Highlights & Quotes from the Montreal Canadiens season-end availability
The Canadiens meet the media for the last time this season.
Montreal Canadiens players, executive vice-president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton, and general manager Kent Hughes are expected to speak to the media on Friday.
The Canadiens season ended on Thursday night after their loss to the Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre.
The first player to speak to the media was Paul Byron who missed the entire season with a hip injury. He is a pending unrestricted free agent and he says he did everything he could to be back this season, and his future is uncertain.
He does want to play, but doctors have not yet cleared him.
Paul Byron rencontre les journalistes.
— Patrick Friolet (@PFrioletRDS) April 14, 2023
Il veut encore jouer, mais il va se donner du temps pour prendre une décision sur son avenir.
Il a travaillé fort toute l’année pour améliorer sa condition physique
@RDSca pic.twitter.com/1hU7k5YZSf
Paul Byron will make a decision on his future in the next month. Doctors are not giving him the green light to come back. @CanadiensMTL
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) April 14, 2023
Paul Byron says he still wants to play but knows it’s a very difficult road ahead with his injury. He’s going to take time to contemplate his future.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) April 14, 2023
Byron said he wanted to be a part of the team and help them out without playing, which could impact his post-playing career. He says he has indicated he would like to stay in the organization in a non-playing role.
Paul Byron says he’s expressed his desire to Canadiens management to remain with the team in a different capacity, and their answer will in part determine whether or not he continues to pursue playing.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) April 14, 2023
Paul Byron says he has talked to Carey Price a lot about their similar situations with injuries, and that they have helped each other not being alone with the situation.
— Jared Book (@jaredbook) April 14, 2023
Paul Byron says that if he were to work in the organization he would eye a player development role and thinks his experience would help him help the future generation.
— Jared Book (@jaredbook) April 14, 2023
Sean Monahan was next providing an update on his recovery.
Sean Monahan says he’s on his road to recovery and feeling good again. Said he’ll be back on the ice in 2.5 weeks. “I feel great right now and I’m hoping there won’t be any issues.”
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) April 14, 2023
Sean Monahan says he regrets playing on his broken foot. “It was for sure a factor,” he said.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) April 14, 2023
Monahan says he’s for sure open to returning to Canadiens, hoping it happens. “Would be pretty special to come back.”
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) April 14, 2023
#Habs Sean Monahan on his injuries: "I tried to come back multiple times... I got things fixed now and I'm on the right direction. I'm looking forward to playing hockey again..."
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) April 14, 2023
Jake Allen was next and says the young players should be proud of their contributions and that he expects to be back next season.
Brendan Gallagher said that he broke his ankle, tried to play through it, and then broke it again.
Brendan Gallagher said he broke his ankle blocking a shot in the 12th game of the season and tried to play through it for a month. Then he broke it again.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) April 14, 2023
Gallagher says in hindsight he shouldn’t have played on the broken ankle, that’s he’s going to have to be smarter moving forward.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) April 14, 2023
#Habs Brendan Gallagher says they'll never put the blame of the team's rash of injuries on the medical staff - says they can only work with the information the players provide so if guys are saying they're fine and playing through pain, that's not on the trainers.
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) April 14, 2023
“In my case, I gotta be honest, I block a shot and I go in there and am I being totally honest? Probably not.”—Brendan Gallagher, who says medical staff can only go on info they get. “We’ll never put the blame on them. As players, we’ve just gotta do what we can do…”
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) April 14, 2023
Josh Anderson was next.
#Habs Josh Anderson didn't want to talk about rumours surrounding his future in Montreal: "at the end of the day if I get traded, it is what it is but right now I'm here - I love it here..." - Anderson added he signed a long-term contract with the #Canadiens for a reason.
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) April 14, 2023
#Habs Josh Anderson hopes that he'll get out of the walking boot in 3-4 weeks then he'll be able to start skating again
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) April 14, 2023
#Habs Josh Anderson when asked if he's confident he'll back in Montreal next season: "to be honest with you, I'm not going to get into details about that. You guys [media] had your time with the trade deadline and brought out all these rumours...."
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) April 14, 2023
Kirby Dach confirmed he had a concussion to end the season.
#Habs Kirby Dach confirms he suffered a concussion.
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) April 14, 2023
The first thing Cole Caufield was asked about was whether he had a new contract.
