Hamrlik Burning With Anticipation

Transcibed from Le Journal De Montreal, August 17, 2007.

The Canadiens most important off season aquisition is burning with anticipation, anxious to start a new season in Montreal.

Hamrlik is presently on holiday in Zlin, in his natice Czeche Republic. He'll head to Montreal in a few days to begin preparations for the upcoming training camp.

Hamrlik signed with the Canadiens July 3, bagging a four year, $22 million dollar deal.

"I'm anxious to live this new experience", said Hamrlik, "the Canadiens are a young team, but they have solid veterans like Saku Koivu, Alex Kovalev, and Bryan Smolinski. I feel the team now had all the required elements to make the playoffs. It is truly special, playing hockey in Canada, where the sport holds such importance."

Upon being asked, Hamrlik took his time to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of his new team.

"The team has talent and can defend itself with a collective and consistant effort", said the 33 year old defenseman. I am convinced that all players were left with a bitter taste after having come so close to making the playoffs. After missing out, they will most certainly wish to make amends."

"One thing is for sure, I will be doing everything possible to help the team have a better season."
When asked with whom he expected to be paired with defensively, Hamrlik seemed caught offguard.

"I can't say yet how Guy Carbonneau plans on making use of me, but I'll do all that he asks of me. I just hope that I get to play alot."

"I know that I can give the team a good push, whether it be during the powerplay, or while penalty killing. Whether it is myself or Andrei Markov, the Canadiens won't be powerless from the point with a man advantage."

Hamrlik, who will begin his 15th season this fall, is expewrienced enough to understand that the expectations in his reagard are high.

"I can play with the same efficiency as I did with Calgary, or anywhere else I've played. I'm a fast skating defenseman with lots of experience."

"In Calgary, I was asked to concentrate mainly on the more defensive aspects, but I believe the Canadiens are looking for me to contribute in more offensive ways."

Hamrlik is not unfamiliar with the demands of the hockey mad Montreal populace.

"Montreal is an extraordinary hockey city", he pointed out, "the fans of the Habs are studied and smart. It is very motivating for a hockey player in such conditions. I believe I will greatly appreciate this experience."

Hamlik was the first overall choice of the Tampa Bay Lightening in 1992. His first game with the Canadiens will be his 1000th career game. He are his career stats, courtesy of Hockey Database.

11 Stanley Cups Ought To End Any Debate!

Joe Pelletier of the Legends of Hockey blog has polled his many readers and fellow hockey nuts with blogs, to come up with a list of the greatest hockey players of all time.


I've tons of respect for Joe, as savvy and astute a historian of the game as there is online, and when he e-mailed me to participate in his poll, I anxiously replied that all I needed to do was tweak a post from a year back and fire it off.


He had it within 30 minutes.


Since sending out the requests, Joe has received an enthusiastic number of replies, and seems to be having a ball in tallying out and analyzing the results on a daily basis. The post is definitely popular with readers, and having not been born yesterday, Joe has smartly been milking it for all it's worth since last week. Joe has authored a book or five, and knows what he's doing.


For reasons I do not know of, Joe has chosen to make it a Top 36, rather than the usually round and nifty 50. Maybe he did this to enliven the debate, who knows. Perhaps it's akin to bra sizes, wherin a 36 contains more than enough to have fun with, and a 50 is just being greedy. I love analogies!


When speaking of the game's all time best, the term "greatness" is subjected to all its inherent angles and Joe is letting readers bash it out in terms of who's in and who's out.


Wisely choosing to do the color commentating on the choices so far, and unpersonalizing himself from the results on the sidelines, the good Joe has raised a quandry that has hit this Habs historian squarely between the eyes.

























I am perplexed in my campaigning, but so far it looks as though Henri "The Pocket Rocket" Richard is on the outside kicking the door with his skates, looking in.


I don't get it one bit! 11 Stanley Cups has not been enough to resolve the issue in voters eyes.
Perhaps it has to do with the readers demographic and appreciation of things historically that is amiss. Some are suggesting that the greatness that surrounded Pocket in the day resulted in his accomplishments. I'd argue that the many great Habs teams of two, almost three era's, all had one thing in common - the Pocket himself.


Some add in that he did not do one single thing great that added up to greatness, but simply tallied enough accomplishments to be considered so, and is therefore not shrouded in a unique greatness, and thusly is on the outside.


That's a steaming clump of horse hockey if you ask me!




















Eleven Cups! Since when was that not unique! Here's the deal - pass me a million bucks, and the night someone beats that total, I'll hand deliver a hundred times the amount!


How unique is he? Pocket was born on Febuary 29th, he's only had 17 birthdays!


Henri Richard has been described with a multitude of paradoxical adjectives and accolades. He might well be the best small player to ever play the game so big!


Pocket defied the most insurmountable of odds considering the stacked deck of prejudices in being a little player as well as the Rocket's kid brother. It's no easy feat breaking into the league as the Rocket's little brother and he went on to record over 1,000 career points.


In 1999 Top 50 list, The Hockey News ranked Henri 29th and compared him to his legendary brother this way:


"Maurice Richard was very good at being great. Henri Richard was great at being very good."


























Being "very good", it is being argued, is not greatness, or so say the posters at Joe's site. The thin line dividing the extremeties is split over the terming of the pocket as a complete player of the highest degree, rather than a great player.


A lot of great players never won as many Cups as Henri Richard. None of them, in fact!


The complete player tag that suggests that the Pocket merely did everything well, rather than doing one particular thing with greatness, is missing the point completely.


Henri Richard, a consumate team man, chose to play the game he did. He surely had the talent to play for padded stats but elected to pursue the most logical path to victory. And win he did! Being an integral componant of so much success does not arrive by hazard. He lasted as long as he did, as a result of the choices of roles he chose to perfect. Legendary dogged determination surely helped.


It's no coincidence then, that he holds hockey's most unattainable record of 11 Cups. It's testament to his team orientated dedication and his longetivity.


I put alot of stock in the opinions of THN experts. With their experience and ages combined, they surely have a better grip on who the greatest players of all time were over anyone in my 35-45 demographic.


I saw Richard play from 1969 to 1975 - the twilight of his career. He was a case study in fire and determination. In 1971, it was he who undid the Chicago Blackhawks in game seven of the SCF.



He was a grizzled and proud vet still, and it was he who had the game capabilities to make the difference as he picked Chicago apart. I remember being told then - taught is a more proper word - that certain players were great in great games, but these games were often decided by players rising to greatness. Henri Richard would rise to greatness often, and remain there.


Legends of Hockey is a tribute site, in most parts to retired NHL'ers, and Mr. Pelletier knows his players. Having written tons on Internation Hockey events starting with the Summit Series, he attracts many fans from around the globe.


So far, players such as Vladislav Tretiak, Viacheslav Fetisov, and Valeri Kharlamov have ranked higher in the listings than Richard has. While all three are greats, giants in fact, of Russian hockey history, they achieved their status playing against subpar competition on the whole.



Their battles were won differently. They did not playout 70 to 80 games seasons and gruel through weeks of playoff bumps and bruises to acheive their supremecy. The Red Army and Moskow Dynamo's teams surely studied the game and likely trained harder than their North American counterparts. They won tournaments in which they would face an opponant once ot twice in the round robin and playoff rounds.


I don't see any of this as making their greatness unworthy - just different. It's a stretch to assume or believe that players we've seen perhaps only a dozen times are superior to ones we've watched for decades, including Henri Richard.


It is quite unfornate that until the two hockey societies merged in the early 1990's, the basis for honest comparisions has on unbalanced competitive fields. It's even more unfortunate, that events on the scale of ther 1972 series, and later Canada Cups weren't staged earlier.


We'll never truly know which players from that era were best.

Was Jacques Demers Voodooed?

I was recently reading on the time of Patrick Roy's run in with Mario Tremblay during the "Habs Game From Hell" back in December of 1995, and it reminded me of a very funny and totally strange anecdote involving Tremblay's predecessor at the time, Jacques Demers.

This is one little tale that I'm certain Habs fandom knows little of. It played out like an omen, completely weird when taken in the context of what occured with the Canadiens only mere weeks later.

