THW's Habs News

THW's Canadiens News for 08/20/2019

August 20, 2019

The latest Habs stories from The Hockey Writers.

08/20/2019 edition:

By Ryan Szporer on Aug 19, 2019 11:44 am

In this first installment of a four-part series comparing Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin to his four immediate predecessors, we take a look at Pierre Gauthier.

It’s been 25 years since the Habs last won the Stanley Cup. In that time, players have come and gone, but so have GMs. Five have been hired since Serge Savard was let go in 1995. Only four have followed him out the door though, with Bergevin being the sole exception… for now. How do they each stack up against Savard? Not well, it turns out. So, we’ll settle for comparing Bergevin to the other four who have failed to fill the former’s shoes, starting with Gauthier.

Tale of the Tape: Bergevin vs. Gauthier

Time Served: Feb. 8, 2010 – March 29, 2012 (Gauthier); May 2, 2012 – now (Bergevin)

No. of Playoff Appearances/ Seasons: 2/3 (Gauthier); 4/7(Bergevin)

No. of Division Titles/ Seasons: 0/3 (Gauthier); 3/7 (Bergevin)

No. of Playoff Rounds Won/ Seasons: 2/3 (Gauthier); 3/7 (Bergevin)

No. of Draft Home Runs/ Picks (a home run being a projected good, long-term fit):

  • 1/12 (Gauthier; Brendan Gallagher at No. 147 in 2010)

  • 3/ 50 (Bergevin, excluding last draft; Artturi Lehkonen at No. 55 in 2013, Victor Mete at No. 100 in 2016, Jesperi Kotkaniemi at No. 3 in 2018)

Best/ Worst Free Agents Signed (based on contract and expected/ actual contributions):

  • Erik Cole/ Peter Budaj (Gauthier)

  • Alexander Radulov/ Karl Alzner (Bergevin)

Best/ Worst Free-Agent Re-Signings:

  • David Desharnais ($1.7 million over two years)/ Josh Gorges ($23.4 million over six years) (Gauthier)

  • Max Pacioretty ($27 million over six years)/ Carey Price ($84 million over eight years) (Bergevin)

Signature Trade:

  • Michael Cammalleri, Karri Ramo, 2012 fifth-round pick for Rene Bourque, Patrick Holland, 2013 second-round pick (Gauthier)

  • P.K. Subban for Shea Weber (Bergevin)

Bergevin and Gauthier Mirror Images

In many ways, Bergevin is the mirror image of his predecessor, Gauthier, as Canadiens GM.

For example, whereas Gauthier had been nicknamed Ghost for the disappearing act he regularly pulled when it came time to speak to the media, Bergevin is just the opposite. To his credit, Bergevin has rarely shied away from attention and has delivered many an impressive sound bite in the process.

Secondly, whereas Bergevin had no prior experience as a GM before getting hired, Gauthier had previously served in that capacity with the Ottawa Senators and Anaheim Ducks. Granted, that experience didn’t exactly serve him well, as, after being hired in February 2010, he lasted just two more seasons.

Contrast that with the seven seasons Bergevin has had to turn this team into a winner and it becomes clear: Time spent in a given position is not necessarily a good indication of success.

That isn’t to say Gauthier was a great GM. Nothing could be further from the truth, especially behind the scenes. He threw assistant coach Perry Pearn under the bus as if to send a warning shot across then-head coach Jacques Martin’s port bow. It was a miscalculation and he ended up firing Martin himself just a few months later.

He then managed to screw up hiring an interim head coach when performance expectations were already low during a miserable 2011-12 season. After hiring Randy Cunneyworth, he bungled the situation by first implying his status as an Anglophone head coach, even in the interim, wasn’t a big deal. He was then forced to backtrack as a result of the public uproar that ensued.

Unofficially having fired Cunneyworth as a result, months before the Habs actually handed the coach his walking papers, Gauthier effectively scapegoated three separate bench bosses in span of literally just as many months. In a poetic twist of fate, Gauthier actually got shown the door himself at the end of that season, before Cunneyworth.

Bad Enough for Gauthier, Not Bergevin

In any case, that 28th-place finish opened the door for Bergevin to be hired, which is all the more relevant now considering Bergevin’s Habs finished in the same location in the standings in 2017-18. Somehow finishing in 28th place was bad enough for Gauthier to be fired, but not bad enough for Bergevin, who was kept on in his current role for the time being… despite the team now having missed the playoffs in three of the last four seasons.

Say what you want about Gauthier. At least the teams he helped put together, including as the assistant of predecessor Bob Gainey, found some measure of sustained success prior to that disappointing 2011-12 season.

