 2007 first-rounder, had three assists in six games for Team USA at the 2009 World Junior Championships.
“McDonagh is certainly a player that is going to play in the NHL, as well as Valentenko,” said Sather. “We got two good prospects in this deal.”

The Rangers not only added three good young players to their roster on Tuesday, the club also added more flexibility under the salary cap by trading Gomez, who struggled last season recording just 58 points, one year after putting up 70 in his first season on Broadway.

“It gives us a lot more options, more availability to do other things,” said Sather. “We’re not up against the (salary) cap now. We’ve got lots of cap room. It just makes the options more inviting to us now.”

Although pleased with the trade he made, Sather still had nothing but good things to say about Gomez, whom the Rangers signed to a free-agent contract back in the summer of 2007.

“I think Scott is a very good player, a real good guy who worked real hard and was exceptional with the team in the dressing room,” Sather said. “I have no complaints about him.”

This deal behind him, Sather can now turn his attention to the start of the National Hockey League’s free agency period, which officially gets underway at Noon ET on Wednesday.

Regardless of the free-agency picture, Sather is confident that Tuesday’s deal is an important part of the process of reshaping and retooling his team for the better come the 2009-10 campaign.

“You can’t stay pat with a hockey team,” Sather said. “I think you have to make a certain number of changes every year, and we decided this was the right change for us.”

Canadiens acquire Gomez from Rangers

TSN.ca Staff
6/30/2009 8:01:27 PM

Getting a jump on the free agent market, the Montreal Canadiens moved to secure their centre ice position via trade, making a deal with the New York Rangers Tuesday and taking on a whole lot of salary in the process.

The Canadiens acquired centre Scott Gomez, winger Tom Pyatt and defenceman Mike Busto from the New York Rangers in exchange for winger Chris Higgins and defencemen Doug Janik, Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko.

Gomez, 29, is coming off a down season for the Rangers, finishing with 58 points, his lowest total since 2002-2003.

"We are extremely pleased to have acquired a player of the caliber of Scott Gomez. He is an outstanding playmaker and an excellent skater. Having won the Stanley Cup twice with the New Jersey Devils, he brings to our team a lot of playoff experience. Scott is an elite player who will certainly contribute to the success of our team for years to come" said Canadiens GM Bob Gainey.

A two-time Stanley Cup winner with the New Jersey Devils, Gomez was a blockbuster free agent signing for the Rangers in the summer of 2007. Gomez is signed through 2013-2014, at a salary cap hit of more than $7.35-million, so he represents a significant investment.

In 706 career games, Gomez has 148 goals, 430 assists and 578 points, adding 81 points in 114 career playoff games.

Higgins, a 26-year-old restricted free agent winger, also struggled in 2008-2009, scoring a career-low 23 points in 57 games as he missed a combined 25 games with hand and groin injuries.

Prior to last season, however, Higgins recorded three straight seasons of at least 20 goals and he'll be a more economical option for the Rangers as he earned $1.7-million last season.

McDonagh, 20, was Montreal's first-round pick in 2007 and recorded 16 points in 36 games as a 6-foot-1, 212-pound sophomore at the University of Wisconsin in 2008-2009.

Valentenko, 22, has good size at 6-foot-2, 202 pounds, but left the Canadiens' farm team in Hamilton early last season to play for Moscow Dynamo in the KHL, where he finished with one assist in eight games.

Janik, a 29-year-old journeyman acquired from Dallas last season, will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

The minor leaguers coming to Montreal aren't considered elite prospects. A six-foot, 185-pound forward, Tom Pyatt is a 22-year-old who put up 37 points in 73 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL last season and was a fourth-round pick in 2005.

23-year-old Busto is 6-foot-1, 210 pounds and registered 11 points and a minus-7 rating in 54 games with Charlotte of the ECHL.

Komisarek to test free agency on Wednesday

TSN.ca Staff
6/30/2009 4:05:41 PM

If the Montreal Canadiens want to retain Mike Komisarek's services, they'll have to compete with a handful of other teams starting at Noon et on Wednesday.

The agent for the veteran defenceman told the media Tuesday that his client will test the free agent market.

"After much discussion and thought, Mike Komisarek has decided to enter the free agent market tomorrow at noon," said agent Matt Keator in a statement. "Should they desire, we intend to keep Montreal involved in the process as they have treated Mike so well during his time in the organization. He remains interested in resigning with them."

The Canadiens reportedly made offers to two potential unrestricted free agents on Monday - Komisarek and winger Alex Kovalev. The club has 10 players who are set to hit the open market, including Alex Tanguay and captain Saku Koivu.

