Habs Inside/Out

Koivu tribute on YouTube

Mike Boone — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:25:14 -0400

Shane deJong, a Canadiens fan who's studying in southwestern Ontario, directed our attention to this five-minute clip, posted by someone calling herself "Habskoivugirl11".

Do you think she loved the Captain?

Koivu's era reaches an emotional end

Dave Stubbs — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:36:45 -0400

2006 Finnish Olympic teammates Saku Koivu (left) and Teemu Selanne are reunited with the Anaheim Ducks.
Timothy A. Clary, AFP/Getty Images

If you don’t believe that Saku Koivu has been larger than life in Montreal, you’ve not taken note of his multi-storey likeness on the southeast corner of the Bell Centre.

Koivu towers over St. Antoine St. on the arena that’s been his professional home since the building opened in March 1996, during his rookie season with the Canadiens.

He was named the club’s first European captain in the autumn of 1999, the 27th captain in franchise history. He’d wear the C on his jersey for nine seasons and 563 games.

This afternoon, on a conference call from his summer home in Finland, Koivu formally exited the Canadiens with the hallmark dignity and class that he’s displayed during 14 years in Montreal, a city that more than once did not deserve him.

• Stubbs feature essay on Koivu is here.

Gionta happy to join Canadiens

Dave Stubbs — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:55:41 -0400

Thanks to Inside/Out reader George Ade for steering us to this video report on new Canadien Brian Gionta, featured on Rochester, N.Y., NBC affiliate WHEC.

Audio: The Captain says goodbye

Dave Stubbs — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:13:20 -0400

Classy to the end, Saku Koivu talked to the Montreal media in a conference call today.

And speaking of class, a big thank-you to Andie Bennett of the Team 990, who was kind enough to provide Habs Inside/Out with the Koivu recording.

Saku heads west to Ducks

Kevin Mio — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:10:19 -0400

After 14 years - 10 of those as captain - the Saku Koivu era is over for the Montreal Canadiens.

The Finnish centre inked a one-year, $3.25-million deal with the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, making official what most fans had come to accept.

In Anaheim, he will be reunited with fellow Finn Teemu Selanne.

It wasn't always easy for Koivu in Montreal, a fact he addressed during a conference call with the media Wednesday afternoon.

Koivu the player will be missed by many fans and most media, even those who sometimes maligned him for his lack of French - although they probably will never admit to missing him. But Koivu the man will be missed as much if not more by the Montreal community he loved and gave back to many times.

The skating guy

Mike Boone — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:59:31 -0400

Don't call Paul Lawson a guru, Trevor Timmins cautioned.

Lawson's title, at the Canadiens' development camp this week in Brossard, is "technical skating consultant."

Lawson works on improving a skill that is fundamental to success in hockey.

And he believes anyone can becomme a better skater – if he wants to improve.

Here's Paul Lawson on skating.

Signs in the stands

Mike Boone — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:13:22 -0400

"P.K. Subban rocks!"

"Yannick Weber (something illegible)"

Skating tests today

Mike Boone — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:48:02 -0400

They've painted bright blue starting lines on each side of the rink surface.

Then there are tripods with electric sensors at 15-metre intervals.

I presume they're going to time the development camp kids at intervals in their sprints.

It's called the Next testing system, using "the world's most advanced laser-gate sensors".

The system captures 70 individual measurements from 14 on-ice tests.

The skill elements tested are reaction time, quickness forwards and backwards, speed forwards and backwards, stransition speed forwards and backwards, agility and pouck handling.

This will be fun to watch ... NOT!

Brossard parking lot is full regardless.

Habs prospects start bonding early

Dave Stubbs — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:51:25 -0400

Pat Hickey writes today of some friendships that are forming among more than a few of the prospects in town for this week's Canadiens development camp.

Boone and Stubbs will drop by camp today and check in here this afternoon.

Conflicting details in Kovalev's departure

Dave Stubbs — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:32:19 -0400

Alex Kovalev wears a Bob Gainey jersey during pregame warmup on Feb. 23, 2008, the night Gainey's number was retired by the Canadiens.
Phillip MacCallum, Getty Images

The popular story about Alex Kovalev’s negotiations with the Canadiens claims that the Russian forward’s career in Montreal evaporated on July 1 when he failed to reply to a contract offer extended by GM Bob Gainey.

But a Gazette source close to the negotiations suggests that Kovalev did indeed reply that afternoon, to an offer Gainey had increased a few hours earlier to two years and $10 million from the original two years, $9 million he’d offered two days before the Canada Day free-agency kickoff.

It seems it was the Canadiens who did not then reply to Kovalev's request to tweak the second offer, Gainey using his afternoon to sign free agents Mike Cammelleri and Brian Gionta, which sent Kovalev packing when the salary cap proved too tight. Kovalev signed a deal Monday with the Ottawa Senators for the same two years and $10 million the Canadiens had offered.

Nothing personal, Kovalev says

Dave Stubbs — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:59:41 -0400

Former Canadien Alex Kovalev, now an Ottawa Senator, was just on a conference call from Russia. It was over in 7:48 after three reporters – Marc Antoine Godin from La Presse, myself and Abe Hefter of CJAD – asked a few questions. There was a call a few minutes earlier with Ottawa media, but audio quality isn't good enough to post here.

Kovalev said Bob Gainey's decision not to re-sign him forced him to move quickly to find another NHL home. He didn't go into much detail about contract negotiations and suggested it was nothing personal, merely business. He thanked Montreal fans who ralled Sunday on his behalf, friends having emailed him images and reports of that.