In fact, you can make a case that 2011-12 season was an aberration. After all, they reached the Eastern Conference Final in 2010, albeit on the strength of otherworldly goaltending from Jaroslav Halak. They then took the eventual-Stanley Cup-champion Boston Bruins to overtime in Game 7 of the following postseason’s first round.

Meanwhile, in Bergevin’s first season, much the same roster, excluding additions like Michael Ryder (for Erik Cole) and Brandon Prust, rebounded to win the Northeast Division. The year after, again, with the same core that had been assembled by Gauthier and Gainey (excluding the at-times-disappointing acquisition of Thomas Vanek), the Habs reached the Eastern Conference Final once more.

Maybe the Bergevin hiring prompted some sort of seismic culture shock in the dressing room and in that respect it was justified. So, Bergevin, who has yet to meet a synonym for “character” he didn’t like and has preached the need for intangibles on his team (because, for all intents and purposes, this is his team now), was just what the doctor had ordered, at least for a period of time.

Cammalleri Trade Revisited

Bergevin’s proponents may have a good argument too… were it not for the whole fiasco surrounding Michael Cammalleri, who got traded by Gauthier in the middle of a game. The reason? Arguably a bad attitude. Cammalleri made the mistake of speaking out of turn, saying: “We prepare for our games like losers. We play like losers. So, it’s no wonder why we lose.”

So, in many respects, Gauthier was just as much of a stickler for players staying in line as Bergevin. It’s hard to give either one too much credit for sticking to their guns as far as the skill-versus-strength of character debate goes though, considering how their respective tenures turned out.

The only real difference is the amount of time they each got at the helm of the Habs. We’ll never know if Gauthier would have been able to turn it around. It remains to be seen if Bergevin can. Even if things aren’t quite so bleak following a 96-point season, the Habs still missed the playoffs (again) in 2018-19.

That Cammalleri trade will probably stand out as Gauthier’s signature deal, with the Halak one with the St. Louis Blues (for Lars Eller) being a close second. Of course, in retrospect, critics of that deal have to admit sticking with Carey Price in spite of Halak’s heroics during the 2010 playoffs was the right move.

Similarly, Bergevin may have felt forced into trading a Habs playoff hero of his own in P.K. Subban. Dissimilarly, that trade doesn’t look all that good in hindsight as, on Bergevin’s watch, the Canadiens seem intent on slowly moving further and further away from relevance during an era in which success is built on speed.

So, it turns out, Bergevin and Gauthier have at least one thing in common: They both failed spectacularly… just in different ways. Gauthier burned out in a short period of time. Bergevin’s arguably taking his time, given a great deal of slack by owner Geoff Molson.

As evidenced by how quickly the Habs rebounded following Gauthier’s dismissal with minimal damage having been done, his legacy may not end up quite as tarnished as Bergevin’s when all is said and done.

The question is when will that be? The Canadiens are about due… either for a front-office shake-up or another patented Bergevin blockbuster. The preference between the two should be clear.

Make Sure to Check out the Other Three GM Showdowns:

By Tyler Kuehl on Aug 15, 2019 10:50 am

Free Agent Frenzy has slowed down to almost a standstill, but one of the biggest UFAs is still available. With the cap issues the Toronto Maple Leafs are having, Jake Gardiner is still left exposed to the rest of the NHL. There have been questions regarding the status of his back injury that he endured late last season, and his play in the defensive end in general, but Gardiner will return to 100 percent and will be a key component with whichever team he signs with.

A club that should take a legitimate look at him is the Montreal Canadiens. Despite signing Ben Chiarot and offer-sheeting Sebastian Aho, Marc Bergevin and his staff have had a pretty quiet summer. While Bergevin has never felt the urge to appease the media and fans, making a move to sign Gardiner would not only make the fans happy, but it would make Bergevin happy with the impact Gardiner will have with the lineup.

Here is what Gardiner brings to the table.

Offensive Prowess

The most praise that Gardiner receives is through his play with the puck. Dating back to his days at Minnetonka High School in Minnesota, Gardiner has been able to be relied upon to produce on the scoresheet. That was why the Anaheim Ducks drafted him with the 17th overall pick in 2008. After his rights were traded to the Maple Leafs in 2011, he became the talk of the town as the Leafs’ next great defenceman.

Gardiner showed early on that he could help put the puck in the net in his rookie season with Leafs, scoring 30 points in 2011-12. He only continued to progress after the lockout-shortened 2013 season, leading to a 43-point season in 2016-17, and 52 points the following season, which was tied with teammate Morgan Rielly for 15th in NHL defencemen scoring.

Last season, the back injury slowed Gardiner down in the second half of the season, leading to just 30 points in 62 games, but that is only a shell of what the defenseman is capable of.