Komisarek, 27, had 11 points and 121 penalty minutes in 66 games with the Canadiens last season and was among the league leaders in blocked shots and hits over the last three years.

He was taken seventh overall by the Canadiens in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. In 361 career regular season games, the New York native has 12 goals and 46 assists for 58 points, all with the Canadiens.

Canadiens give qualifying offers to RFA forwards

TSN.ca Staff
6/29/2009 6:58:20 PM

The Montreal Canadiens have extended qualifying offers to their six restricted free agent forwards, centres Tomas Plekanec and Kyle Chipchura, wingers Christopher Higgins, Guillaume Latendresse, Matt D'Agostini and Greg Stewart.

Plekanec was the leading scorer of that group, tallying 39 points in 80 games in 2008-2009. Latendresse and Higgins missed time with injuries and produced 26 points and 23 points, respectively, while D'Agostini finished with 21 points in 53 games after getting called up.

Chipchura and Stewart played most of the season with the Hamilton Bulldogs in American Hockey League.

Montreal Draft Tweetup: Day 1

I really appreciate all the messages of support for the Montreal Draft weekend. I am grateful to be working with great people: @amandafortier @metricjulie and @kyleroussel .

It was also a thrill to meet passionate hockey fans and friendly, fun-loving people.

Are we having a good time?

Perhaps one photo can give you a sense of what it is like to be in Montreal this weekend.

FlyersRule video report: On the road to Montreal

FlyersRule: The journey to Montreal begins



FlyersRule: Mileage sign to Montreal



FlyersRule: At the border

An open letter to Pierre McGuire

An open letter (and an invitation) to Pierre McGuire:


Hello Pierre,

On the eve of the 2009 NHL amateur draft in Montreal, I am taking the opportunity to contact you.

First, let me thank you for your analysis and insight on TSN, NBC and the various sports radio stations throughout Canada. You are one of the best in the business on either side of the border. I don't always agree with you opinions but your game and player instincts are superb and your sources well-informed. Besides, you are entertaining!

I have enjoyed the honour of meeting you in person. You were gracious and generous with your time on each occasion. Although I'm sure you have been asked to see 'the ring' a thousand times, you were patient and seemed sincerely proud. But, my admiration grew as I watched you speak with very young hockey players. They, of course, hung on your every word. But, you seemed to thoroughly enjoy the experience and the questions from them. I remember thinking, this guy is truly passionate about hockey.

I am also very fortunate to be in touch with thousands of hockey enthusiasts on a regular basis, who I feel, are equally passionate about the great game of hockey. They are fans, bloggers and users of social media.

As a hockey writer with a focus on the Montreal Canadiens, I have enjoyed being in touch with Habs fans from across the U.S. and Canada. I've also been fortunate to communicate and debate with fans of rival teams. Hockey is a passion we share, and we have embraced the chance to discuss it.

To be frank, I am somewhat puzzled by your reaction, Pierre, to bloggers and amateur writers. Your usually positive nature often turns sour when the subject turns to social media. You never fail to take the opportunity to be aggressively critical towards bloggers.

Sometimes the comments are indirect. When you were told that the Lightning were demanding Andrei Markov in a trade for Vincent Lecavalier, you dismissed it as a ridiculous rumor started by a blogger. In truth, the report came from a hockey reporter for the St. Petersburg Times.

In the Spring, when a discussion between you and Picard on the Team 990 turned to the subject of bloggers, you can imagine my surprise to hear the words "unaccountable", "nameless", "faceless", and "gutless" used to describe them. You went on to say that bloggers are just "looking to score a career" and you agreed when Picard said that bloggers are just "30 year old unemployed losers living in their parent's basement."

Do they want careers in hockey journalism? Most bloggers do not. They are successfully employed in a variety of fields. Some are married and have children. Some play the game and others are coaches and referees. These are decent, intelligent, hard-working individuals who love hockey.

Are they accountable? Bloggers are accountable to their readers. Most blogs that I follow are thoroughly researched and well-written. I won't draw any comparisons to the mainstream media but we also know that everyone in print, TV and radio is not a McGuire or McKenzie.

While sports journalists speak *to* hockey fans, bloggers speak *with* them. They facilitate discussion. Bloggers fill an untapped need. They also do an excellent job of promoting the game and bringing new fans to hockey. And they do this for little or no remuneration. In my book, that is true passion.

Perhaps this is simply a case of misunderstanding. It's always easier to criticize people who are nameless and faceless. But that's easily remedied.