To set it up, for starters, it occured during a historic game between the Canadiens and the Colorado Avalanche, in of all places, my hometown of Cornwall, Ontario. It was historic because it was the very first game, an exhibition, in Avalanche history.

It was being played it Cornwall, because Avs coach Marc Crawford had suggested it playing here. He had ties to the city, having played and coached junior here, also marrying a school friend from St. Lawrence High. Two seasons prior, Crawford had taken the St. Johns Maple Leafs on an extended road excursion, playing a "home game" in Cornwall, due to an arena workers strike that put the team on the road for weeks. St. Johns played the Fredericton Canadiens in town, and this Avs - Habs game was Crawford's way of saying thanks for the gate receipts and helping him rise to the NHL in record coaching time.













Those are simply events that transpired to bring the Habs to town - with Crawford and the Avalanche seemingly on the periphery of the nights excitement. I say seemingly, if one doesn't have a thing for voodoo.

The excitement was ample on many fronts. The Avs were the so called home team on this night, and there was a justifyable buzz among the four thousand strong crowd that packed the Civic Complex. A young Owen Nolan, a former Cornwall Royal still had a sizeable following in town, and was greeted with a loud ovation when introduced as a starter.

Cornwall was pretty much split down middle between Habs die hards and Leafs fans, then as today, but these were the recently skyhooked Quebec Nordiques being billed as the team to cheer for. It was a dazed look that greeted the brand spanking new Colorado jerseys - I liked them, hardly missing the fleur de lys much.

The game was a typical training camp match - no Roy, Damphousse, Sakic or Forsberg to cheer on. Rookies made up a sizeable chunk of both rosters. It was go Recchi! Go Mats Sundin!

Even the Habs coach, Jacques Demers didn't partake. Assistant Charles Thiffault ran the bench for this pre-season run through. A thought crossed - could he have been fired and I'd not heard about it? The Canadiens did miss the playoffs in 1994-95, a first in 25 years - who knows?

Nah! Everyone would be talking about it, I rationed.

The game started, and Colorado soon stormed out to a quick lead as Montreal seemed to have little cohesion. Midway in the game, it was 4-1 Avs, but the Habs came back to win it 6-5.

During the first intermission, an acquaintance walking the arena halls mentioned that he'd seen Serge Savard and Pierre Lacroix chatting on the overhead firewalk somewhere. I hadn't seen any famous faces, and was disappointed that the press box behind me was filled with unfamiliar ones.













I was sitting in the last row at the top of the stands, only able to see the heads of those sitting there. I hadn't looked behind until the second period, when that same acquaintance, who was sitting three rows below me yelled out my name and pointed over my head.

I turned back expecting to see Savard, but I was stunned to see Demers, hands and fingers cupped as if praying, literally breathing down my neck from the box.

"Bonjours, Jacques", was all this surprised fan could muster.

"Salut, mon ami", came the genteel coaches reply.

As the game was on, and the Habs were mounting a comeback, I figured I'd wait a few minutes for the second intermission and strike up a conversion.

My first question was going to be, "Jacques, can I see your Stanley Cup ring?"

Other questions running through my mind would have been, "Can I try it on, can I keep it, and can I run fast enough past security without being slammed into Complex's concrete walls?"

Demers seemed jovial, and in good spirits - the Habs had just tied the game!

Great, I thought. He'll be chatty!

As the seconds ticked down at the periods end, a scrum of autograph seekers beat me to the coach. He'd moved to the right of me a few feet, and I was in the second seat from the aisle, unable to move freely towards him.

One after the other, upraised arms were thrust towards the coach, scraps of paper in hand for autograph seekers. There were possibly a quick dozen fans sardine-canned into a slight opening awaiting this little brush with fame. One prepared fan even had a Pro Set card of Demers ready for the scribbling. As I was noticing that, came a loud bellow from Demers' chest.

He was roaring!

"Where'd you get that?", I heard him ask.

"I made it", said a man in his thirties.

"That's so funny...I don't know what to say!", he said, enlightened, "I've never seen anything like that!"

There was a little shoving to see what the commotion was, when Demers grabbed the item and hoisted it, saying "Boys, look at this!"

Then I saw it. A foot from my eyes - a woodcarved Montreal Canadiens casket with Demers resting horizontally inside. The detail, from the rimmed glasses to the moustache, was incredibly accurate. Draped with a Habs logo, and red, white, and blue trim, it was about 10 inches long and maybe four wide and high. Demers couldn't take his eyes off it!

Laughter shrouded the group, and the coach was just silly over the sight of it.

He leaned right into the casket's creator, quizzing his motives. It's not everyday one gets a glimpse of oneself, resting in peace!

The creator explained it, and as best as I could make out, the idea behind it was a friendly lark from a Leafs fan to the coach.

Demers erupted with laughter again, when the sculpter suggested...."figured a coach who misses the playoffs in Montreal is as good as dead".

The coach put everybody in stiches once more, saying, "the worst part is I want to keep it!"
"You can", said the owner, "I made it for you!"

"But I couldn't possibly, you must have put so much work into it", the coach graciously offered, looking around nervously at those laughing with him, some at him.

"But I want you to have it, I have a second one I made, but this one was the better one. It's for you!"

Demers shook his head, still disbelieving. "It's okay then?", he said, bemused.

"Yes, yes. Keep it!"

With that, the coaches arm lunged out in handshake gesture, in what I have to say what the oddest meeting I'd ever witnessed between the Habs and Leafs nations.

Just steps away from Demers, giggling as if his shoulders were in a perpetual rumbleseat on a gravel road, was one Mario Tremblay, on hand as a radio color man that night.

I managed a Demers autograph on a scrap on a program insert. Sadly, it has gone misplaced for years now. I didn't get to say more than "thanks" amidst all the commotion and hilarity going on.

I've thought quite alot about that casket moment in the decade plus since it happened. It seems so voodooish looking back on it.

Was the gift a curse? I don't believe in that stuff much, but it sure seems crazy when one considers that many partipants in that evening game were displacing in a major way before the hockey season was out.

Demers would lose his first five starts with the Canadiens that season. He would be fired along with the GM who refused to axe him a month into the year. He would be replaced, of course, by Tremblay, who was almost in tears as Demers accepted the "gift".

Inevitably, Demers moving on trickled down to the Patrick Roy trading, two months later. That debacle would seal this casket moment in infamy, for me. I often wonder what Demers did with what the thing. Does he even remember receiving it. I'd love to know!

Canadiens Need Identity Makeover.

The title might seem harsh, but the truth is tough teams win Cups.

With that fact in mind, the Canadiens do need an identity makeover, to some extent. Not an overhaul, mind you, but the Habs need to get mean - especially at the Bell Centre.

The are several Canadiens players who need to adopt the attitude that the playoffs start in October, and they should begin early to establish a reputation that the Bell is no longer a place for a Sunday afternoon stroll.

The grittier core of the Habs lineup need to expose tooth and fang to deliver this message, and several Canadiens players have the goods and emotional game makeup to accomplish the notion.

It would go a long way towards improving their 5 on 5 play, a longstanding Canadiens achilles heel, and undo the reputation that the team plays small.

It's time to lower the boom on the opposition and keep them looking over their shoulders, and they need to develop the habit of all doing it together at once in the same game!

Everybody needs to get taller on this team, and an all for one attitude is the best place to start.

When every player covers a teammates back, a more confident lineup rapidly emerges.

Currently, no player on the Canadiens roster, could be described as a policeman, of sorts.

Now the team doesn't require an all out, headhunting goon. For all intents and purposes, they've gone the way of the dinosaur in the almost New NHL. Most recently, the Canadiens employed Garth Murray and Aaron Downey to laughable results, leaving only Sheldon Souray to stick up for teammates. But I digress, my point is no so much about fighting and the need for Chris Nilan types, it is just that the type of game they need to bring on will require some backup.

Getting down and dirty and making every inch of the boards seem like corners is what they must get busy at. No more Mr. Nice Guy!

























