posted by Kevin Mio at 16h58 EST on Aug 5
Former Hab Michael Ryder will head to Boston soon as he searches for a new place to live and a few answers to what went wrong last season, his toughest in the NHL.
The Boston Globe's Kevin Paul Dupont met with Ryder in Newfoundland recently and writes about Ryder's hope to be the Bruins next sniper.
Read the article here.
posted by Kevin Mio at 13h25 EST on Jul 29
Canadiens defenceman Ryan O'Byrne has been cleared of all charges related to an incident at a Tampa Bay bar, RDS is reporting.
He has recently completed a five-month transition period where he apologized to the woman involved in the incident, completed community service and was on his best behaviour.
It's good news for the blue-liner as a criminal record would have hurt his NHL career as travel to the U.S. would be extremely difficult.
posted by Kevin Mio at 22h52 EST on Jul 16
According to RDS, the Canadiens will open their 2008-09 season on Oct. 10 when they visit the Buffalo Sabres.
Their first home game will be on Oct. 15 when the Boston Bruins visit the Bell Centre.
The final game of the regular season will be on April 11 against the Stanley Cup finalist Pittsburgh Penguins.
The complete schedule will be released Thursday at noon.
posted by Kevin Mio at 17h30 EST on Jul 3
The Canadiens made their second signing of the day as they signed goaltender Marc Denis to a one-year, two-way deal.
posted by Kevin Mio at 16h01 EST on Jul 3
The Canadiens signed tough-guy Georges Laraque to a three-year, $4.5-million deal on Thursday.
In 71 games last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, Laraque scored four goals and nine assists, while racking up 141 penalty minutes.
posted by Kevin Mio at 12h27 EST on Jul 3
The Canadiens have announced that they have traded Mikhail Grabovski to the Toronto Maple Leafs for blue-like prospect Greg Pateryn and a second-round draft pick in 2010.
Pateryn, 18, was selected in the fifth round, 128th overall, by the Leafs in last month's entry draft in Ottawa. The 6-foot-2, 212 pound defenceman will play at the University of Michigan this fall.
posted by Kevin Mio at 13h02 EST on Jul 2
Marian Hossa, one of the most sought-after free agents, has signed with the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings.
Hossa signed a one-year, $7.4 million deal with the Wings, the team that defeated Hossa`s Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup final last month.
posted by Kevin Mio at 20h19 EST on Jul 1
Mark Streit has signed a five-year, $20.5 million contract with the New York Islanders.
The Swiss native, 30, scored 13 goals and 62 points in 81 games with the Canadiens, where he split his team between defence and forward, and was also used as one of the team's main shooters from the point on the power play.
Streit, who was the best bargain in the NHL at $600,000, gets a nice 680 per cent raise.
posted by Kevin Mio at 15h19 EST on Jul 1
According to TSN, the Canadiens have signed Andrei Kostitsyn to a three-year contract worth $3.25 million per season.
More details to come.
posted by Kevin Mio at 10h36 EST on Jun 28
The Gazette's Pat Hickey writes that the Philadelphia Flyers might have just raised the asking price of Canadiens' Andrei Kostitsyn after the Flyers re-signed Jeff Carter to a three-year, $15-million deal.
Carter, a centre, had 29 goals and 24 assists last season and was a plus-6, while Kostitsyn had 26 goals and 27 assists and was plus-15.
Both players were drafted in 2003 - Kostitsyn was one selection ahead of Carter at No. 10 overall. The big difference between them is that Carter has a longer track record in the NHL. He has played three full seasons - twice as long as Kostitsyn.
Hickey also writes about the team's talks with Mats Sundin and the dismantling of the Maple Leafs by Cliff Fletcher. To read that, click here.
• Boone on AK46
posted by Kevin Mio at 23h17 EST on Jun 27
According to RDS, it looks like utility man Mark Streit will be able to offer his services to the NHL's 29 other teams next Tuesday.
The all-sports network is reporting that the Canadiens have yet to offer the Swiss player a new contract.