Hockey fans and bloggers from all over the continent are meeting in Montreal this weekend. They are arriving from Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Toronto, Oakland, Tampa, Calgary... The reason? Because they love hockey and want to share the experience of the NHL amateur draft with their fellow social media users.

On Saturday afternoon (June 27th), they will all meet at Ye Olde Orchard (de la Montagne) to meet and talk hockey.

Pierre, you are most welcome to attend and interact with some of the most interesting hockey fans in Canada and the U.S. They will tell you their names and you will see their faces. You may even meet someone who lives with their parents. But most importantly, it may be a learning experience for all.

In closing, I hope that we can agree on this: Regardless of one's position or means, all can be equally passionate about the great game of hockey...even bloggers.


Written on behalf of fans and bloggers attending the Montreal draft weekend


The following is an email reply from Pierre McGuire. I think it was a very classy thing for him to do.

Thanks for the well thought out note. I wish I could accept your invitation for the 27th, but at I will be at a family function on that day. I hope you enjoy the draft and that MTL gets the players they need to become more competitive. Based on your writing it is clear to see that you are well thought-out and poised. However when people who write vicious things about people they have never met or do not even know just because they do not like their opinions, that is the problem I have with some bloggers. Have a blast at your party, and stay in touch.

All the best,

Pierre McGuire

Habs set sights on landing big centre

There were enough media on hand to run three scrums simultaneously with Canadiens GM Bob Gainey (foreground), head coach Jacques Martin and Director of Player Recruitment and Development Trevor Timmons (both in the background) on Thursday at the Montreal Canadiens practice facility in Brossard.
Photograph by: Dave Sidaway, Montreal Gazette


By Pat Hickey
Montreal Gazette
June 25, 2009

MONTREAL — The National Hockey League entry draft is centre stage at the Bell Centre, but Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey said he hopes to steal the show with a trade that would fill the team’s need for a big centre.

“It hasn’t been a secret that we’ve always been in the market for a big, strong, first-line centre and wherever that player may be, that’s where we’ll be looking,” Gainey said yesterday during an informal gathering to discuss the Canadiens’ plans for the draft, which begins tonight (7 p.m., TSN, RDS) with the first-round selections.

“I think it’s going to require some patience, maybe a little bit of luck. We feel we have some of the assets needed to put a deal together if we have a partner who really wants to move in that direction. We’re staying available and we’ll be available until a deal is done.”

The name most commonly mentioned is that of île Bizard native Vincent Lecavalier, but there are questions of whether Tampa Bay is willing to trade him and whether the Canadiens can meet the Lightning’s price.

Gainey said the best chance of landing a big centre was through a trade rather than waiting to see who’s available on the free-agent market.

“We don’t know who’s going to be on the free-agent market and we won’t know until July 1, but I don’t see that centreman there. I see other good players, but I don’t see a centre.”

Gainey, who has made a splash at previous drafts with deals to acquire defenceman Roman Hamrlik and forward Alex Tanguay, noted that the draft offers possibilities to make changes. He is so intent on making a deal this weekend that he has put the task of dealing with the Canadiens’ unrestricted free agents on hold.

There are 10 potential unrestricted free agents on the team’s roster. Gainey has designated five of them – Mike Komisarek, Saku Koivu, Alex Kovalev, Mathieu Schneider and Tanguay – as priorities, but has told them he won’t starting negotiating until after the draft. They are all eligible to become unrestricted free agents on Wednesday.

“We want to get our priorities in order,” Gainey said. “After the weekend, we’ll have a better idea of what the cap will be and how much money we have to spend.”

Gainey said it was important to be flexible. He noted that the Canadiens signed Sergei Samsonov early in the free-agent signing period a few years back and didn’t have room later in the summer when J.P. Dumont became available.

Gainey said Komisarek, who is regarded as one of the potential prizes on the free-agent market, is a priority.

“I’d say his age (27), his position on our team (make him important). He’s open to talking and listening. We’ve tried to evaluate the market as we see it. We’ll keep talking to him until he either says yes or no.”

There is a group of potential UFAs who are not a priority. They include Mathieu Dandenault, Francis Bouillon, Tom Kostopoulos and Patrice Brisebois.

“We have five or six positions available and we have young players like (Gregory) Stewart, (Kyle) Chipchura and (Matt) D’Agostini, who will probably fill some of those spots,” Gainey said.

“We’ve told those players we won’t be talking to them

before July 1, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be back,” said Gainey, noting that Brisebois was in that position last summer and signed a contract on the eve of training camp.