There are seven players on the Canadiens who already bring certain elements of this type of grit to the ice nightly. They are Mike Komisarek, Chris Higgins, Guillaume Latendresse, Maxim Lapierre, Steve Begin, Francis Bouillon, and captain Saku Koivu. They lead here, where others (read mostly Europeans and Russians) follow.

While the players mentioned above sometimes set the tone, it is a wavering decibel that needs cranking. They need to play to their roles without missing a beat, skipping a hit, and delivering a message.

Mike Komisarek, the Canadiens leader in hits last season serves as an excellent example of the dedication such a role requires. He seemed on a mission to make a name for himself in 2006-07 and he succeeded.An unattentive forward doesn't want to get slightly distracted around him. It's heads up time when Komisarek is on the ice, and no one turns their back to him. I see Scott Stevens type crunches in Komi's future. Learning to drop the gloves more often would go along way in sealing a reputation as a player not to be messed with. He can take on the team policeman role left vacant by Souray and add to it.

With Chris Higgins having become something of a goalscorer, he may become too slick for his own good - or that of his own team's. Much like Michael Ryder, Higgins has been seen turning away from a solid opportunity to smash headlong into an opponant in order to preserve a scoring chance. The follow - through on the hit needs to become the habit. The unselflish creating of a scoring chances for linemates by applying those hits is the shortcut to better offense. When opponants become aware they will not get slammed hard they become braver and more daring with the puck. All Habs would be served to employ this attitude and Higgins has just the mental fortitude and leadership capabilities to show the way. We have only gotten small glimpses in what has essentially been two half seasons of what Higgins is able to accomplish. A healthy Higgins during 80 games will create a whole new dimension to his upside.





















Latendresse is a hitter with tremendous size and upper body strength. When he uses it best, it keys him into games immediatly. He is the type of player, who, once he matures, will be sent out to start games and set the tempo. His maturity has been his best asset so far, and he seems willing to do what the coaching staff asks of him. When his game rounds out, he will bruise opponants with clean hits. He more than any other player in the Bell, can rouse a crowd with a devastating body crunch. Should the seemingly passive Latendresse ever bring on a mean streak, he will be fearsome to say the least. I believe that once he finds regular linemates, his complete game will blossom. An angered and passionate Latendresse will cause a premature pass or puck dump everytime. His developement is key to the Canadiens future hopes.

Maxim Lapierre served notice that he can be an indiscreet and irritating little bugger within a few matches last season. First he dumps Sidney Crosby on his keister off the opening faceoff with a shove from the butt end of his stick and days later he gets a trifle too close for Ray Emery's comfort, rattling his cage on a close in play. Both coy ploys had NHLer's wondering just who does this Lapierre kid think he is? He is a player, capable of decent numbers, but in a specialty role. He'll be sent onto the ice to either get players off the ice or off their game. The good news in Lapierre's case, is that he already understands that this is his meal ticket to remaining in the NHL. Without this edge, he's a fringe player. With his rats demeanor, he is an irreplacable componant in wining key games.





















Steve Begin is the Habs purple heart warrior. A career fourth liner, Begin defines the term sparkplug. Need someone to drop the gloves in defense of a teammates - Begin's your man. Blocking shots - no problem. Throwing out that big first hit to set the tempo of a game early - Begin is the master. People tend to forget that Begin was an AHL playoff MVP just a few years back. Begin hasn't forgotten what his calling card is, and he brings adreneline to every shift. A captain without a letter, he will accomplish his role injured or not. File his under "inspiration".

On defence, Francis Bouillon is the Habs face wash specialist. Along the boards, Bouillon uses this grease and grime etiquette to slow down adversaries and pin them out of the play. His strength and the leverage his shorter stature provides are a decoyed invitation into a bumpy ride for those who underestimate him. As with Begin, Bouillon is often forgotten in the mix, and needs shift to shift consistency. Rather than pumping up for the big hits that garner cheers from the Bell Centre crowds, Bouillon needs to learn that sometimes quantity overrules qualities. Hitting more often would be advised.

On International Ice, Saku Koivu's temperment undergoes a bristling transition as he deploys no shortage of illegalities to his gain. Subtle jabs and slashes, higher sticks and elbows seem to turn him into a Finnish version of a win at all costs Bobby Clarke. While a certainly a much nicer guy off the ice, Koivu would really start fires if he brought his playoff temperment along for the regular season more often at the right times. What Koivu needs to be taught is how to reel it in some, and oddly, when to spare the effort. Oftentimes, Koivu is a spent player by the third period due to his emptying the tank too soon. He needs to be a more patient performer in the first and second periods as he is lined up against other teams top forwards. More energetic wingers would help his line become more challenging in 5 on 5 situations, but Koivu is also tasked with leadership duties and restreint has rarely been his friend. Last season, the Habs were the NHL's best 3rd period team - often with Koivu leading the way.



















It remains to be seen how Brian Smolinski and Tom Kostopoulos fit into the scheme of things.

While by all accounts Smolinski is a solid vet, the word on Kostopoulos is that he is of the Lapierre grain. To that I say, let the sparks fly!

Outside of these players, remain the European componants of the team. If the players in charge of lighting the fuse work to effect, others will follow, including the teams more subtle elements - it's inevitable.

Watch the way Alex Kovalev plays when he's absolutely pissed off and out for vengance!

Lying in the balance of an enlivened Habs team, is the question of discpline on a team whose coach's reputation garnered them more penalty minutes than they deserved last season. Fringe calls against them, were often blamed on the coaches mouth and smirk, and rightly so in my opinion.

Should Carbonneau's team play the role of hell raising devils, it will be up to the coach the adapt a "what just happened" poker face!

In short, the coaches demeanor will have a lot to do with whether the Habs can become the meaner team they need to be under his guidance. He has to convince them that they could win this way, while being able to hold up his end of the bargain by chilling out behind the bench. Not everything he says, needs to be for the referees ears.

With the Canadiens being a work in progress, toughness is a way to go. Can the coach be a disciplined accomplice?

Streit To The Heart

Dedication to team goals and selflessness are two traits shared by current Canadiens forward / defenseman Mark Streit and former Habs unsung hero for all purposes, Jimmy Roberts.

The Canadiens Masterton Trophy nominee for 2006-07 is a bit of a forgotten anomality in Habs scheme of things, just as Roberts was through two decades of quiet role duty and specialty assignments.

In the 1960's and 1970's, Roberts was a key cog for the Habs, rarely in the limelight, but always an essential ingredient to the teams composition. He was a defensive specialist by definition, killing penalties and shutting down opposition lines to great effect. His intuition for positional poise, and his composure in the heat of the action, made him the ideal candidate to fill in on defense when the Canadiens needed depth at the position. Through two tenures with the team, he became the Canadiens man for all seasons, often thriving at being an unfettered thorn in the opposition's sides.

Streit came to the team as a seasoned veteran defenseman with much International experience, and his work ethic soon impressed the Canadiens. As a sixth or seventh defenseman destined to sit out the odd game, Streit worked hard in practice, unsatisfied with a fringe role on the team. Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau, understanding Streit had much to offer in terms of substancial hockey experience, gave him an opportunity at forward and the player flourished. As a winger subbing on a checking line, or shifted with more offensively gifted forwards, Streit found ways to fit and contribute in either role. Whether playing upfront or back on the blueline, Streit adapted well to both the PP and PK units.



















There are curious parallels between Roberts and Streit in the roads they travelled to the NHL and the roles they eagerly took on that enabled them to succeed. While neither would be described as can't miss prospects in their respective era's, both talents are self made players. Doing all it takes to make the team, and doing everything they can to remain there, exemplified both players as leaders in subdued roles. Guys like Roberts and Streit keep other players on their toes through sheer dedication and a team first attitude.

Through the years, the Canadiens have always succeeded by employing a bevy of such gritty and uncompromizing types. Names such as Claude Provost, Brian Skrudland, Claude Larose, and Phil Goyette come to mind as players who gave more than they received in recognition, and could never be heard complaining while their contribution subtly went unoticed.

