Saturday 3 August 2013

Habs players possibly heading to the Sochi Games

This season, the NHL is sending their best to participate in the Winter Olympics.  Dating back to the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, this marks the 5th consecutive Olympics NHL players take part in the Olympics (1998/Nagano; 2002/Salt Lake City; 2006/Milan; 2010/Vancouver; 2014/Sochi).

Potentially 10 Canadiens players can be taking part in the Winter Games.

Twelve teams qualified for the ice hockey competition at the Olympics.   Every country are holding an Orientation camps prior to the start of their 2013/14 seasons.  

Team Canada will be holding Camp between August 25- August 28. Two members of the Montreal Canadiens have been asked to attend;  G - Carey Price and 2013 Norris Trophy Winner defenseman P.K. Subban.  

Other members of the Canadiens have also been invited by their respective countries to take part in their orientation camps include defensemen Alexei Emelin and Andrei Markov by the Russian Federation.

Team USA have invited forwards Mac Pacioretty and surprisingly sophomore  Alex Galchenyuk.

Some other members of the Canadiens will be a lock to represent their country at the Olympics. They include defenseman Raphael Diaz (Switzerland), goalie Peter Budaj (Slovakia) and forwards Tomas Plekenec (Czech Replublic) and Lars Eller (Denmark).  Eller is by far the best player on his team.  

The Winter Olympics take place between February 7, 2014 to February 23, 2014.  Team Canada is the defending Gold Medal Champions.


-- Mario Perrazzino

For tickets to the Canadiens 2013-14 schedule, click here.
For Montreal Canadiens merchandise, click here.



Sunday 5 May 2013

Is the Montreal Bell Centre cursed?

The Bell Centre was opened with much fanfare back on March 16, 1996.  But in 17 years, the Canadiens have yet to win a Stanley Cup in their new home.  The Canadiens last Stanley Cup came 20 years ago at the Montreal Forum back in 1993.


Lack of Championship notoriety at the Bell Centre notwithstanding, the home of the Montreal Canadiens has witnessed more than its fair share of horrific on ice injuries.  Some even career threatening.  


With the latest injury sustained by the Canadiens Lars Eller being hit to the head by Ottawa Senators Eric Grba this past week, I have complied a list of major injuries over the years that occurred at the Bell Centre.

January 20, 2000: Trent McLeary troat injury



April 25, 2002: Richard Zednick hit by Kyle McLaren (Boston Bruins)



April 26, 2006: Saku Koivi hit in the eye by Justin Williams (Carolina Hurricanes)




November 13, 2010: Andrei Markov Injury


March 8 2011: Max Pacioretty destroyed by Zedeno Chara (Boston Bruins)



November 9, 2012: Blake Geoffrion suffers skull injury in AHL game at the Bell Centre by Jean-Philippe Cote. 


Blake Geoffrion has yet to return to skating and might never play professional hockey again.


May 2nd 2012:  Lars Eller; huge hit by Eric Gryba (Ottawa Senators)



There were two others which I couldn;t find online but they were Donald Audette's hand injury ending his career.  And Robert Lang's injury sustained during the Canadiens Centenniel season.

Special thanks to And-o from the GOHABS.com Message Board for pointing out three omissions from my original post.

Mario Perrazzino
mario@gohabs.com
http://GOHABS.com


TiqIQ's job is to find you the best deals on tickets, and for Montreal Canadiens tickets, you may want to check out FanXChange. 