As for the draft, the Canadiens will only say they’ll go for the best asset available. The team is unlikely to move up, but director of player personnel Trevor Timmins said the team could move down if the top players on their list aren’t available when Montreal gets the 18th pick. With the draft in Montreal, there will be pressure to draft a francophone and there are two possibilities in Harvard-bound Louis Leblanc and Simon Despres.

phickey@thegazette.canwest.com

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

Draft Tweetup: Prizes from the Montreal Canadiens

The generosity of our partner organizations continues to help make the Montreal Draft tweetup a truly memorable event.

All Habs is truly grateful to Jon Trzcienski and the Montreal Canadiens for contributing a number of books and publications as prizes.


Prizes from the Montreal Canadiens:

• current issue of CANADIENS magazine (50 copies)
• Sports Illustrated special hardcover “The Canadiens Century”
• hardcover copy of “Maurice Richard: Reluctant Hero”

Bouillon likely won't return to Habs, Komisarek, others, a priority

Montreal Gazette
June 25, 2009


MONTREAL- According to RDS, defenceman Francis Bouillon will not be back with the Canadiens next season. The sports network says the team informed Bouillon they would not be offering a new deal and he will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

But Don Meehan, Bouillon's agent, tells The Gazette's Pat Hickey that he expects Bouillon might get an offer after July 1.

RDS also says that Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey will focus on re-signing five players: Saku Koivu, Alex Tanguay, Mathieu Schneider, Alex Kovalev and Mike Komisarek, who Gainey confirmed has received a contract offer from the Canadiens.

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

Montreal Draft Tweetup: Prizes from the NHL Foundation

Perhaps you would like to take a closer look at some of the prizes that will be available at the Montreal draft weekend. The generosity of our partner organizations will help to make this a truly memorable event.

Prizes will be awarded during the weekend events but particularly at the Montreal Draft Tweetup on Saturday June 27th from 1:00 to 5:00 pm at Ye Olde Orchard Bar and Grill, 1189 de la Montagne.

There are many ways to win. There will be draws and contests throughout the afternoon. A paid raffle will be used to determine the winner of two very special prizes with the proceeds going to "Hockey Fights Cancer". If you would like to donate to this worthwhile charity, click here.

Participants of the Fun Ball Hockey Challenge at McGill University will be eligible for a draw for one of the signed NHL caps.

All Habs is truly grateful to Ann Marie Lynch at the NHL Foundation for providing the unique signed hockey merchandise.


Prizes from the NHL Foundation

*Signed merchandise*

• White cap, NHL logo - signed by the 2008-09 New York Islanders team
  
• White New Era cap, NHL logo - signed by Martin Brodeur
• Montreal Canadiens away jersey - signed by Saku Koivu
• Tampa Bay Lightning away jersey - signed by Vincent Lecavalier
• 2009 Eastern Conference All-Star jersey - signed by the Eastern conference all-stars
• 2009 Western Conference All-Star jersey - signed by the Western conference all-stars

arranged by @umassdilo and @All_Habs

Follow the tweetup in Montreal with video from FlyersRule

Montreal Draft Tweetup Video -- Get there early!

You have been hearing that the Montreal Draft Tweetup is *the* destination for hockey fans this summer. You also know that it will be a weekend full of events and that you will have a chance to win fabulous prizes.

But why take our word for it? Here's the perspective of a hockey fan who is actually making the 'pilgrimage' to Montreal. Read the full story »

RDS: Komisarek will likely test free agent market

RDS.ca (translated)

In all likelihood, the Canadiens defenseman Mike Komisarek will bargain his services next week as he is seriously considering testing the free agent market, RDS has learned.

A free agent without compensation, it is expected that the American 27-year-old is busy training for the new season. Komisarek, one of ten unrestricted free agent players on the Canadiens, received a salary of 1.9 million last season. He could be seeking a salary of about five million annually but the Canadiens would not be willing to go so far to keep him.

RDS contacted his agent Matt Keator who would not comment.

Last year in 66 games, Komisarek found the back of the net twice in addition to raising nine assists.

The other Canadiens unrestricted free agents are Mathieu Schneider, Alex Tanguay, Saku Koivu, Alex Kovalev, Robert Lang, Francis Bouillon, Mathieu Dandenault, Patrice Brisebois and Tom Kostopoulos.

Muller will return behind the Canadiens bench; Jarvis won't.

Canadiens.com

MONTREAL - It’s fitting in a summer that saw a reboot of the Star Trek franchise dominate at the box office that the man they call Captain Kirk will remain behind the Habs bench alongside new head coach Jacques Martin.