Streit has said he wants to play on defence next season, but Habs GM Bob Gainey has gone on record as saying he had no intention of making changes to his top six defencemen: Andrei Markov, Mike Komisarek, Roman Hamrlik, Ryan O’Byrne, Francis Bouillon and Josh Gorges.
posted by Kevin Mio at 9h19 EST on Jun 22
The Gazette's Pat Hickey reports from Ottawa that the Canadiens were pleased with the players they selected at the entry draft, with Trevor Timmins, the team's director of player personnel, being very optimistic.
"We had our list and we're happy with the players that we drafted," he said. "We think we hit some home runs and now we have to see how the players develop."
On Danny Kristo, the team's first pick, Timmins said: "He's a strong skater with excellent speed," comparing Kristo with Ottawa's Mike Fisher.
For more on Kristo and the rest of the Canadiens' draft picks, read the rest of Hickey's article here.
posted by Kevin Mio at 9h13 EST on Jun 22
The Gazette's Pat Hickey writes in Sunday's paper that he considers the Canadiens winners coming away from the 2008 NHL entry draft, but it had little to do with the five players the team drafted.
It has more to do with the addition of Alex Tanguay and Bob Gainey's deal for the exclusive rights to negotiate with Mats Sundin.
Hickey also writes that you can forget about Teemu Selanne coming to Montreal, with Selanne's agent saying: "I can't see him moving."
Read Hickey's full article here.
posted by Kevin Mio at 14h10 EST on Jun 21
With their last pick of the NHL entry draft, 206th overall, the Canadiens selected another U.S. forward, Patrick Johnson. He is a centre from the University of Wisconsin listed at 5 feet, 9 inches tall, weighing 155 pounds.
posted by Kevin Mio at 12h47 EST on Jun 21
With their fifth-round pick, 138th overall, the Canadiens have selected Russian forward Maxim Trunev.
He's listed at 5 foot, 11 inches and 174 pounds.
posted by Kevin Mio at 12h27 EST on Jun 21
With their fourth-round selection, 116th overall, the Canadiens have picked a Jason Missiaen, a goaltender from the Peterborough Peter of the OHL. And he's a large goaltender, listed at 6 foot, 8 inches tall, weighing 193 pounds, a native of Chatham, Ont.
Here's a 2:36 audio clip. Unclear whether Pat Hickey needed a ladder to get the recorder close to him.
posted by Kevin Mio at 11h31 EST on Jun 21
With their third-round selection, 86th overall, the Canadiens have selected right-winger Steve Quailer, a native of Arvada, Co.
He is a 6 foot, 3 inch forward, weighing 184 pounds.
More details to come.
posted by Kevin Mio at 10h45 EST on Jun 21
With their first pick in the NHL entry draft, 56th overall, the Canadiens have stayed with their recent trend of picking U.S. players by selecting right-winger Danny Kristo.
He is listed at 5 foot, 11 inches and 172 pounds from Edina, Mn. Here's his biography from NHL.com
Here's a 3:50 audio clip of Kristo from The Gazette's Pat Hickey, in Ottawa.
And from McKeen's Hockey. Scroll down a bit through this.
posted by Kevin Mio at 9h53 EST on Jun 21
The Gazette's Pat Hickey, reporting on the Canadiens' acquisition of Alex Tanguay from the Calgary Flames, was able to speak with Tanguay via conference call on Friday night and collected the following thoughts from the newest Hab.
"I think they're a team that has worked hard to become an elite team in the NHL and they proved they're one of the best teams by finishing first in the Eastern Conference," Tanguay said. "They're a skating team and I think that fits my style."
Hickey added that Tanguay waived his no-trade clause to join the Habs and hopes to sign a contract extension with the team.
And Tanguay says he has prepared himself for the pressure of playing in Montreal:
"I know there will be some pressure, but it's not like I'm Guy Lafleur," he said. And Tanguay said the move was good for family reasons.
"My wife and I just had a baby girl and now we'll be closer to both families," he said.
Read Hickey's full article here.
Continue reading "Tanguay happy to be a Hab" »
posted by Kevin Mio at 9h30 EST on Jun 21
In his Standing Pat column, Pat Hickey writes that adding Mats Sundin to the Canadiens' payroll, already at $41 million for 17 players with the addition of Alex Tanguay on Friday, will be a tight fit.