As many know, Streit's road to the NHL took great perseverance. As a 262nd overall choice in the 2004 Entry Draft, Streit graduated to the NHL as a 28 year old with an interesting resume crossed by long shot odds. As captain of the Swiss National and Olympic teams, Streit had previously journeyed to North American soil, playing for three separate AHL, IHL, and ECHL clubs in a single season in 1999-2000. The downward spiral through the minors did little to dispirit him, and seems to have only helped build his character. Upon returning to his homeland, he dug deep to improve his game and began showing the best of himself when opporunities such as world class tournaments presented themselves. People took notice of the poised Streit, a pillar on several underclassed Switzerland teams. The Canadiens took a flyer on him and have been pleasantly surprised.

Roberts was never the most talented prospect, but was fortunate to come under the tutelage of a young Scotty Bowman with the Peterborough Petes in the late 1950's. He listened intently and learned the inner workings of the game within the game and the lessons served him well.

Roberts gradually climbed the echelons of the Canadiens minor team structure for five seasons, getting closer to his goal in each passing year. From the Petes, he moved on to play with the Montreal Royals, the Hull Ottawa Canadiens, the Cleveland Barons, the Quebec Aces, and the Omaha Knights before getting an NHL break. Throughout his ascention, Roberts was hardly ever a team star, while perfecting his endeavor as a role player par excellence.

Roberts established himself as what Toronto Maple Leafs GM Conn Smythe once described as "a hewer of wood and a hauler of water." Roberts was once termed as being "built like a mooring post for a battleship." Roberts won 5 Stanley Cups with the Canadiens, and appeared in three consecutive finals with St. Louis from 1968 to 1970 with Bowman as his coach. He parlayed his dedication into a long career that led to coaching after his retirement.

Streit shares with Roberts, a similar enthusiam for the dirty work roles of underdogs. Hitting the ice an alert and intense competitor, part of the fun of watching Streit succeed has to do with watching his focused stare burst into a disbelieving grin whenever he or a linemate scores. It is the smile of a player who has surpsrised more than himself in adding up 10 goals and 26 assists, spotting on all four lines.

Coaches from Bowman to Carbonneau and many in between have been fortunate to have warriors to employ the likes of Roberts and Streit, who throught time tested perseverance understand their roles and worth. A vital ingredient on every winning team, having them around makes a coaches job easier.

Team Current Habs Versus Team Former Habs

So this post originated via an argument with know-nothing Leaf fan #1967....

The quote from my blue and white bud brained aquaintance that set my blood to boil was...."The Canadiens ( pronounced Canadee N's - like they all do!) have probably traded away a team worthy of winning the Cup!"

Riiiiiiight!

Knowing that very few former Habs have left the team to go on and win the Stanley Cup with other squads, a notion was born in my head to compare ex - Habs to today's current team to see how one lineup would measure against the other. I'll get to that shortly. Scroll down past this conversation to get to those comparisons if you wish.

This battle of wits with an unarmed, card carrying Leaf nation member, started out as a verbal joist over which of our teams finished best in 2006-07.

He exclamed "Touche!" upon the meaningless fact that the Leafs finished 9th and the Canadiens were 10th, before I could mention that both teams failed to make the playoffs.

"So take your little extra point in the standings and shine it proudly. What does it give you?"
"Bragging rights!", he states, undaunted.

"Bragging rights to what?" I demanded. "The Habs have won 10 Stanley Cups since the Leafs last won it in '67. Still wanna talk about bragging rights?"


















"That's all yesterday", he summised, "It don't matter, the Leafs are Canada's team."

"So we're a nation of losers, right? Like all those Cup wins by Montreal have gained them no allegiances across the country over the years, I suppose?"

"Nope", he defends without a point. "Toronto is the country's biggest city, English is Canada's official language."

"We have two official language my friend, wake up!"

"Well I never heard of Habitants Nation!"

"Leaf Nation is a title Leafs fans have given themselves, buddy. It's for all intents and purposes inexistant. It's a slogan for Christsakes, it doesn't represent a country."

"Still we are Canada's team!"




















"Can you break a twenty for me?", I ask.

"Yup, two fives and a ten, good?"

"Flip that five dollar bill over, will you?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"See those kids playing pond hockey there?" I ask him.

" Yes, Canada's game, man!"

"That kid with number 9 on the jersey, that ain't Lanny McDonald, you know!"

"I know, but Lanny was one of the greatest Leafs ever, never shoulda been traded!", says Leaf Nation man.

"Probably not, but you're missing my point. A Hab, Rocket Richard, an icon, is on the Canadian currency!"

"It could be Lanny! Even if he was traded to Calgary. The Habs traded great players away too, like Patrick Roy. Alot of people probably think that's Lanny on the five dollar bill...who knows?"

"I doubt it!"

This is where Leaf fan states that the Habs traded away a slew of players whose names graced the Stanley Cup. I challenge him to name one other than Roy and he couldn't. I threw in Chris Chelios, Francois Beauchemin, and Jassen Cullimore.

I added that Lanny McDonald was not traded to Calgary, but was dealt to the Colorado Rockies for a player who ended up wearing number 99. This perplexed him totally. I reminded him of Wilf Paiement, who he faintly recalled.

"So what!", he counterded, "could still be Lanny on that bill!"

"Canada's team ain't the Leafs dude! Lanny wore number 7with Toronto!"

"Whatever!"

With that he turns to the elderly lady sitting next to him and asks a question about her husbands prostate cancer.

While I pull pen and pad from my pocket, scribbling madly, I remind myself some things in life are more important than hockey. I start jotting down former Habs regardless.

Once home, I research NHL.com and find 33 former Montreal Canadiens, amongst the players of 29 NHL teams. I choose the best 22 and line them up against the Canadiens current roster.

I doubt the lineup of former Habs would win a Cup, taken together as a team.














Judge these lineups for yourselves. I find that the current Canadiens have a slight goaltending edge, and more upside and depth at forward. The bottom half of former Habs defensemen is favorable over the current Canadiens blueliners.

I have noted with asterisks, players who have departed during the Bob Gainey regime. This could be used to rate Gainey's four years of work as Habs GM - see it as you wish. The numbers in brackets are the players salaries in million dollar decimals. The former Habs cap out at 55.5 million.

You be the judge here. Which lineup would you prefer over the next few seasons?

Cristobal Huet / Tomas Vokoun - Florida (5.7)
Price or Halak / Jose Theodore* - Colorado (5.3)
Andrei Markov / Mathieu Schneider - Anaheim (5.6)
Roman Hamrlik / Sheldon Souray* - Edmonton (5.4)
Mike Komisarek / Francois Beauchemin* - Anaheim (1.7)
Mathieu Dandeneault / Chris Chelios - Detroit (0.9)
Mark Streit / Craig Rivet* - San Jose (3.5)
Francis Bouillon / Stephane Robidas - Dallas (1.5)
Patrice Brisebois / Ron Hainsey* - Columbus (0.7)

























Saku Koivu / Mike Ribeiro* - Dallas (2.8)
Michael Ryder / Darcy Tucker - Toronto (3.0)
Alex Kovalev / Sergei Samsonov* - Chicago (3.5)
Tomas Plekanec / Dainus Zubrus - New Jersey (3.4)
Chris Higgins / Mark Recchi - Pittsburgh (2.0)
Andrei Kostitsyn / Marcel Hossa* - Rangers (0.8)
Bryan Smolinski / Radek Bonk* - Nashville (1.5)
Guillaume Latendresse / Richard Zednik* - Florida (1.6)
Steve Begin / Chad Kilger* - Toronto (0.9)
Maxim Lapierre / Yannick Perreault* - Chicago (1.5)
Tom Kostopoulos / Craig Conroy - Calgary (2.4)
Kyle Chipchura / Jason Ward* - Tampa (0.7)
Garth Murray / Donald Brashear - Washington (1.1)

Other former Habs not included in this lineup are defensemen Brett Clark of Colorado, Sean Hill of Minnesota, and Alain Nasreddine of Pittsburgh. Former Habs goalies are Mathieu Garon* of Edmonton, Jocelyn Thibault of Buffalo, and David Aebischer* of Phoenix. Forwards Raitis Ivanans* of Los Angeles and Scott Thornton of Los Angeles, round out the group.