His shot is not the hardest, however it is effective. His shots-through percentage has wavered in the 30 to 40 percent range over the past few seasons, which is impressive giving that he is consistently in the top-half of shots attempted on the Leafs’ roster. He is solid at finding holes through traffic to create scoring chances. For example, this tying goal against the Detroit Red Wings right before Christmas last year.

With the situation that he was in, Gardiner calmly takes the time to wait for traffic to form in front of Jonathan Bernier. Where some defencemen would rush a shot from the point, Gardiner’s patience allows him to help create a scoring chance. His awareness in the offensive zone is well above average at his position.

Making the Difficult Look Easy

Gardiner has developed the ability to make challenging plays look routine. Take this play against the Anaheim Ducks from 2018.

Where some defenceman would simply and drop the puck back to their defence partner when faced with pressure, Gardiner sees an opportunity to make a breakout pass. He threads the needle to find William Nylander, who goes in on a breakaway and scores.

The 100-foot pass looks so simple when Gardiner breaks the puck out of his own end. Tape-to-tape, in stride. Some of the top D-men in the league struggle to make such a play.

Skating Ability

Gardiner is one of the smoothest-skating defencemen in the league. He is a very shifty skater, which gives him the capability of bringing the puck out of his own zone, all the way to the opposition’s end. He has end-to-end speed that helps create scoring chances on the rush.

His quick feet help him create time with the puck. Gardiner can notice the pressure coming from behind, and has the agility to make a quick turn, leaving attacking forwards stumbling. With players such as Shea Weber and Jeff Petry manning the right side of the blue line, the Canadiens could really use someone such as Gardiner to bring some speed to the back end.

New Home, Fresh Start

Ask any member of Leafs’ Nation who the most scrutinized player was the last three seasons, they would most likely point at Gardiner. Under the spotlight and pressure that is the mecca called Toronto, he began to fall out of favour with fans and media alike. His mistakes were greatly exploited, and resulted in the fans at Scotiabank Arena infamously booing Gardiner back in January.

With all the negativity surrounding Gardiner in the GTA, a new home could prove worthwhile for him. Granted, he would be going to another market where hockey is considered a religion, but he would be given a clean slate joining the Canadiens’ roster. There is not a doubt he will be given a chance on the power play, as Claude Julien will know how to play to his strengths, since he has coached against Gardiner four times a season for the entirety of his career.

Some players have been able to revitalize their game when they move to a new home – Eric Staal with the Minnesota Wild, Robin Lehner with the New York Islanders, and Phil Kessel with the Pittsburgh Penguins, to name a few. Gardiner would have that chance making the move to Montreal.

Gardiner will step into the Canadiens’ lineup and make an immediate impact. With already being used to playing in the top-four, playing big minutes will be old-hat. Up front, Montreal has promise. In goal with Carey Price, they are set. The biggest area the Canadiens need to improve upon if they want to be a playoff contender is depth on defence. Adding Gardiner to the D-core would greatly bolster their chances.

By Sean Garland on Aug 13, 2019 09:20 am

When news broke on July 1 that the Montreal Canadiens had made a signing, the fan base held their breath collectively. Their reaction to the news was mixed, to say the least, and a deep sigh soon followed.

After all, there were plenty of other free agents that fans were hoping for and Keith Kinkaid wasn’t somebody most expected the Canadiens to pursue.

Still, while not a flashy signing by any means, especially when compared to the remaining free agent pool, Kinkaid could be another one of Bergevin’s shrewd moves that help out the Habs in more ways than it initially seems.

Canadiens’ Need in Net

The Canadiens have gone through several backup goaltenders during Bergevin’s tenure with the club. Names like Dustin Tokarski, Mike Condon, Al Montoya, and Antti Niemi all got splinters from parking their keisters on the bench for long stretches during seasons in which star goalie Carey Price played the majority of games. Niemi looked like he was all rust on a few occasions last season and games that he lost were precious points in the standings that could have been the difference between making the playoffs or missing them by two points.

With Niemi’s contract not getting renewed, most fans thought Charlie Lindgren would become the defacto backup for the 2019-20 season. But a 6-5 shootout win in the regular-season finale against the Toronto Maple Leafs likely didn’t do enough to convince Bergevin.

Lindgren either needs more time to establish himself, or he’s shown the organization what they’ve likely already known: he’ll be a successful American Hockey League goalie, but won’t ever crack the lineup in the NHL. Meanwhile, the Canadiens turned their attention to finding a backup, amongst other players, and one that could be relied upon to at least give the club a chance to win when Price needed a rest. Hence, the signing of Kinkaid.