Hickey writes that Canadiens GM Bob Gainey has said there is enough room to sign Sundin and fill out the roster, which includes signing restricted free agents Andrei Kostitsyn, Josh Gorges, Ryan O'Byrne and Jaroslav Halak.
The elder Kostitsyn is expected to take up the biggest chunk of the available money after a breakout season with 53 points in 2007-08.
Read Hickey's full article here.
posted by Kevin Mio at 7h49 EST on Jun 19
The Gazette's Pat Hickey writes in Thursday morning's Gazette that although the Canadiens are picking 25th in the first round of Friday night's NHL draft, there is hope they could pick a quality player at that position.
And while the Canadiens say the draft isn't as deep as everyone had predicted, they believe they will still be able to draft a good player, although it would likely be a third-liner according to Trevor Timmins, the Canadiens director of player development.
But the Habs and Timmins have had success selecting later in the draft recently, with 11 of the players on last season's squad having been selected after the first round.
Read Hickey's full article here.
In his Standing Pat column, Hickey also writes that there is help at forward available for the Canadiens at the draft, including Nicolas Deschamps, Joe Colborne and Greg Nemisz. He also suggest the Canadiens won't draft Belarusian Mikhail Stefanovich in the first round despite his talent and friendship with Sergei Kostitsyn. Read his full article here.
posted by Kevin Mio at 7h30 EST on Jun 19
A Canwest News Service mock NHL draft has the Canadiens picking left-winger David Toews, brother of Chicago Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews, at the 25th spot. He's described as a solid defensive player who will be playing at North Dakota this coming season, which fits with the Canadiens' trend to pick NCAA-bred players.
To view the entire mock draft, go here.
posted by Kevin Mio at 11h10 EST on May 30
As many of you know by now, Canucks defenceman Luc Bourdon was killed in a motorcycle crash on Thursday in his native New Brunswick.
Here's a nice piece by Johnny Canucklehead on his blog in memory of Bourdon.
Read it here.
posted by Kevin Mio at 8h59 EST on May 4
posted by Kevin Mio at 18h18 EST on May 3
Canadiens' Christopher Higgins slides into Flyers goalie Martin Biron after a hit by Mike Richards Saturday night at the Bell Centre. John Kenney, The Gazette
Lineups | Game Summary | Event Summary | Boxscore | Boone | Game Story |
Not even Guy Carbonneau's lucky tie could save the Canadiens this time.
The Philadelphia Flyers eliminated the Canadiens from the postseason with a 6-4 win on Saturday night at the Bell Centre.
It was a game the Canadiens probably shouldn't have lost - as was the case several times in this series - but in the end, Montreal made a few too many mistakes as key moments that allowed the Flyers to advance to the Eastern Conference final.
Continue reading "Round 2, Game 5: Flyers send Canadiens packing" »
posted by Kevin Mio at 8h44 EST on May 3
posted by Kevin Mio at 8h37 EST on May 2
The Canadiens and Flyers had a day off on Thursday as they prepare for Game 5 on Saturday night with Philadelphia holding a 3-1 series lead.
Canadiens head coach Guy Carbonneau has decided who his starting goaltender will be, but he has not made that decision public and might not do so until Saturday.
The Flyers, meanwhile, will be on the ice in Philadelphia Friday morning before heading to Montreal where they hope to close out the series and avoid what happened in Round 1, when they allowed the Capitals to come back from a 3-1 deficit before the Flyers finally won the series in Game 7.
The Canadiens are the last team to win a series after trailing 3-1 when they did it in 2004 against the Boston Bruins, but this will be a tough task for the Habs.