First question to #Habs Cole Caufield: "new contract?"
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) April 14, 2023
Caufield; "nope" - says he's staying out of the process and it's not something he's worried about; it will get done when it gets done.
#Habs Cole Caufield says he's on track in his recovery from shoulder surgery - says he should be able to have a full summer of off-season training to prepare for next year.
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) April 14, 2023
“Anytime you’re up in the press box with half the team you kind of wonder what’s going on,” says Cole Caufield about the injury plagued season the team has had. @CTVMontreal pic.twitter.com/NehDdsKdGI
— Kelly Greig (@KellyGreig) April 14, 2023
Despite showing his goal-scoring ability in the games he did play, #Habs Cole Caufield isn't satisfied: "I haven't played a full season yet so I haven't proven anything..."
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) April 14, 2023
#Habs Cole Caufield says he wants to continue to play with Nick Suzuki for a very long time.
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) April 14, 2023
Nick Suzuki says he's not going to the World Championship.
Nick Suzuki will not be going to the worlds. Says he’s a bit banged up, it’s been a long season and he wants to rest up.
— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) April 14, 2023
#Habs Nick Suzuki said he learned a lot in his first season as #GoHabsGo captain but knows he can still get better. Suzuki says he felt more comfortable with the role as the year went on.
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) April 14, 2023
#Habs captain Nick Suzuki says he'll be spending the summer in Montreal again this year.
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) April 14, 2023
Mike Matheson says he's healthy enough for the World Championship after leaving Thursday's game.
Mike Matheson has been approached by Hockey Canada about going to worlds. Needs to talk about it with his family, but he’s considering it.
— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) April 14, 2023
Jonathan Drouin also spoke to the media, and knows it may have been the last time he played in the Bell Centre as a member of the Canadiens.
Jonathan Drouin isn’t sure he has a future with the Canadiens, but he wants to remain. Says he has adored his time I. Montreal despite the highs and lows, and he loves playing for Martin St. Louis.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) April 14, 2023
"The best is yet to come for the Montreal Canadiens" - Jonathan Drouin
— Jared Book (@jaredbook) April 14, 2023
Jo Drouin was asked if too much was expected of him, it the idea he could be a ppg player was asking too much. His answer: “No. Your expectations were lower than mine.”
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) April 14, 2023
He put a lot on himself here and has completely owned his shortcomings, never ducking a hard question. Respect.
Samuel Montembeault confirmed he will represent Canada at the upcoming World Championships.
Félicitations à Sam Montembeault qui représentera le Canada au Championnat mondial de l'IIHF!
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 14, 2023
Congratulations to Sam Montembeault on representing Canada at the IIHF World Championship! pic.twitter.com/vmxrUnZ8CI
Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton met the media later in the afternoon.
"We're mindful of it and we'll spend a lot of time figuring out where we want to get better." - Jeff Gorton on the team's injuries
— Jared Book (@jaredbook) April 14, 2023
Kent Hughes no decisions have been made about players who will not return next season.
— Jared Book (@jaredbook) April 14, 2023
Jeff Gorton confirms he is returning, denouncing rumours that he is looking elsewhere or interested to leave.
— Jared Book (@jaredbook) April 14, 2023
"We want [our young players] to take ownership." - Kent Hughes
— Jared Book (@jaredbook) April 14, 2023
#Habs GM Kent Hughes on the objective for next year: "... we're not going into [next] season saying we're not going to make the playoffs"
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) April 14, 2023
Hughes: “If we don’t find a way [to improve the injury situation], we’ll never build a winner here. It’s definitely frontline for us.” #GoHabsGo #THW
— Ryan Szporer (@rszporer) April 14, 2023
#Habs GM Kent Hughes says the #GoHabsGo fanbase is very knowledgeable and see hockey as more than just wins and losses. As long as the franchise continue to do things the right way in this rebuild, he feels like the fans will be on-board.
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) April 14, 2023
#Habs GM Kent Hughes says he has no plans to make any changes to team’s coaching staff. #HabsIO
— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) April 14, 2023
#Habs GM Kent Hughes says the organization hope to win the #NHLDraft Lottery again this year but even if they don't, he knows the team will be drafting a very good player in whatever position they will be in.
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) April 14, 2023