Komisarek

Canadiens' Mike Komisarek rocks Sabres' Jason Pominville behind the net at Bell Centre this month.

Allen McInnis, The Gazette 

The Gazette's Pat Hickey writes today that Habs defenceman Mike Komisarek wanted to take on a bigger leadership role this season and he has done just that up to this point.

Komisarek has also established himself as a physical force along the blue line. His 61 body checks tie him for the NHL lead with Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings. Komisarek has also blocked 56 shots, second only to Ottawa's Anton Volchenkov.

"Komo's been awesome," head coach Guy Carbonneau said. "He's really taken a leadership role. He's in his third year now (as a regular) and he's a big part of our club."

T.C. Denault of Habs World has prepared a piece on Mike Komisarek, who has come a long way since being drafted in the first round during the 2001 entry draft. Read about his maturation and how he has developed into one of the Habs' leaders.

Canadiens' Christopher Higgins with Institute 3E mental conditioning coach Gary Parks, photographed at Higgins's summer-ending barbecue at his home on Long Island, N.Y. Parks also worked with Canadiens defenceman Mike Komisarek.
Photo courtesy Gary Parks

Understanding the benefits of the smallest edge in today's NHL, young Canadiens stars Christopher Higgins and Mike Komisarek spent part of their summer working with a mental conditioning coach. The two close friends, keys to the Canadiens' success this season, believe that the lessons they learned will help sharpen their focus during the marathon campaign.

Mike Komisarek with his father, Roman, at the June 30 Poland-Brazil FIFA Under-20 World Cup soccer game at Montreal's Olympic Stadium.
Courtesy Lindsay Rosen

I found Canadiens defenceman Mike Komisarek in Connecticut on Friday afternoon, just off the golf course and a few hours before he'd attend the wedding of an old friend.

We covered plenty of ground in a half-hour chat: he'd been "adopted" six days earlier at Montreal's Olympic Stadium by wildly enthusiastic Polish soccer supporters, and wearing a Polska jersey given to him by a fan (he's going to get the guy Canadiens tickets), Komisarek cheered on the team of his parents' homeland, Poland stunning Brazil 1-0 in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup tournament.

That evening, with his girlfriend, Lindsay Rosen, Komisarek attended the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Last Monday, he took part in the Canadiens' first summer hockey camp for kids.

The 25-year-old native of Long Island, N.Y., was back home for the Fourth of July, in Connecticut for the wedding, is back to fitness training beginning today with his friend Christopher Higgins, and returns to Montreal this Saturday to speak to the Canadiens' 24 development-camp players, including last month's first-round selections Ryan McDonagh and Max Pacioretty and many other draftees.