Here's a look at what's being said:
• Dave Stubbs: Moral victories not enough
• Pat Hickey: Biron refuses to take credit
• Hickey: Flyers' Dowd isn't getting younger, but career is far from over
• The Gazette's Jan Ravensbergen: Canadiens fans lse faith in bleu-blanc-rouge
• The Gazette's Herb Zurkowsky: Carbo keeps cool
• Canoe.ca: Journal de Montréal coverage en français
• Cyberpresse.ca: La Presse coverage en français
• Ray Parrillo, Philadelphia Inquirer: Habs wonder what's gone wrong
• Tim Panaccio, Philadelphia Inquirer: Brière: Depth and versatility fortifying Flyers
• Inquirer: Defence is a chip off the old block
• Ed Moran, Philadelphia Daily News: In Game 5 against Canadiens, Flyers look to avoid rerun of Round 1
• Ed Barkowitz, Daily News: Canadiens won't reveal goalie of choice yet
• Tim Wharnsby, Globe and Mail: Carbonneau gives troops a day off as tall task looms
• Roy MacGregor, Globe and Mail: Brière the invisible superstar makes his mark
posted by Kevin Mio at 9h42 EST on May 1
The Canadiens had stormed back in Game 4, scoring two goals in 37 seconds in the third period to erase a 2-0 Flyers lead and looked to have all the momentum. But then, Steve Bégin, a player who has given a lot to this team, took that all away with what was a very stupid penalty.
Daniel Brière scored on the ensuing power play and the Flyers went on to a 4-2 win and took a 3-1 stranglehold in the Eastern Conference semifinal series. Martin Biron was again the big story for the Flyers as he stoned the Canadiens through two periods and had made 32 saves before allowing the first goal. Montreal will look to stay alive on Saturday night when the two teams square off at the Bell Centre.
Here's a look at what's being said about Wednesday's game:
• Dave Stubbs: Habs are on the brink of elimination
• Pat Hickey: Habs behind eight ball
• Hickey: Going with Halak a gutsy decision
• The Gazette's Max Harrold: Hockey legends gather for Béliveau honour
• Canoe.ca: Journal de Montréal coverage en français
• Cyberpresse.ca: La Presse coverage en français
• Ray Parrillo, Philadelphia Inquirer: Canadiens switch goalies, but don't improve luck
• Tim Panaccio, Philadelphia Inquirer: Brière's goal gives Flyers 3-1 edge
• Phil Sherida, Inquirer: Brière skates, fans anticipates
• Ed Moran, Philadelphia Daily News: Flyers take 3-1 series lead
• Moran: Umberger playing major role for Flyers
• Sam Donnellon, Daily News: Biron has been saving grace for Flyers
• Tim Wharnsby, Globe and Mail: Biron, Brière baffle Habs
• Roy MacGregor, Globe and Mail: Carbonneau rolls the dice in goal
posted by Kevin Mio at 21h40 EST on Apr 30
Canadiens' goaltender Jaroslav Halak looks behind him as Flyers R.J. Umberger scores the games first goal on Wednesday night. John Kenney, The Gazette
Lineups | Game Summary | Event Summary | Boxscore | Boone | Game Story | Stubbs: Goalie gamble fails
A Canadiens comeback was for naught on Wednesday night as Daniel Brière scored the game-winning goal with 3:38 to go in the third period of Game 4 as the Flyers grabbed a 3-1 series lead after a 4-2 win at the Wachovia Centre in Philadelphia.
The goal came with Steve Bégin in the penalty box after taking a dumb penalty after his team had managed to score two goals in 37 seconds in the third period to tie the game 2-2 after once again falling behind 2-0 to the Flyers.
Before the game, the big story was the decision by Canadiens head coach Guy Carbonneau to start Jaroslav Halak in nets instead of Carey Price.
But as was the case in Game 3, Flyers goaltender Martin Biron stole the spotlight as he has put up a wall against Canadiens' shooters and turned aside 32 shots until a Josh Gorges' shot went off Flyers defenceman Derian Hatcher and eluded Biron with 7:01 to go in the game.
Only 37 seconds later, Saku Koivu tied the game 2-2 when he gathered the rebound of a Mark Streit shot and slid it beyond an outstretched Biron.
In all, Biron stopped 36 of the 38 shots the Canadiens directed his way.
Continue reading "Round 2, Game 4: Bégin penalty costs Canadiens" »
posted by Kevin Mio at 8h37 EST on Apr 30
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