With Price now over the age of 30, the Canadiens needed to find someone they can rely on to reduce their starter’s workload. From here on out, the Canadiens need to get the most out of Price going forward and can’t afford to lose him to injury or wear him out during a long, grueling 82-game schedule. It’s all about quality over quantity at this stage of Price’s career, and Bergevin is well aware of this fact.

The league itself is now seeing starters across teams play fewer games than they did before, which is why the Canadiens desperately needed a back-up goaltender this summer to help for next season. Seeing how precious two points in the standings can be, depth between the pipes is more important than ever. Whether or not Kinkaid is the right man for the job is still being debated by fans as we inch closer to training camp, but all they must do is take a closer look at his body of work.

Kinkaid’s Resume

Undrafted, Kinkaid broke into the league as a relatively unknown goaltender with the New Jersey Devils back in 2013 and has worked hard to make a name for himself in the NHL.

Kinkaid’s career numbers aren’t overly impressive and suggest that he is a career backup, but during the past few seasons, he’s proven to be a reliable goalie who can step in if and when a starter gets cold.

The Devils fretted over the fact that Corey Schnieder was being nagged by a lingering groin issue, an injury that can be detrimental to any goaltender’s career. With Schnieder out, the Devils counted on Kinkaid to carry the load, and he played an important role for them down the stretch back in 2017-2018 when the Devils made the playoffs for the first time in several seasons.

Kinkaid has played in over 80 games during the past couple of seasons. While not an elite goalie by any means, Kinkaid’s ability to handle a high workload is a sure bet that he can be a decent option to fill the net should anything (knock on wood) happen to Price in 2019-20.

Kinkaid’s proven to be someone who can fill a starter’s role at a moment’s notice, if only for a short period of time, and a resume like that was exactly what Bergevin wanted in a backup netminder.

The Contract at a Glance

A one-year deal for a backup goaltender is a reasonable contract for the Canadiens to take on as it presents little risk to their payroll and future plans. What might be a tad repugnant for Habs fans is the fact that the contract is valued at $1.75 million, but they should realize this is fair value and a reasonable cap hit for a goaltender of Kinkaid’s standards.

Bergevin has done well to address his offseason need for a backup behind Price and also likely views Kinkaid as an asset for not only the short-term but perhaps as a trade chip if any goalies from the farm team look like they deserve some time in the NHL. Lindgren, or perhaps even fellow Laval Rocket teammate Michael McNiven, may soon get their chance to prove themselves of being the backup of the future, but until then its Kinkaid’s job to lose.

From Bergevin’s perspective, he gains a stop-gap veteran who could be a commodity at the trade deadlinethat allows some more time for other netminders in the organization to develop. And if Kinkaid falters, burying his contract in the minors won’t be too much of a burden on the club and the deal will be done by next summer. It’s yet another piece of safe business from the master of low-risk signings.

How 2019-20 Might Play Out

What’s the worst possible outcome of this signing? Kinkaid plays like Niemi did last season and ships himself out of town. An even worse possibility would be that Kinkaid can’t stop pucks at all and Price goes down with another season-ending injury. Then the Canadiens goaltending depth will really be tested.

The best-case scenario would be that Kinkaid proves himself worthy of playing close to half the season and compiling twenty wins. Better still, if Price ever does get sidelined, Kinkaid carries the Canadiens to a playoff spot much like he did with the Devils and proves Bergevin right for snatching him up on July 1.

A more realistic expectation for Kinkaid, however, is that he’ll provide the Canadiens with solid goaltending behind Price. Even if Kinkaid only manages to win half of his starts, it’ll be more than helpful to aiding the Canadiens in their quest to return to the playoffs and a significant improvement over his predecessor.

But make no mistake Canadiens fans, Kinkaid has the ability to provide the team with far more than what they’ve come to expect from a backup goalie. It’ll just be up to him to prove it.

By Michael Murchie on Aug 10, 2019 10:50 am

When this summer’s NHL free agency opened on July 1, many fans of the Montreal Canadiens expected general manager Marc Bergevin to make a big splash. The team did place an offer sheet on Carolina Hurricanes young,skilled forward Sebastian Aho, but it was quickly matched. Bergevin did replace defenseman Jordie Benn with Ben Chiarot, but what did he do to help his team’s forward group going into next season?

Bergevin surprised fans when hetraded forward Andrew Shaw back to the Chicago Blackhawks for draft picks. Shaw was coming off a successful season picking up 47 points (19 goals, 28 assists) in 63 games. Many Canadiens fans thought the trade was to free up cap space to make a big free-agent acquisition, but after the failed offer sheet and a few depth signings, things were quiet for the Canadiens.