Unsigned former Habs also include Mike Johnson*, Jan Bulis*, and Trevor Linden.

Brisebois Brings More Questions Than Answers

I dreaded having to write this post - trust me!

My IP crashed last evening, so I liken this to waking up next to that unattractive stranger of a hundred unfunny jokes and worstcase nightmares, wondering just what let my standards sink so low.

So, yikes, it's Patrice Brisebois - round duh!

Why couldn't the Habs have brought back Schneider, Beauchemin, or even Brett Clark for Godsakes.

I've tried examining the cons and pro's since this matter became rumour for fodder, and have rested terribly uncomfortable even with my most positive of spins.


I just couldn't grasp liking it in the best of scenarios, even with Brisebois a Hamilton bound defensive tutor.

Judging by the Habs press release, old 43 has a lock as D-man #6 - so let the cold sweats begin!

Never have I cheered for a Habs player to be as brutal as possible as soon as possible as I will for Brisebois. I sincerely hope he sucks it big time and gains the press box before myself and other Habs fans make the trip for the Buffalo game on October 20.

Passing judgement on GM Gainey for this move, for the most part would be a rushed verdict. I agree with too much of what he has done so far with the team, to criticize him for this move, despite my misunderstanding of its necessity at this point in time. I have always given Gainey the benefit of the doubt.

Only this time, I have no doubt!

In the longer term, Brisebois will not, and can not, help the Canadiens in the larger scheme of things (read Stanley Cup).




















The experience of which he brings, despite having won a Cup in 1993, revolve more around bad memories than positive points. The move counters what experience would be gained, and more useful for the future, for a young defenseman on the rise.

Some are saying that Brisebois has much guts and balls for wanting to return to Montreal, though one has to wonder if he has left his brain in a time warp. He's being given credit and A marks because he "wants to play in Montreal". It's such crap - had any other team offered a slight raise, Brisebois would be there! No one wanted him.

It's like Eric Lindros saying he is considering retirement. An interesting and inexistant option to him, in light of 30 teams not giving him a passing glance. Too busy working for an NHLPA he will soon no longer be part of - what bunk!

Brisebois should be in the same boat.

Fans are kiding themselves buying into Brisebois' spindoctoring of the truth. A bad back caused him to 46 games on a decent team where, when actually healthy, he was a scratch from the lineup a good dozen times.

And we want this guy back because...

Character you say?

The same character that fled to Paris while on a stress leave from the team, getting jet lagged instead of resting as he was told?

I shudder because if Gainey believes Brisebois can help the Habs, then the GM's evaluation of the team is a less confident one that mine. That scares the daylights out of me.

Will Gainey have to stand up and defend Brisebois again, the first time he is booed?

Like, is there an over / under on the first boo of the year?

I say it happens on the first ocassion he touches puck at the Bell. Possibly even at the announcement of his name on the first home date.

All told, Brisebois brings more questions than answers. As inexpensive a roll of the dice his signing is, I cannot fathom it's usefullness.

The bigger picture deserves more scrutiny.

Can Patrice Be Price Worthy?

Talk of Patrice Brisebois returning as a Montreal Canadiens has ignited much lively discussion of late, as news has it, an offer from the defenseman sits on Bob Gainey's desk.

I didn't initially like the idea, but I'm warming to it. Seemingly nonsensical at first thought, I think I may have figured this thing out. Finally! Maybe!

While the Habs GM ponders the move that would see the 13 year Habs vet back in the lineup as a sixth blueliner, spare part, or tutor to the teams younger D-men, fans have been pointing to other former Habs who returned from glory years to not so heroic homecomings.

Looking over the names of Habs who've come back for more pie, you must skip through and eliminate those who have gotten but a taste of crow.

I have found tha often the result for the returning player (and fans) ends up being nothing more than a ceremonial duty tour for the first few games back. At least until everyone including management realizes why they'd been gotten rid of in the first place.

In the Canadiens long history, I have found 20 such players (there might be a few more I missed) who have returned to the team, to varying degrees of success. I have listed the more prominant ones below in reverse chronological order, and it can be seen that rare are the occassions where a player has returned improved and been worth the while.



















Jassen Cullimore* 1996-98 / 2007 (buyout)
Patrick Traverse* 2000-03 / 2006-07 (Hamilton)
Stephane Quintal 1995-99 / 2001-04
Oleg Petrov 1992-96 / 1999-2003
Jim Campbell 1993-96 (Fredericton) / 2000-01
Shayne Corson 1985-92 / 1996-99
Frederick Chabot 1989-94 / 1998-99
Stephane Richer 1984-91 / 1996-98
Chris Nilan 1979-88 / 1991-92
Gaston Gingras 1979-83 / 1985-88
Alfie Turcotte* 1983-86 / 1987-88 (futures)
Rejean Houle 1969-73 / 1976-83
Jim Roberts 1963-67 / 1971-77
Noel Price* 1965-67 / 1971-72 (Nova Scotia) / 1975-76 (NS)
Claude Larose 1962-68 / 1970-75
George Hainsworth 1926-33 / 1936-37
Howie Morenz 1923-34 / 1936-37
Newsy Lalonde 1909-10 / 1910-11 / 1912-22

* Did not play for the Canadiens upon return

In the Brisebois case, no one's expectating a rebirth (define that anyway you choose!) of any kind, but a certain respectability would be expected at any price.

If it is gnawing at your cranium that Gainey has a particular idea in mind, one you cannot put a finger on or comprehend at first glance - you aren't alone.

There is always a lesson to be learned from history - I have learned. Especially when it comes to the Habs. So off I went searching for that notion amidst the second-time-arounders in Hab history.

Of the names above, only Rejean Houle and Oleg Petrov returned to find better days, relatively speaking of course, each shared meager beginnings. Both Shayne Corson, for a short spell, and Stephane Richer showed flashes of their former selves. You could be excused for missing it if you blinked!

Stephane Quintal had good years left in him upon his return, and was a servicable battler for the Habs a second time. Ditto for Gaston Gingras, confidently improved by a few years away from the pressure cooker. Only free agent lucridousness pulled Quintal away from Montreal in the first place.

Brisebois is too long in the tooth to fit into either of those scenarios, so there is not much of a lesson to be found here.

Two successful repatriations were Claude Larose and Jim Roberts, both rock solid defensive specialists who returned as consistant as they left. Each were missed contributors to past Stanley Cups, and therefore vital to the teams composition despite their non spotlight roles.

Brisebois was barely becoming a regular when he was part of the 1993 Cup champions.

Unlike Petrov, other reclammation projects named Jim Cambell and Alfie Turcotte weren't even worthy of the afterthought. Again, no resemblance to the Brisebois situation.

Several returnees were of the spare part variety, filling different roles from playing on the farm to becoming the future considerations in their own trades. These return deals are often a case of "having" to take on a contract, rather than "wanting" the players return. A few (Steve Shutt, Claude Provost, Chris Nilan) simply wished to retire as Montreal Canadiens, and had their wished filled by good hearted GM's.

In the Habs earliest years, Howie Morenz (ceremonial), George Hainsworth (injury replacement), and Newsy Lalonde (bucks, more bucks and even better bucks) made return appearances. Of the three, only Lalonde was in his prime, returning after his first and third pro years, after following the lure of the mighty dollar to Renfrew and the West coast.

Now the mere mention of the Brisebois name among such legends....I'll stop here - hardly fair comparisons.

Perhaps the imminant return of Brisebois mirrors best that of defenseman Noel Price, who played for the Canadiens from 1965 to 1967.

One can be excused for not remembering the sturdy and dependable rearguard, whose best qualities had everything to do with his ability to teach and reach younger players. (He was before my time, but I read and learn!) Not only was Price highly thought for his player traits as a stay at home blueliner, his off ice habits were also in high regard.

Price taugh kids to be men, taught them proper eating and rest habits, stayed in exempliary shape himself, and ship shaped a raggedy ass D corps into league leaders quickly with his wise advise and teachings. He was revered overnight for his insights.




















