Montreal Canadiens news and notes
- Yesterday, the NHL Players’ Association agreed to the NHL’s proposed 24-team playoff structure. [EOTP]
- Despite early reports of significant pushback on the idea, the final vote was heavily in favour of the plan:/
Vast majority of the NHLPA executive board members (29-2) agreed on the return to play format. Now you have to expect the league will make an announcement on the format sometime next week.
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) May 23, 2020
- The vote is just the first step in getting a plan set in stone for the NHL’s return. [Sportsnet]
- There could be some new lines — and even some new faces — in the Canadiens’ post-season lineup. [TVA Sports]
- Former/future Montreal Canadien Ilya Kovalchuk maintains his first overall spot in a 2001 Redraft. [NHL.com]
- David Desharnais speaks about the enormous pressure that comes from playing in Montreal. [Journal de Montreal]/
Around the league and elsewhere
- Despite several reports that the Pittsburgh Penguins — Montreal’s opponent in the proposed playoff format — were opposed to the return-to-play outline, their representative group ended up as one of the 29 parties in favour. [Sportsnet]
- While the format is a key starting point, the health and safety of the players will be the most critical aspect of any plan to resume play. [RDS]
- Getting back in shape is going to be one hurdle to ovecome, and Patrik Laine says it could be ugly at the start. [Sportsnet]
- Next summer will see the introduction of three-on-three league called 3ICE, and the list of coaches hired to lead its eight teams is quite impressive. [CBS Sports]/