Perhaps falling under the radar was the Canadiens signing unrestricted free agent forward Nick Cousins to a one year, $1 million deal. The 26-year-old center stands at 5-foot-11, 185 pounds. Cousins spent the previous two seasons with the Arizona Coyotes and had a career-best in point totals this past season picking up 27 points.

Cousins’ Career Thus Far

Cousins was originally drafted in the third round of the 2011 NHL entry draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. He had a very successful junior career with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL. In his final season with the Greyhounds, the forward registered 103 points in 64 games played. The Belleville, Ontario native would continue to produce offensively when he graduated from junior.

In his second season in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Cousins notched 56 points in 64 games. The following season (2015-16), he split time in the AHL and NHL. That season, in 38 AHL games, he picked up 38 points and had 11 points in the NHL in 36 games.

For most of Cousins’ NHL career, he has primarily been a depth player. Last season, however, his point totals suggest that he can potentially be more than a fourth-liner. Comparing his point totals to players on the Canadiens’ roster last season, would put him just below Artturi Lehkonen (who had 31 points) and ahead of Joel Armia (who had 23 points).

Where Does Cousins Fit in the Lineup?

This upcoming preseason is going to be an interesting one for the Canadiens. The team has done an excellent job of building a strong prospect pool and some of their top prospects will be fighting for positions on the roster this fall. The two most prominent young players who will be attempting to make the big club are forwards Nick Suzuki and Ryan Poehling.

For me, Cousins’ fit on the Canadiens roster depends heavily on the play of these two young forwards. If one or both of Suzuki and Poehling turn heads at camp and force the Canadiens to keep them on the roster, Cousins would most likely find himself at an extra forward. If the prospects need extra time to develop and start the season with the Laval Rocket, Cousins could find himself part of the Canadiens’ bottom-six forwards.

The Canadiens forward group is a unique one. It is no secret that the team is missing an elite game-changer up front, but that hasn’t stopped them from scoring goals. The Canadiens are one of the deepest teams in terms of depth scoring in the entire league. They depend on all four of their lines to chip in offensively. Cousins most likely will not find himself alongside players like Max Domi, Brendan Gallagher, Jonathan Drouin and Tomas Tatar, but he will be part of a bottom-six forward group that plays a decent amount and is relied on to produce.

An Opportunity Knocks 

For fans of the Canadiens, not landing a superstar forward like Aho or Matt Duchene was probably upsetting. For Cousins, it is an opportunity to prove he is more than a depth NHL player. Similar to fellow Canadiens forward Jordan Weal, Cousins will have an opportunity to play in scenarios he may have not gotten with other NHL teams.

Last season, the Canadiens acquired Weal at the trade deadline. Fans were not sure what to expect from Weal but were happily surprised with the impact he had. In 16 games with the Canadiens, he registered 10 points largely because he was given power-play time and played all over the lineup.

Expect the new addition to be given a similar opportunity Weal was given this season. Cousins fits the Canadiens’ new style of play (fast and skilled) and with no big-name free agent forwards being signed by the team, along with the departure of Shaw, this could potentially be a breakout year for Cousins.

By Tyler Kuehl on Aug 10, 2019 08:50 am

In the 101 seasons of the National Hockey League, over 7,000 players have reached their childhood dreams to lace up their skates with the league’s best. Yet, only 337 have played 1,000 games, that is less than 5%. Within those 337 players, 56 of them have donned the Montreal Canadiens logo at least once in their career.

In an even more distinguished statistic, only five have played 1,000 games with the Canadiens alone: Henri Richard, Larry Robinson, Bob Gainey, Jean Béliveau and Claude Provost. There is one former Canadien who wants to join that elite group but does not have an NHL contract. That man is Andrei Markov.

Oh So Close

One of the biggest reasons Markov wants to make a return to the NHL is because he is only 10 games away from reaching the 1,000-game milestone. In a recent interview with Montreal Gazette’s Stu Cowan, Markov stated that it his goal to earn the accomplishment, while being able to show he can still be a top player.

“It’s something you want to be there. It’s important, you know, but most important probably is to try to play one more year in the NHL, to prove that I can still play in that level,”

Andrei Markov

With so few Canadiens to reach 1,000 games while wearing the CH, it would mean a lot to the veteran defenceman, who was a big part of the Canadiens’ success from 2012-2017, with the exception of the dreadful 2015-16 season.

With some older players on the blue line already, Markov does not look like a sexy candidate, however in his two years away from the Canadiens, he has shown he is a solid piece on the back end.

The Fire Still Burns

When talking with Cowan, Markov, 40, noted that he still has the itch to play, and his age is far from holding him back.

