Chris Terry was acquired as a free agent on July 2, 2016, and signed to a one-year two-way contract with the Habs. After the departure of Bud Holloway last season, the hope was that the 28-year-old would fill a veteran leadership role. And that he did. Big time.
A consistent offensive powerhouse for the IceCaps for the majority of the season, we can go on endlessly about how impressive Terry’s first year with the Canadiens farm team has been.
It didn’t take Terry long to get comfortable with his place in the IceCaps lineup. By the end of October he had a point-per-gamepace, leading the team with nine points (4G, 5A) in eight games.
His point battle with fellow top-liner Charles Hudon was entertaining to watch, as they were neck-and-neck as the season went on.
As well as Terry did at the start of the season, he really kicked it up a notch during the second half of the year. His play got him a last-minute invitation to join his goaltender, Charlie Lindgren, at the 2016-17 AHL All-Star Game in January.
Terry really began to make his mark during a hot streak in February. He was a big part of the top-line dominance with Hudon and Nikita Scherbak, racking up a combined total of 46 points during the month, with the rest of the forwards on the team sharing 37 points between them.
The battle for bragging rights between him and Hudon continued as they each kept knocking the other out of top spot, but it would be Terry who would ultimately take the honour. For his efforts, Terry was named AHL Player of the Month in February.
As his time as an IceCap was coming to an end, Terry went in to full record-breaking mode. Turns out, Terry took stepping into Holloway’s shoes pretty seriously. During a matchup against the Toronto Marlies on April 4 Terry tied Holloway’s record when he hit the 61-point mark. The next time he suited up, he broke that record.
Not only did he break the franchise leading point record, he broke the all-time IceCaps franchise goal-scoring record after tallying 30 goals by the end of the regular season.
Chris Terry, 30th goal, and a new franchise record for goals in a season. pic.twitter.com/kIA1lZ7pGA
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla) April 16, 2017
By the end of the season, Terry was second in the league in points with 68 (30 G, 38 A) in 58 games played, and was league leading in power-play goals with 19.
Terry was recognized for his achievements once again when he was named to the 2016-17 Second AHL All-Star Team, and was awarded Top Scorer and MVP honours during the IceCaps annual team awards.
It wasn’t until their four-game Calder Cup stint against the Syracuse Crunch that we witnessed Terry cool off, tallying just one point in four games.
On March 3, Terry signed a one-year extension with the Canadiens and will be heading to Laval, as part of the new AHL affiliate, the Rocket. Terry has more than proved himself with his performance last season, helping defeat opponents by reading the plays well and using his quick, accurate wrist shot to fill the net. It’s also worth noting he was a great leader on and off the ice,
With former Captain Max Friberg signing with Frölunda, the alternate captain may be sporting a different letter on his sweater next season.
