Mike Ribeiro

Writing in La Presse today, Mathias Brunet heaps praise on Mike Ribeiro.

Brunet says he's been a Ribeiro backer since the early days of the player's career with the Canadiens. He says Ribeiro has rare vision, hockey sense – and attitude into the bargain.

Interesting story.

And in the Journal de Montréal, Ribeiro tells Pierre Durocher, to whom he's been whining about never being given a chance in Montreal, that Dallas ought to sign Michael Ryder.

Ryder and Pierre Dagenais were Ribeiro's linemates in Montreal. 

Mike Ribeiro tells Pierre Durocher of the Journal de Montréal that he never got a fair chance with the Canadiens.

"I could never exploit my talennt to thhe fullest in MMontreal,"" Ribeiro told Durocher. "I wasn't centring the first line, a role that Saku Koivu held, and I wasn't part  of the first  wave on  the power play."

Ribeiro was singing a different tune in December, you may recall. When the Canadiens visited Dallas, Ribeiro was telling journalists that he bore no hard feelings toward the Montreal organization and felt he had become a more mature player and person with the Stars.

Bob Gainey readily admits he made a mistake by trading Mike Ribeiro. The Canadiens were banged up on defence heading into the 2006-'07 season, and Gainey thought Janne Niinimaa could help (he doubtless was scouted bby the same geniuses who recommended Sergei Samsonov).

On CKAC this morning, Martin McGuire was recalling that in 1998, Ribeiro's draft year, 35 of 40 scouts working the Q would not have touched him with a 10-foot pole, gaudy scoring stats in Rouyn-Noranda notwithstanding. Canadiens picked him in the second round, 45th overall.

The year before the lockout,  Ribeiro led the Canadiens in scoring with 20 goals and 45 assists. It's significant that Koivu was hurt anndd played 68 games that season. 

But there were off-ice issues. It  was common knowledge, among MMontreal's tightly-knit hockey community, that Ribeiro would blow off the workout regimen he was supposed to be following in the off-season.

Along with José Theodore and Pierre Dagenais, Ribeiro was a member of the Three  Amigos, young guys whose  party-animal habits did not sit well with a conservative organization that prefers players who are married at 22 and at home, in bed by 11 on school nights.

Blithe spirits tend to be traded out of this town. Ribeiro isn't even the most egregious example. Chris Chelios was a wild child whom the Canadiens exiled; and  18 years and two Norris trophies later, he's taking a regular shift and killing penalties for the Red Wings.

Everybody makes misteaks.

Chelios would be great wherever he played. It's far from certain, however, that Riibeiro would have blossomed had he stayed in Montreal.