Saturday 23 March 2013

What's in a number, 2012-13 edition


As a hockey fan for over 30 years, I am always intrigued numbers players wear.
This season, although it’s been a shortened 48 game schedule coming out of the lockout, has seen its fair share of number changes for the 2012-13 edition of the Montreal Canadiens.
#8 Brandon Prust
Let’s begin with the off-season acquisitions rookie GM Marc Bergevin made. Brandon Prust, chose #8. I number he’s all too familiar with playing with that number in New York. In recent years Mike Komisarek wore it for 7 seasons (2002-2009).
#20 Colby Armstrong
Colby Armstrong was signed as UFA, having played with Toronto. Armstrong opted to go with the number20, the number he first used when he broke into the NHL back in 2007 with Pittsburgh. Armstrong also wore #20 in his second season with Atlanta Thrashers. James Wisniewski was the last Hab to wear #20.
#55 Francis Bouillon
In his second stint with the Canadiens, Bouillon wanted to wear the same number he’s worn all his NHL career with both Montreal and Nashville; #51. However, #51 is worn by David Desharnais. So Bouillon went with #55. #55 was last worn briefly by Brent Sopel. Over the years, five players have worn #55. Longest serving was Igor Ulanov for parts of three seasons (1997-2000).
#17 Rene Bourque
Last season when Bourque was traded to Montreal, he wore #27. With Chris Campoli becoming a UFA, #17 became available, a number Bourque is familiar with when he was with the Calgary Flames prior to his trade to Montreal. The most famous Canadien ever to wear #17? Jean Beliveau who wore it briefly when he was called up to the big club the first time back in 1951. Beliveau was then given #4 when he made the club for good in 1953.
#27 Alex Galchenyuk
Canadiens Rookies are rarely given a say on what number they wear. And Alex Galchenyuk is no exception. Having played with #94 in Sarnia in Junior, the Canadiens gave Galchenyuk #27. Before Rene Bourque, Alex Kovalev, the most famous Russian ever to play with the Canadiens wore it from 2003-2009.
#73 à#11 Brendan Gallagher
Brendan Gallagher broke into the NHL with #73. But barely 30 games into the 2012-13 season, Gallagher switched to #11 as Michael Ryder was re-acquired in trade with Dallas. Ryder wore #73 previously and before Gallagher wore the number this season, Ryder was in club history the only player ever to wear #73. Gallagher was all too happy switching to #11, a number he wore in Junior with the Vancouver Giants. And for Habs fans, we would all like to forget who last wore #11; Scott Gomez wore it the last two seasons. Notable players to wear #11 were Ryan Walter (1982-91), Kirk Muller (1991-95), and Saku Koivu (1995-2009).
#73 Michael Ryder
Michael Ryder was re-acquired by the Canadiens this season in a trade with the Dallas Stars. Ryder has played with the Canadiens, Bruins and Stars and has always worn #73. So it was all too welcoming for Ryder when Gallagher offered the number to Ryder when he re-joined the Habs.
#42 Jarred Tinordi
Jarred Tinordi’s dad Mark Tinordi played 12 seasons in the NHL. And for 11 of those seasons he wore #24. So the Canadiens wanting Jarred Tinrodi to make his own mark with the club inversed the numbers to #42. Domenic Moore was the last player to wear #42 prior to Tinordi.
#37 Gabriel Dumont
Gabriel Dumont was first called up during the 2011-12 season. And #37 is the only number he has worn with the Canadiens. #37 was first worn my Steve Penny back in 1983. And the first 6 players in club history to wear #37 were all goaltenders. Prior to Dumont, Niklas Sundstrum wore it for parts of four seasons (2002-06).
#64 Greg Pateryn
Greg Pateryn was recently called up to the Canadiens making his NHL debut. Not too many players have worn #64 in the Canadiens storied history. He joins Armand Mondou (1934-35) and Jean-Philippe Côté (2005-06).


#24 Jeff Halpern
Jeff Halpern was picked up off waivers in March and returns for his second tour of duty with the Havs.  In Halpern's 13 year career in the NHL, Halpern always wore #15.  But #15 is currently reserved for Petteri Nokelainen who is in Hamilton after missing a year of action due to a back injury.  Halpern becomes the 42nd different player in Canadiens history to wear #24.  Among the notables to don the jersey were Chris Chelios (1983-90) and Lyle Odelein (1990-96). #24 was last worn by Mathieu Schneider. Trivia enthusiast will appreciate that when Serge Savard was first called up by the Canadiens back in 1966, and similarly by Pierre Mondou back 1976, they were given #24.


#40 Nathan Beaulieu
Nathan Beaulieu becomes the 5th rookie to earn a start with the Canadiens during the abbreviated 2012-13 season. Beaulieu becomes only the 8th different player to wear the number 40, and the first since Maxime Lapierre wore it for six seasons (2005-11).  The first player to wear #40 in Habs history was Domenic Campedelli back in the 1985-86 season.



-- Mario Perrazzino

TiqIQ's job is finding you the best deals on the market, and for Montreal Canadiens tickets you may want to check out FanXchange.