Twice after 1967, the Canadiens sought Price's services. The inexperienced 1971-72 Nova Scotia Voyageurs were the first beneficiaries of Price's good hand with kids as he helped straighten out a club going nowhere fast into Calder Cup champions. Brought back almost strictly to tutor Larry Robinson, it could be said the Habs owned him a debt of gratitude for years.

The favor was repaid to Price, who found the NHL once again at age 36, a gift trade from the Habs to Price and the expansion Atlanta Flames. There until he was 40, the Canadiens snapped him up once again, and he worked his wizardry in Nova Scotia on such future NHL'ers as Brian Engblom, Bill Nyrop, Rick Chartraw and Gilles Lupien. Price led them all in scoring with 39 points in 73 games.

Another Calder Cup was the result.

Price later coached in the Habs system.

Now should Brisebois play a similar role to Price, that of AHL guru to the likes of Ryan O'Byrne, J.P. Cote, and Mathieu Carle, it might just be one of the more brilliant moves Gainey makes.

Time will tell if Brisebois is able and willing, and buys into such notions.

Hey, if you take the "a" and "t" out of Patrice, it spells....

Why Brisebois?

Like many other readers who were as caught off guard by this as I was, when I heard that former Canadiens defenseman Patrice Brisebois and Habs GM Gainey were seen having lunch together, all that came to mind were punchlines.

Could Brisebois be springing for a Happy Meal to thank Bob for enabling him to get out of town, buyout dollars in hand, two years back, freeing him from the pressure filled constraints of playing in hockey's hottest simmering kettle?

Maybe Gainey owed him a prime rib or filet mignon for leaving town without a word to blemish the dressing room ranks, not unlike Craig Rivet?

Is Gainey out to lunch?

Then I thought perhaps Carbonneau needs a new whipping boy to keep the troops in line?

But alas no, the punchlines turned quickly into a sucker punch with word that Brisebois has been offered a skinny one year deal to return to the city that once made him sweat in his mid winter sleeps.

My take on Brisebois has always been that he is a player with above average tools, minus the toolbox. He reminded me of Stephane Richer, forever gifted and distracted from public perceptions. This is a player, if you remember well, who was so stressed inside the CH crest, that Hab docs recommended he take an absense from the team to refresh his focus while nursing some aches and pains.

When his mental vacation took him to Paris, he made matters even worse upon his return. Nothing like a little jetlag to help one relax!

He does speak passionately and eloquently on team matters. He is a proud enough Hab to endure the well deserved wrath he sometimes takes on. But words don't always equal actions.
When it comes to Brisebois, you can sense the wheel is spinning but the hamster is dead. From the neck up!

As a player, Brisebois has been perfunctionary at best. Overpaid and overplayed, he came to be overcriticized as well.

Truth is he was never good enough to deserve being dragged through the mud for being something he never was. Money brought that on as much as his sometimes poor play did.

Brisebois was always capable of a decent breakout pass and possessed other offensive traits as well. Used on the powerplay, he could set up play with a fair amount of skill, but he guarded the blueline with all the confidence and poise of a shellshocked kid in a minefield.

In his own end, he was often an adventure waiting to unfold. In time he learned to reel in his capacity for wanting to do too much and settled into a comfortable game of positioning and simplicity. He played well when he was not being noticed, in other words.

Brisebois would never overcome his trademark "Breeze By" moniker, due to his brutal pivots that tended to auger his ass into the ice anytime a speedy winger would cut outside of him.
Now Gainey is looking into bringing the battlescarred blueliner back, wonky spine and all, as a sixth or seventh deep defenseman. From an hour away, I can actually hear eyes rolling inside heads at La Cage Aux Sports over the prospect of this happening.

Just how would this possibly make any sense, I have asked myself?

Can it simply be about depth? On defense, that is never a bad thing. Is it about veteran leadership and experience? I'd be more confortable with that notion if it were a player other than Brisebois.

Is that contract a two way deal that could see Brisebois starting the year and or playing mainly in Hamilton? That is definitely an interesting option for Gainey to peruse, but why would the veteran seek such a role?

My biggest concern deals with three players I see fitting into the extra defenseman role in Montreal much smoother than Brisebois. The three candidates of choice being Ryan O'Byrne, J.P. Cote, and heck, even longshot Mathieu Biron.

For the betterment of O'Byrne's continued developement, it is essential that he plays as many minutes as possible. He should not and will not be in Montreal simply to assume the 7th spot. Brisebois is the option should O'Byrne not be quite ready for prime time just yet.

Cote's time is now or never. He is riding the fine line between prospect and career minor leaguer at this point in time. I would think he is not a fan of Brisebois today. Cote has to be given an opportunity and an opening now, but Brisebois would close it up.

Also in the mix are the roles played by Mark Streit and Josh Gorges, currently sixth and seventh in D spots. The message to them as well would be negative in light of Brisbois signing.

I see it this way, plain and simple. When and if the Habs win the Cup, Brisebois will no longer be around. The experience a young blueliner would gain this season, would surely factor into a Cup run then moreso than any scraps of icetime given to Brisebois now.

It's a no brainer to me, and trust me, I didn't even use my brain on it in any way - honest!

The most popular thinking, is that Gainey is loading up for a trade, having possibly evaluated Brisebois equal to, or better than say Dandeneault or Bouillon. Should the Canadiens be attempting to aquire a player of certain impact, it may well require a package deal. The Canadiens have the bodies to pull such a deal off and this could be what sets it up.

There is still no official word on the contract buyouts for Jassen Cullimore and Tony Salmeleinen, so the Canadiens would sit at 52 standard player contracts at present if adding Brisebois. It could well be that the buyouts have happened without announcement, or that Gainey is slowly and quietly considering assets at hand.

One cannot shake the feeling that something is brewing. Gainey won't reveal what's up his sleeve other than a hairy arm, so the speculation is about to run rampant.

All we can do now, is question the questions!

Habs Youth Core Ready To Emerge

For the upcoming 2007-08 season, much of the Canadiens progress as a team will be measured by the growth of a select group of young individuals set to make a permanent mark on the team. What they will achieve individually and together as a group will go a long way in determining whether the Habs truly have Stanley Cup aspirations in the not so distant future.

Their time has come and it is now that they must begin to deliver results. They will each be analysed by numbers, character, and overall performance. In Montreal, character will be the toughest test.

You could call them the group of seven.

These soon to be pillars of Hab destiny are goaltender Carey Price, defenseman Mike Komisarek, and forwards Chris Higgins, Tomas Plekanec, Guillaume Latendresse, Andrei Kostitsyn, and Maxim Lapierre.

Many are of the opinion that Komisarek has arrived. Ditto for Higgins and Plekanec. While Canadiens fans have been priveledge to glimpses of greatness by all three, it should be said that they are in reality only half way home.

In Komisarek's case, when opposing coaches shuffle lines to keep their fleetest of foot away from the giant rearguard, we will know for certain that his game has filled out. Near the league leaders in hits last season, the fear has probably already begun. Teamed with Andrei Markov, the duo measures well up against any NHL teams top two D-men who are not named Pronger, Niedermayer, or Lidstrom. For comparison in the Northeast division, only Ottawa with Redden and Volchenkov are superior on most nights.



Confidence is one trait not lacking in Komisarek. His overall game grew by great leaps last season and one can expect more again in 2007-08. With the reliable Markov at his side, Komisarek will see additional responsabilities added to his role. He will be countering every opponants top scorers and best lines, and judging his progression will not be difficult. He will be the beneficiary of major ice time this season, and that fact alone should pay dividends.

Two words that would describe Komisarek well are character and leadership.

I mention those qualities in particular, because they are NOT variables on a Bob Gainey built team. The remaining 6 players of this group all share in this trait.

Chris Higgins was all set to launch into a breakout season when injuries nipped high aspirations. With 8 goals in his first 13 games, out rolled the superlatives in his regard. There were mentions of All Star game nods added to likening his dedication to that of a future captain. For a player who missed a major chunk of the season, and followed up with a maximum effort while still playing hurt, Higgins can surely be described as the real deal. He reminds many seasoned fans of old time hockey players who put the logo ahead of their individuality, sacrificed for the benefit of the team, and rarely used the word "I" when it came to speaking of goals.