Coming off his third season with the Canadiens as an assistant coach, Kirk Muller will continue to pass on to his players what made him a successful player for 19 NHL seasons and a Stanley Cup champion with the Montreal in 1993.

With Muller now confirmed on Martin’s staff, the new Habs bench boss will look to round out his crew by adding another assistant coach and a goalie coach, with Doug Jarvis and Roland Melanson not being back with the team next season.

Manny Almela is a writer for canadiens.com

Who would you choose with the Canadiens first pick?

posted by Rocket
All Habs

The 2009 NHL amateur draft is only days away. It's fair to say that Bob Gainey, Trevor Timmins and the rest of the amateur scouting staff have done a good job re-stocking the Canadiens talent pool that had been depleted prior to their arrival. The Bob Gainey / Trevor Timmins draft selections have not always been predictable nor followed popular opinion (which is probably a good thing) but have received high praise from experts. HockeyFutures.com rates the Montreal Canadiens prospect talent pool as the second best in the NHL.

The buzz in Montreal this draft season is for Louis Leblanc, which may have as much to do with his hometown (Pointe-Claire, QC) as his talent. The hype is reminiscent to 2005, when media and fans alike were advocating that Gainey take Gilbert Brule with the fifth selection overall. We now know that would have been a huge mistake. Brule is a smallish, very inconsistent forward, who has struggled with injuries and to maintain a roster spot at the NHL level.

So what will Gainey do with the 18th pick in this year's draft? Reviewing mock draft opinions from various hockey experts, you find the following players being mentioned as potential choices for the Canadiens: Carter Ashton, Jordan Caron, Landon Ferraro, Peter Holland, Chris Kreider, Louis Leblanc, and Drew Shore.

All of the above players are forwards. While some believe in choosing the best player on the draft board at the time, it's unlikely that Gainey would choose a defenseman given the talent at that position already in the system.

All Habs ranks the following seven players, in order, not only for their talent but their suitability in filling the Canadiens' needs.


Chris Kreider LW, Andover, USHS 6'2", 200 lbs.

Kreider is one of the best skaters in the draft possessing explosive speed. He is a great playmaker, has a good shot, and could be the big-bodied offensive forward that the Canadiens have been searching for. The only knock on Kreider is that he last played at the high school level.


Carter Ashton LW, Lethbridge, WHL 6'3", 210 lbs.

Ashton is a true power-forward. He goes to the net strong, skates well and is tough to knock off the puck. He also possesses a terrific shot; very accurate and delivered with a quick release. He needs to improve his play without the puck.


Louis Leblanc C, Omaha, USHL 6'0", 175 lbs.

Leblanc has good hands and hockey sense. He plays well with elite linemates. He has a good work ethic and is very competitive. He needs to improve his skating and is slight in size. He hasn't played against tougher talent.


The following four players could probably be obtained by trading down in the draft from the 18th pick.


Peter Holland C, Guelph, OHL 6'2", 190 lbs.

Holland seems to have all the qualities to succeed: size, speed and scoring touch. His midterm rankings put him in the top 10. But there are questions about his consistency, taking shifts off, and commitment to defensive responsibilities. With the right coach and development program, his career could be back on track.


Landon Ferarro RW, Red Deer, WHL 5'11", 165 lbs.

Ferraro is competitive, fearless and a hard worker. His skating is good and he is a solid two-way player. Ferraro will be a good character player but lacks the size and skill to be a top six forward.


Jordan Caron RW, Rimouski, QMJHL 6'2", 200 lbs.

Caron has size, toughness and isn't afraid to go to the net. He can be an agitator at times. Caron lacks hockey sense, his skating is below par and his defensive game needs work. His ceiling is probably as a third-line forward.


Drew Shore C, U18, NTDP 6'3", 190 lbs.

Shore has size and scoring touch around the net. He plays physical and is relentless in his pursuit of the puck. He needs some work on his skating, his defensive game and a commitment to consistency.

Hockey Barn is coming to Montreal!

The good guys from Hockey Barn will be joining us for the Montreal Draft weekend events.

HockeyBarn.com is “Facebook” for hockey, creating a one-stop destination site for all things hockey. HockeyBarn is a place where players, fans, coaches, parents, and referees of all ages, abilities, interests, and gender, can congregate in the company of people across the world that love hockey.

Click here for the special event page at HockeyBarn.com for the Montreal Draft Meetup. You can join, post comments and photos, and interact with fellow attendees and those who wish they were in Montreal.