 

“I know I’m 40, but it doesn’t feel like I’m 40…I worked hard over the summer and I’ve done some stuff I never did before. I put in lots of work this summer and I’m looking forward … we’ll see what’s going to happen.”

Andrei Markov

Without an NHL contract in 2017, Markov went back to his native Russia and joined Ak Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League. He put up solid numbers with Kazan, scoring 45 points in the past two seasons, with a combined plus-20. He was also an important piece during the 2017-18 season, which saw Kazan win their 3rd Gagarian Cup over CSKA Moscow.

With the shape he is in, and his desire to return the show, there is no question he could be an everyday player in the NHL this coming season.

How He Would Help the Habs

He is in great shape, and in much better shape than other players his age. It would be unwise to place him onto the top pair, or press him for 20 minutes a night with players such as Ben Chiarot and Jeff Petry. Yet, he could still be a very solid asset on the Canadiens’ blue line.

Production

In European hockey, it’s rare to see high-scoring defencemen. Last season in the KHL, only seven defencemen scored 30 or more points, where teams play a 62-game schedule. Through Feb. 1 in the 2018-19 NHL season, where most teams had played 50 games, 18 blue-liners had reached the 30-point mark, with 57 meeting the mark by the end of the regular season.

In Markov’s first season in Kazan he scored 33 points, tied for second among defencemen. His numbers took a dip last season, only scoring 12 points, but that does not accurately show the type of player that he still is. During his tenure in Montreal, he scored less than 30 points only four times. Twice when he was splitting time between the Canadiens and their AHL affiliate in Quebec City in his first two seasons in North America, and in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons when he missed a combined 134 games due to a knee injury he suffered in Nov. 2010.

Defencive Endurance

His play in his own zone has not diminished in his time in the KHL. He is still a responsible player, as he was for the majority of his time with the Canadiens. Markov’s stamina hardly dwindled, as he only missed 20 regular season games in Kazan out of a possible 124. In his two seasons with Ak Bars, Markov averaged 21:28 per game, while taking just over 27 shifts per game. Comparing him to 42-year old Boston Bruins’ captain Zdeno Chara, who played an average of 21:05 a night last season, it is a positive mark for the 40-year-old.

Experience

For a rebuilding and/or re-tooling team, youth is key for long-term success. However, as the only left-handed d-man with extensive experience, Markov would be the perfect player to help the youthful Canadiens lineup. Along with Shea Weber, Markov could be a real guiding force for the young Victor Mete.

Mete, who played an average of just under 18 minutes a game last season, will learn a lot from the elder Markov. Whether it be showing him how to present himself off the ice, how to work and train during the season, or any other tricks of the trade of being an NHL defenceman, Markov could be a big help in the career of the Canadiens’ rising defenceman.

Mete will not be the only youngster who could be positively affected by Markov’s presence. Players such as Matthew Peca, Charles Hudon, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi are still getting their feet wet, and Nick Suzuki is on his way. These are players who would look up to Markov and learn how to be a professional, both on and off the ice.

Markov has stated that this may be his last year playing professional hockey, whether it be in the NHL or in the KHL. He has also stated that if the Canadiens are not interested in offering him a contract, he would be open to hearing offers from other teams around the league. However, after the years of hard work and dedication he put in while playing for Les Habs, it would be a tough pill to swallow to see Markov play his 1,000th game wearing anything other than a Montreal Canadiens uniform.

By Brady Smith on Aug 04, 2019 09:20 am

Perhaps one of the most revolutionary players to ever play the game of hockey, Maurice Richard brought hockey in Montreal to an elite level and set the bar high for every generation to come. Richard overcame nearly every level of adversity to become the greatest hockey player of his generation and one of the best in NHL history.

Maurice Richard was born into a poor family in August of 1921. He was the oldest of eight children and did not have an opportunity to begin playing hockey until he was fourteen years old. He led his local team to three straight league championships and scored 133 of his teams 144 goals. He was prolific and bound for greatness, even though he’d dropped out of school at sixteen to help his father make money for their family. At age eighteen, be began his quest to become a professional hockey player after trying out for the Verdun Juniors. He was promoted after his rookie season with Verdun to the Quebec Senior Hockey League where he played for the Montreal Royals.

Maurice Richard: Overcoming Adversity

Richard suffered his first major injury in his first game with the Royals when he crashed into the boards and broke his ankle. He would miss the entire season. He then was called to the Canadian Military Recruitment office for duty but was turned down because of his ankle injury. He took the year to get healthy and returned in 1941 to his QSHL team. He played in the first thirty-one games of the season and scored seventeen points before breaking his wrist. He would rejoin the team during the playoffs and perform well enough to earn a tryout for the Montreal Canadien NHL club.