Higgins off season workout regimen has been well documented. It is leadership personified and dedication exemplified. He has character to spare and seems to wear the CH on his heart. He has already begun to lead and seems willing to do so loudly.

Tomas Plekanec is a well rounded and dependable second line center who unassumingly brings more to the table than a simple passing glance can catch. Saddled with a free falling Alex Kovalev for the better part of the season, Plekanec still managed to hit the 20 goal mark despite trying times. He blossomed after Christmas, becoming more often than not the Habs best second half player - all while the team was in a tailspin of desperate proportions. For a sophomore centerman burdened with expectation, that is testiment to character and desire.



Plekanec has a multitude of tools that should enable him to enjoy a long career. Tooled and tutored with respect to defensive responsabilities, he posted interesting numbers in only his second campaign. He reminds me all too much of Guy Carbonneau's glory days as a player. Once fully developed, he will be utilized in any game situation. His efficiency runs the gamut from adept work in the corners, smart use of his wingmen, and an intelligent hockey sense that will parlay itself into intuition with time and experience. His leadership and character qualities, being he is a European, will be more subtle, discreet, and quieter to disect, but time will show the impact of his contributions.

Latendresse, Lapierre, Kostitsyn, and Price represent the newest wave of the Canadiens youth corps. While Price stocked up on every imaginable achievement outside the NHL this past season, the other three provided hopes to Habs management and fans of much greater things to come.

The three rookie forwards couldn't be any more opposite from each other in terms of what they bring to the team. Taken together though, all three will become unique and key elements in the Habs team composite starting this year.



Maxim Lapierre doesn't have the benefit of NHL categories that will qualify his eventual usefullness inside the team concept. There are no stats that add up opponants lured into penalties. No totalling of agitated foes distracted from their duties. Numbers of players hearing his constant yapping and players looking over their shoulders wondering what's exactly up Lapierre's sleeve will also never be counted.

Call Lapierre a role player and you will have hit the nail dead on.

He is an irritant pest in the classic Skrudland, Risebrough, and Linseman mold. Every Stanley Cup winning team employs one to full effect.

Unlike a Darcy Tucker, Lapierre can reel in his exhuberance when required. Maxim learned the mandate of his role in Hamilton last season when he was given duties that did not involve numbers and offensive production. Not only did he annoy the living heck out of each line he opposed, he consequently produced and was a major cog in the Bulldogs Calder run. The Chicago Wolves line of Krog, Sterling, and Haydar went missing in the AHL quarter final due to the diligence of Lapierre's line.

Lapierre knows and accepts that he will never be a top two line forward in the NHL. Focusing on exactly what his strengths are, and how to make the most of them inside a team concept are teachable concepts Lapierre is all too willing to learn. Eager role players enable teams to prosper. Having Lapierre around to promote this ideal is an unexpected bonus to the Habs.



Andrei Kostitsyn is a revelation awaiting discovery. Tantalizing peeks into what talent he possesses would make a scout foam at the mouth. Three qualities: size, shot, and skill, define his game. His outcome involves patience, opportunity and the right linemates.

Kostitsyn will take on the on role of a subtle gamebreaker with either of those qualities, in much the same manner a talent the likes of Alex Kovalev does.

( Shit! I heard that moaning groan from you that a comparison to a player like Kovalev elicits. Disqualify the notion of the comparison when thinking that Alex had a free pass to the NHL while our Kostitsyn had to work to get there. Players don't forget learning this stuff.)

In time, options created by shooting and hitting more often, will enable all of his talent to come to fruition. Carbonneau seemed intent on teaching him that using his size opens up his better game. Kostitsyn needs to comfort himself against NHL'ers before he can realize his true potential, and it may require a full season of coaching to trigger that awarenss.

In Kostitsyn's case, character and leadership are best looked at later on. He has so far overcome some predjudices as far as his injury history is concerned. His immediate worth to the Canadiens will be defined by his commitment to a complete game. The jury is sitting on this one.




Described as a power forward, Latendresse is a player of many strengths. Physically, he has the presence and poise to change a game's momentum on the ice, be it with a solid hit, his long reach, or his positioning in front of the net. He's blessed with a heavy shot, and time will render this young blood a very hard player to move off the puck once aquainted with the checkers in the league. Considering that as a 19 year old, facing unfamiliar foes he managed 16 goals in a variety of roles with ever changing linemates, his season has to be viewed as an unqualified success.

Latendresse reminds me of so many great players, many of them misunderstood and underappreciated in the overall scheme of things. The Mahovlich brothers come to mind first, as big players with longer strides who looked slow and lazy on the ice because of their frames. Often they looked like they were coasting due in no small part to their lengthy size. Huffing, pufing, and burning oil, were those attempting to catch them. Like those players, Latendresse might become a difficult analysis at times, but if one judges him by production numbers, team wins, highlight reel moments, and composure in the context of his successes, the big picture of the big guys contribution will be fully appreciated once he is a young NHL veteran.

Brought into the league at such a tender age, Latendresse worked extremely hard at bringing consistency to his game. He studied hard at the Guy Carbonneau School of Defensive Reliability and Positioning and fared well for a greenhorn. While being schooled on so many levels, many new to him, goals and numbers were added bonuses.

What truly impressed me the most about Latendresse's rookie season, testified greatly to the Gainey credo of leadership and character.

Imagine Latendresse's burden, as a native Quebecois, to not only make the team, but survive sanely under the most magnified of spotlights. The Montreal press had lauded Latendresse as a player who should have made the team one year earlier. That press, for all its insight and knowledge, is relentlessly over eager, when pouncing on the prospect of homegrown talent with Les Habitants. The pressure therefore doubled in Latendresse's second camp, and the player did not wilt. What impressed the Habs brass most in the midst of all this pressure, was the players composure and perspective. He focused not on the adulation of a backing public, but on the work ahead.

He made the team based on the qualities between his ears.

Having played in 81 games for Team Pressure as a 19 year old, surely qualifies as defying the odds. Add in that his season was a success on most fronts, and you get the notion that we are dealing with a young man who has his act together. After looking at all of this, within this perspective, it's hard not to agree that there is only upside to what Latendresse can achieve.

I won't offer that the sky is the limit for Latendresse, but everytime I watched him comment after games and personal queries into his psyche as to what he was living through, I got the most chilling of flashbacks.

Latendresse reminds me of Jean Beliveau!

Now before you straightjacket me off to the padded white room and remove my shoestrings, indulge me to explain this most seemingly overboard of comparisons.

It's about demeanor, and not game. Beliveau and Guillaume are as far apart as players as they are era's.

Since being drafted by the Habs, Latendresses has been scoped, prodded, and magnified by the Quebec hockey media in every possible manner. He has handled it with absolute grace, respect, honour and dutifullness. His comments in light of all this madness always revolve around a personal work ethic, a dedication, a quenchless learning need, and a team perspective in light of judging results.

In short, the young man, despite the allures that could tempt him into Theodore-like behavior, has his act together better than many veterans on the Habs.

As for the demeanor of our young stud equalling the great Jean Beliveau's, it all has to do with how the public wishes to see him. There is integrity, dedication, dignity and loyalty in the Latendresse makeup. He seems aware of the public he represents in every word he says. The demands of it hardly rattled him last season. The maturity in which he handled what would make lesser men crack shows that he is aware of his surroundings and responsabilities.

Early in the season, when Patrick Roy criticized Latendresse's promotion to the Canadiens, the rookie placed the cocky Hall of Famer firmly and respectfully with a simple sentence. Then he proceeded to respond on the ice.

We are not dealing with the next Stephane Richer here!

Should Latendresse continue in this demeanor, last and thrive in Monreal, the comparisons will one day be inevitable.

Last, and hardly least, may be the most vital piece in the Montreal Canadiens surge towards Stanley Cup glory.

Since his draft day in 2005, Carey Price, a number five pick overall, was destined to one day become the Habs number one goalie for years to come.



Price, the Calder Cup MVP winning goalie in Hamilton this past year, added to the expectations of Habs fans, by earning every accolade, honour, and trophy in his path since being selected by Montreal.

