Montreal Canadiens News and Notes
- The Habs are back, but things are far from business as usual. [Sportsnet]
- Karl Alzner has opted not to join the Habs for the resumed season. [Twitter]/
Statement from Karl Alzner: “After much consideration, I am opting out of the return to play for the health and safety of me and my family. I’m hoping everyone stays safe during this time. I’m very appreciative to have support from all of my current and former teammates.”
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 14, 2020
- Three players were reported to have tested positive for COVID, though two of those were later said to be false positives. [The Athletic]
- Marc Bergevin approves of the measures the league is taking to protect the players and staff. [TSN]
- He won’t be able to play, but Alexander Romanov will be getting valuable experience training and practicing with the club after signing his new contract. [Sportsnet | The Athletic]
- Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nick Suzuki could have huge roles in the Habs’ re-started season, depending on Max Domi’s ultimate decision, and whether or not Julien opts to let Suzuki face Evgeni Malkin. [The Athletic]
- Not strictly news, but as weird as everything is, it sure is nice to see these guys back! [Twitter]/
Enfin de retour. 😌#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/iMTM5QL1TV
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 14, 2020
Around the League and Elsewhere
- After suffering a concussion at the end of November, Andrew Shaw has opted out of the league’s return to play to make sure he’s completely ready for next season. [TSN]
- Auston Matthews tested positive for COVID while he was home in Arizona, though he was asymptomatic, and has since recovered. He’s the first NHL star to report a positive test. [Sportsnet]
- The Leafs players didn’t stick to sports on their first day back. [Sportsnet]
- The Penguins are holding nine players out of camp as a precautionary measure. [Sportsnet]
- The NHL is not announcing the names of players who test positive during the various stages of return to play, but conspicuous absences make speculation difficult to avoid. [NBC Sports]
- One of the most conspicuous absences of them all is Corey Crawford, ruled “unfit to play”, and it’s obviously unclear whether it is related to the concussions he suffered in the past, to COVID concerns, or something else. [NHL]
- The Wild officially name Dean Evason their head coach after he held the interim title following the firing of Bruce Boudreau. [NBC Sports]
- Connor McDavid and the Oilers will remember Colby Cave in their Stanley Cup quest. [NHL]
- Kelsey Neumann on how an American girl from Texas grew up idolizing Vladislav Tretiak. [The Caviar Diplomat]/