Due to many players leaving for War and many fans refusing to attend games due to lack of French-Canadian players, Richard was called up to the NHL and made his debut in the 1942 season opener. Only sixteen games into the season, Richard suffered another broken leg. He recovered and tried to join the Canadian army to defend his country but was deemed ineligible for combat.

Richard had experienced enough humiliation and doubt and trained even harder during the off-season to be ready for the new season. His first daughter was born at the onset of the 1943-44 season which prompted Richard to change his number to nine, and thus, the Rocket was born.

Maurice Richard Takes Over

The 1943-44 season was Richard’s welcoming party into the NHL. In his first full season, he appeared in forty-six games and led the Habs in goals with thirty-two. He then led the way with twelve scores in the playoffs in route to Montreal’s fifth Stanley Cup. This was also the first of fourteen straight seasons that Richard would be named an All-Star.

The next year would put Richard in the history books forever as he became the first player to score fifty goals in a season and doing so in just fifty games. He would lead the league in goal scoring four more times in his career on his way to becoming the first NHL player to score 500.

Along his scoring journey, he eclipsed Nelson Stewart’s goal record of 324. November 8th, 1952, the “rafters shook” (according to the Montreal Gazette) as Richard 325th career goal in the second period, one of the greatest moments in hockey to this day.

Maurice Richard and Clarence Campbell

For most hockey fans who aren’t taught Canadian, and in specific, Quebec history, one wouldn’t recognize just how important Maurice Richard was to the French-Canadian people of Quebec. The Montreal Canadiens, often referred to as the Habs, were named that because of their heritage. When France settled Quebec in the 17th Century, they were referred to as the “les habitants”, the settlers of New France. In 1909, when the team was founded, they were given the name, formally Le Club de Hockey Canadien, to appeal to their mostly French-Canadian population.

As time went on, the ownership changed and during the Richard era, ownership lost interest in the importance of French culture and did not speak French themselves. They refused to give Richard and team Captain Emile Bouchard salary increases after the 1948 season which started the turmoil in the city and organization.

Opposing players knew how to get under Richard’s skin by insulting the French culture. This often times led to vicious fights, because Richard was a countryman with pride and never backed down. NHL President Clarence Campbell often brought the hammer down hard on Richards and the opposing players rarely received equal punishment.

Late in the 1955 season, Richard took a slash to the head and by Boston Bruin Hal Laycoe. Referee’s paid little attention to the hit and Richard went on the offensive to defend himself and returned the favor to Laycoe with a stick to the head. During the altercation, Richard punched a referee. Boston police tried to arrest Richard but Bruins officials swayed that attempt. Two days later, Richard was suspended for the remainder of the season and the playoffs.

The Maurice Richard Riots Begin

The following weeks and months would be hell for Campbell as Richard supporters sent death threats and threw objects at him at every chance they had. In one particular incident, an enraged fan throw a gas-bomb at him in the arena which caused the game to be forfeited in the opponents favor. This was the beginning to the Richard Riot.

Over 20,000 fans took to the streets and demolished the surrounding area of the Forum. Nearly one million dollars in damage was accrued (adjusted to 2014 money) and more than seventy people were arrested. The next morning, Richard took to the radio and told his fans to “Do no more harm. Get behind the team in the playoffs. I will take my punishment and come back next year and help the club and the younger players to win the Cup.”

The Canadiens would fall in game seven of the Stanley Cup championship and Richard lost the points race by one point.

Richard returned the following season and led the Habs to a Stanley Cup win and was then named captain of his team. On October 19th, 1957, Richard would score his 500th career goal. He also would lead his team in scoring in the playoffs as the Canadiens won their 3rd straight Cup and would go on two win another two in a row with Richard leading them.

Richard was finish his career with eight Stanley Cup titles, 544 goals with another 82 playoff goals and over 1000 penalty minutes. He was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame just one year after retiring and the Canadiens retired his number 9 jersey in 1960.

Maurice Richard’s Legacy

Richard is a hero in Quebec. Many note that the Richard riot was the beginning to the Quiet Revolution in Quebec as French-Canadians began voicing their displeasure and looking for ways to keep the heritage and culture in tact.

Richard overcame violent attacks from defenses and injuries his whole career. His numbers are remarkable when you take into account all the games he missed due to injury. This only adds to his legacy as a hockey great. He came from humble beginnings and fought for the culture he believed in, by way of sport.

The great Nelson Mandela said, “Sport has the power to change the world,” and sometimes, it takes an icon like Maurice Richard to stand up for his fans. Not only will Richard be forever remembered in the hockey world, he’ll forever be a hero in the Province of Quebec.