He has drawn the inevitable comparisons to whom many consider the best goaltender of all time - Patrick Roy.

In Montreal, that would be akin to anointing the next God. Exceding expectations in Hockey 24/7/365 land will do that for a can't miss prospect.

Under such a heavy pile of expectations, Price has upped the ante by exceeding all reasonable prognostications.

I, for one, would name him Canada's male athlete of 2007, without a shred of doubt, should he make (he will) the Habs roster come September and go on to thrive.

Until Price plays an NHL game though, speculation on his future for many remains just that. The next step is upon him, and I believe that the only thing that would return him to the AHL at this point has more to do with the quality of the Canadiens defense than his own showing.

He is in all ways, the Habs best and most complete prospect in regards to potential. His exciting upside is balanced with a cool demeanor. Those who have witnessed his exploits close up tend to pile on the superlatives when it comes to his personal armour and mental capacity to focus.

He's the realest, real deal the Canadiens have had in ages.

All told, the Habs group of seven will be the reason the team prospers this season. In fact, I believe that taken together, what this group will accomplish soon enough, will shed light that the 2006-07 showing was not all lost and wasted.

These players have grown as men, hardened by the notion that one missed opportunity in a season can make or break an entire year. That they will have learned this the hardest way can be a good thing!

I don't usually get too caught up with numbered predictions, but it's excruciatingly difficult not to make some for this group. So here goes:

Kosti 15+35
Lats 25+20
Pleks 25+35
Higgy 30+30
Max 12+15
Komi 250 hits
Price 30 GP 18-20 wins

The prediction I like best is that if this group meets or comes close to these expectations, they will hardly have to claw onto 8th spot come April.

Progress and developement through caracter and leadership. You could look it up on the Stanley Cup!

Canadiens Over The 50 Player Roster Limit

A breakdown of all the presently contracted players in the Montreal Canadiens organization shows that the Habs will be one over the maximum allowed limit of 50 players per team once RFA Michael Ryder is signed (assuming of course) following his July 30th arbitration case.

I'm not certain, but it is my assumption, that teams are allowed in extremis for roster manoevering, just as they are permitted over the cap in dollars in the off season.

I've consulted the Habs official site to fill out the listing below, and to find where each players has been categorized.

Presently on the Canadiens, there are 21 players contracted, if one includes Ryder in that group. On the Hamilton Bulldogs (with spillover to the Cincinati Cyclones) there are a further 28 professional contracts.

The total becomes 51 players with the inclusion of Jassen Cullimore and Tony Salmeleinen, who were placed on waivers upon their aquisition from Chicago. Should they be bought out of their deals, as has been rumoured, the Canadiens would then be left with only one roster spot remaining, and 49 contracts.



Ryder

Nobody can ever accuse Habs GM Gainey of not making the most of the team's budget.

Using the Montreal Canadiens official site as a guide, we see that there are 74 players in the organization. This total encompasses the two professional teams rosters, players in college or junior, and European prospects.

Players on the Canadiens roster: 21

Forwards: Saku Koivu, Alex Kovalev, Michael Ryder, Bryan Smolinski, Chris Higgins, Tomas Plekanec, Steve Begin, Tom Kostopoulos, Guillaume Latendresse, Maxim Lapierre, Garth Murray, Andrei Kostitsyn, (12)

Defensemen: Andrei Markov, Mike Komisarek, Roman Hamrlik, Mathieu Dandeneault, Francis Bouillon, Josh Gorges, Mark Streit (7)

Goalies: Cristobal Huet, Jaroslav Halak (2)

Players In The System (Hamilton Bulldogs, Cincinati Cyclones, etc): 28

Forwards: Kyle Chipchura, Corey Locke, Jonathan Ferland, Duncan Milroy, Mikhail Grabovsky, Thomas Beauregard, Mathieu Aubin, Matt D' Agnostini, Sergei Kostitsyn, Ryan Russell, Cory Urquhart, Jimmy Bonneau, Gregory Stewart, Janne Lahti, Francis Lemieux (15)

Defensemen: Mathieu Carle, Ryan O'Byrne, Andrew Archer, J.P. Cote, Mathieu Biron, Danny Groulx, Pavel Valentenko, Jamie Rivers, Marvin Degon (9)

Goalies: Carey Price, Yann Danis, Cedric Desjardins, Loic Lacasse (4)

Waivers: Jassen Cullimore, Tony Salmelainen (2)

Rights Retained: Andre Benoit*, Alexander Perezhogin* (2)

Junior and College: 14

Forwards: Andrew Conboy, Olivier Fortier, Ben Maxwell**, Max Pacioretty, Ryan White**, J.T. Wyman (6)

Defensemen: Cameron Cepek, David Fischer, Scott Kishel, Ryan McDonagh, Philippe Paquet, Joe Stejskal, P.K. Subban, Yannick Weber (8)

Europe: 7

Forwards: Andrei Sidyakin (1)

Defensemen: Konstantin Korneev, Oskari Korpikari, Andrei Kruchinin, Alexei Emelin, Nicholas Torp (5)

Goalies: Christopher Heino - Lindberg (1)

* Have been tendered qualifying offers with the Canadiens retaining their NHL rights.
** Must be signed prior to 2008 NHL Entry Draft for rights to be retained.



Lahti

What is curious to note, is that while Gainey has done everything he can to assure that the Hamilton Bulldogs are again as competitive as last season, he has left himself with little wiggle room as far as transactions go. Should Ryder be awarded in the neighbourhood of $4M., the Canadiens still would have room to aquire players salary wise despite the fact that they are up against the wall roster wise.

Guessing Gainey's next move is open to the usual speculation. By practically maxing out the rosters to create a competitive environment on both clubs, Gainey is assuring that he will see each player at their spirited best from the opening of training camp.

In my esteem, Gainey will be closely watching those who lag behind, are disinterested, or fail to realize all that is at stake. Many players on both sides of the NHL equation are on one year deals. In some cases, certain players are about to leave RFA status at the termination of these contracts and Gainey will seek to gain return on them in the form of draft choices for the next two seasons.



Maxwell

The reality is, that no matter how well they do, the Canadiens cannot retain as many bodies next year. The performances of first year Bulldogs such as Mathieu Carle, Sergei Kostitsyn, Ryan Russell, and Thomas Beauregard will be of key importance in the continued transitioning of AHL players pushing NHL'ers.

The veteran lower level players will come under much scrutiny as to their long term NHL possibilities, and will be treated as the commodity that they are.










Beauregard

I predict more player movement at the Hamilton level for Habs. I foresee the trading of players whose contracts expire at years end, in favor of players with an additional year left. There are simply too many one year ( read low risk ) deals there, not to think otherwise.

It was very much in Gainey's favor that the Canadiens held the retaining rights to so many Bulldogs following their Championship run. It saved him from looking for winners in another teams backyard. It also doesn't hurt in keeping a somewhat stable lineup in place, such an AHL unreality, to continue to breed a winning team atmosphere.

With 25 players in the organization without contracts, turnover is guaranteed.

Next year at this time, the Canadiens will have room to sign Ben Maxwell and Ryan White, two excellent prospects from the WHL. The following season, there could be more players to sign. The transition, if Gainey's plan is working, could go on like this for years.

This past season, the Habs lost a fairly decent, but judged expendable, prospect in Juraj Mikus because they were up against the wall of 50. Signing Janne Lahti, Thomas Beauregard, Martin Degon, and Ryan Russell had a price, and Gainey rolled the dice on slightly more mature talent.

The trick will be to maintain the balance being players needing to be signed or lost, and contracts they are willing to pass on. This time Mikus was a choice. With a trend towards longer contracts at both levels, it is a possibility that less choice exists in the future.

The adverse effect of having bundles of farm hands, is that it can affect the NHL club by constricting player movement. The ideal number of players is closer to 47 or 48. This number would facilitate Gainey in terms of making deadline deals in March, by not having to make a deal in advance to create needed room.

With Ryder's upcoming signing or arbiratrary award just around the corner, other domino effect moves are sure to follow. Cullimore and Salmelainen could be just the first of many.