Saturday Habs Headlines: Good vibrations at Claude Julien’s first practice

Montreal Canadiens News and Notes

• Claude Julien took charge of his first practice with Montreal since 2006. [Montreal Canadiens]
• Practice had a generally positive vibe, which is nice to see for the Habs. [TSN]
• The new coach got a reminder of just how hockey-mad the fans of the team can be in the team’s public skate. [NHL.com]
• Jeff Petry tells the media what Julien told the team about their first game together. [Dan Robertson]
• Alex Galchenyuk skated on the top unit on Friday, and addressed the media afterwards. [NHL]
• The young American is the player who might have the most to gain from the coaching change. [TSN]
• Another US-born player who could get even better is Max Pacioretty. [Sportsnet]
• Carey Price commented on the feeling surrounding the team’s first on-ice session with their new bench boss:/

Carey Price on first practice under Julien: "It felt like a new season." #TSN690

— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) February 17, 2017

• The Habs have the talent it takes to win, and could have just been missing structure to take their team to the next level. [TSN 690]
• Claude Julien could use his experience with Brad Marchand to get Brendan Gallagher going again. [RDS]
• The Canadiens will have to bring their A game if they want to buck the trend of teams losing in their first game back from their bye week. [La Presse]
• Blake Wheeler trains with Max Pacioretty during the summer. Here’s what the Jets’ forward had to say about Montreal’s captain. [Montreal Canadiens]
• With everyone weighing in on the dismissal of Michel Therrien, one person we’ve not heard from is St. John’s IceCaps head coach Sylvain Lefebvre. [TVA Sports]
• Marc Bergevin may already be cooking up his next big move. [Montreal Gazette]
• Something else on the GM’s plate will be the extending of Alexander Radulov’s contract. [TSN Bobcast]
• Radulov has become one of the best playmakers in the NHL this season. [The Score]
• My head is still spinning from the week’s news, let alone the addition of actual midway rides. [Dan Robertson]/

Artturi Lehkonen spent the break in Orlando at Universal Studios w Carolina's Teuvo Teravainen. "My head is still spinning from the rides."

— Dan Robertson (@DRTSN690) February 17, 2017

• Watch Mikhail Sergachev score a beauty. [Mitch Brown]/

#Habs Mikhail Sergachev had 1G 1A last night. 13P (9 primary) in last 9GP. The goal was a nice one: pic.twitter.com/96FaXPuiVw

— Mitch Brown (@MitchLBrown) February 17, 2017

• Les Canadiennes’ forwards Ann-Sophie Bettez and Sarah Lefort show off in the team’s newest Skills Video. [Les Canadiennes YouTube]
• Bettez, Lefort and crew will be facing a tough challenge against the Calgary Inferno to close out the regular season. [TVA Sports]/

Around the League and Elsewhere

• Bruce Boudreau has turned the Minnesota Wild into a PDO monster, but that just seems par for the course for coach Boudreau. [TSN]
• He still has a lot of hockey left in him, but after reaching the 1,000-point plateau, it’s time to start wondering where Sidney Crosby ranks among all-time greats. [TSN]
• You can’t give that much time and space to Jaromir Jagr, a lesson brought to you by Josh Manson and John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks. [Cats on the Prowl]/

Jagr goal, #760...slick moves: pic.twitter.com/4QWdlo831i

— Cats On The Prowl (@Cats0ntheprowl) February 18, 2017

• The NHLPA is looking into Antoine Vermette’s suspension. [Renaud Lavoie]/

NHLPA has requested a review of the Antoine Vermette suspension. Hearing will be held in the next 2 weeks. #tvasports

— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) February 17, 2017

• A Seattle investor believes the city will get an NHL team before it gets an NBA team. [Sportsnet]
• Former Czech player Josef Augusta has passed away after a battle with cancer. [IIHF]
• A Polish musician is reviving the pipe organ at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay. [Raw Charge]
• A highly competitive GTHL player is facing the possibility of walking away from the game to focus on her studies. [The Athletic]/