Here's audio of the Montreal end of the conference call. There's a short bit of dead air at the beginning of the file, a technical problem at the operator's end. Just let it run.

Gomez to wear 91, Cammalleri takes 13

Kevin Mio — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:42:04 -0400

Two of the newest Canadiens have selected their jersey numbers for next season, according to the team.

Mike Cammalleri will wear the No. 13 that was left vacant with the departure of Alex Tanguay.

Scott Gomez will become the first Canadiens in history to wear No. 91 in Montreal. The two numbers he has worn his entire career, 23 and 19, are both hanging from the Bell Centre rafters and are untouchable.

"I'm trying to do my best every year"

Dave Stubbs — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:47:44 -0400

Alex Kovalev after a scuffle during a game last March. Kovy never lacked for confidence, and he was brimming with it as training camp opened last fall.
John Kenney, Gazette

The Canadiens had come off an Eastern Conference championship in 2007-08, led in large part by the second-best season lifetime of forward Alex Kovalev.

Montreal went two rounds into the playoffs before bowing out to Philadelphia.

The Habs reassembled for last autumn's training camp with high hopes of taking the next step in their 100th season. We all know how it turned out. Now Kovalev is gone, to Ottawa for two years and $10 million.

Captain Saku Koivu is entertaining offers elsewhere, his days in Montreal done barring a remarkable about-face by his employer since 1995. Other familiar faces are gone, with new ones on the way in.

It's always fun – or enlightening, anyway – to dig into the files at a time like this. Below is a feature on Kovalev written on the first day of last autumn's training camp.

Kovalev, 8-10 pounds lighter and eager to crank up his game beyond the excellent season he'd just enjoyed, was asked whether he could find any other Canadien who reminded him of himself maybe a decade earlier, with the same fire in the eyes and the belly.

"No," he replied. "Not even close."

So here's Kovalev last September, on the first day of training camp.

No Kovalev comment expected today

Dave Stubbs — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:29:42 -0400

According to the Ottawa Senators, Alex Kovalev is in Russia – no wonder he wasn't at the Bell Centre rally yesterday! – and will be unavailable to comment today on his signing a two-year deal – for a reported $5 million per – with the Canadiens rival down Highway 417.

Hoping to hook up with him on a conference call tomorrow.

(Wonder which Canadien will pick up Kovy's Bell Centre loge, the one he picked up from José Theodore, to host sick and underprivileged kids at Habs games?)

Regrets? He's had a few

Mike Boone — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:27:07 -0400

Listen to the Trevor Timmins audio.

You can sort of tell the Canadiens' director of player development wasn't threilled to see blue-chip prospect Ryan McDonagh dealt to the Rangers in the trade that brought Scott Gomez to Montreal.

It was, Timmins said, like cutting off your left arm to get a third leg.

Weird metaphor.

But as Timmins pointed out, with some degree of chagrin, he takes care of the amateur scouting. What happens after that ...

AUDIO: Trevor Timmins Louis Leblanc Max Pacioretty

YIKES!

Mike Boone — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:33:09 -0400

Kovalev to Ottawa!!

Beauchemin to the Leafs!!!!

Martin likes speed, talent

Mike Boone — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:01:59 -0400

Jacques Martin likes the team Bob Gainey has assembled for him.

Speaking to the media this afternoon, while the prospects skated through drills, Martin praised the speed, skill level and Stanley Cup experience of Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta and Hal Gill (all Cup winners) and Mike Cammalleri.

Asked if he planned to unite the new forwards on one line, Martin hinted that in view of their lack of size, he might want to play a rugged LW with Gomez and/or Gionta.

Martin was very high on new goaltending coach Pierre Groulx, whom he praised for outstanding work with Tomas Vokopun and Craig Anderson.

Martin said Groulx would be working with Carey Price on technique, adding favorable comparisons – at Price's age – to Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur.

Martin also floated the possibility of a no-captain team, as was the case in Florida and Minnesota.

"The solution to the leadership vacuum," quips colleague Pat Hickey, "is having no leaders."

AUDIO: Jacques Martin in English and French

Hilarious

Mike Boone — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:16:34 -0400

Beat guys doing impressions of Andrei Markov as captain.

"Well (pause to puff out cheeks and do mental translation of question), I don't know ..."

Gomez as C

Markov and Lapierre as A's.

The Groups

Mike Boone — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:37:59 -0400

Group A: Alexander Avtsin, Michael Busto, Mathieu Carle, Andrew Conboy, David Desharnais, David Fischer, Olivier Fortier, Mikael Johansson, Ben Maxwell, Tom Pyatt, Ryan Russell, P.K. Subban, Brock Trotter, Yannick Weber, Ryan White, James T. Wyman, Max Pacioretty, Dany Massé, Robert Mayer, Jason Missiaen

Group B: Mac Bennett, Erik Boisvert, Michael Cichy, Gabriel Dumont, Patrick Johnson, Scott Kishel, Danny Kristo, Louis Leblanc, Philippe Lefebvre, Brendon Nash, Joonas Nattinen, Greg Pateryn, Steven Quailer, Joe Stejskal, Michael Testwuide, Dustin Walsh, Gabriel Girard, Joseph Quattrocchi, Petteri Simila

From the pressbox

Mike Boone — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:15:56 -0400

Shooting the breeze with Pierre Durocher of Ruefrontenac.com, the only other beat guy here ... which is amazing.

Topics:

• Captain: Markov? Gomez?

• Lines: Gomez-Cammalleri-Gionta, Pleks and the brothers, Max between Gui! and Max-Pac (who was first on the ice here today)