The NHL decided in 1998 to name the award for highest goal scorer after the Rocket. The following season, Richards was at the Awards Presentation when he awarded another hockey legend, Teemu Selanne, the inaugural Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy.

Months later, Richard lost his battle with cancer and passed away on May 27th, 2000. He was given a State Funeral and over 115,000 people came to the viewing to pay their respect.

Most of us didn’t get to watch Richard in his prime and have only photographs and history to know him by, but never under-estimate the impact he had on modern day hockey and society. He will forever remain a Hockey God and rest-assured, his legacy in Montreal lives on.

This post was originally published in May, 2014.

By Kevin Hunter on Jul 30, 2019 12:55 pm

Lorne “Gump” Worsley, born and raised in Montreal, was the last NHL goalie to play without a mask. “My face is my mask,” he would say, refusing to don facial protection. He acquired the nickname Gump as a youngster due to his facial resemblance to Andy Gump, a cartoon character of the time.

The Origins of Gump Worsley’s Pro Career

After two years with the QJHL Verdun Cyclones, his early pro career was spent in the minors (EHL, USHL, WHL) where he succeeded three years in a row to be named to the First All-Star team and the league’s top goaltender.

In 1952 he signed with the not-very-successful New York Rangers, playing 50 games with a 3.09 goals-against-average and winning the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie-of-the-year. The following season he came to camp somewhat out-of-shape and lost his job to Johnny Bower. The Gumper ended up playing the entire 1953-54 season in the WHL for the Vancouver Canucks, starting 70 games and garnering the league’s MVP award.

In 1954 he returned to the Rangers where he toiled between the pipes for ten years. The team was rather hapless and Worsley’s sharp sense of humor was one of the few bright spots on the team. After being pelted night after night with fourty to fifty shots, he was asked by the press “Which team in the league gives you the most trouble?” “The New York Rangers,” he quipped. When Phil Watson chided him in the newspapers about his conditioning and accused him of having a beer belly, Gump retorted: “I do NOT have a beer belly. I only drink Seagram’s VO and ginger ale.”

Worsley to the Canadiens

In the summer of 1963, the Canadiens rewarded his brilliant play in the New York net by trading for him, sending Jacques Plante to the Big Apple in a transaction that shook the hockey world. Despite his elation at coming home to play in Montreal, he got off to a rocky start, spending most of his first two years playing for the Quebec Aces, the Habs farm team.

Finally, late in the in 1964-65 season, he became the team’s Number One backstop. His frenetic style and his overwhelming desire to win made him a Forum favorite. He led the Canadiens to four Stanley Cups in the next five years. Always better when the chips were down, his playoff GAA over those five years was 1.91.

Vezina Winner Worsley

In 1965-66, he won his first Vezina Trophy (shared with Charlie Hodge). The following year he had probably his best year in hockey,. After playing only 40 regular season games but leading the league in GAA with 1.98, he stepped up in the playoffs. Playing sensational hockey he played in 12 of the team’s 13 games and was a perfect 11-0. He and Rogie Vachon were named Vezina winners once again.

Gump loved life and hated flying. He hated flying almost as much as he hated practicing. Mickey Redmond found that out one day at practice in his rookie year. “I whizzed one past his head one day in practice,” says Redmond. “The next thing I know, here comes Gump’s stick aimed at my head like a helicopter blade. Then he charges out of the net at me , grabs me by the sweater and says, “Thanks a lot kid. You just gave me a perfect excuse to leave practice early” before stomping off to the locker room.

Worsley’s First Retirement

Gump’s fear of flying was well earned. While still in the minors the left engine of a plane carrying the New York Rovers caught fire in the air and was forced to land unexpectedly. Facing NHL shooters like Bobby Hull was easy for him compared with boarding a flight to the team’s next destination.

One night, while on a trip to Los Angeles, the plane hit some bad air and dropped ten thousand feet before the pilot righted the ship. Gump got off the plane in Chicago and took a train to L.A. Early in the next season the idea of more flights became impossible to bear and he retired from hockey.

He eventually was enticed out of retirement by the Minnesota North Stars and played another five seasons before his final retirement. “ I knew it was time to quit,” he said, “ when the sons of the guys who’s scored on me started to score on me.”

Remembering Worsley

Gump Worsley brought a little sunshine and a little laughter into the lives of everyone who knew him. His urging at the beginning of every game, “Ok, Boys. Let’s win one for the Gumper,” is well remembered by those who followed him onto the ice. A beloved teammate, a fan favorite and a devoted family man, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1980 and passed quietly in the night at his home in Beloeil, QC on January 26, 2007.

This article was originally written in September, 2010.

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