Montreal Canadiens news and notes
- Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s surprising pre-season is having a ripple effect on other players, determining whether they play C or W or whether they play at Centre or Place Bell. [Montreal Gazette]
- Kotkaniemi shone once again in the Habs 5-3 defeat to the Maple Leafs on Wednesday night. [La Presse]
- Is there really a gap that Kotkaniemi needs to bridge before he’s NHL ready? [RDS]
- If the Finnish phenom needs a helping hand, Victor Mete is always there. [Montreal Canadiens]
- How does Kotkaniemi compare with Filip Zadina so far? [La Presse]
- The young Pori native has been a breath of fresh air for a franchise surrounded by gloom recently. [Hockey Inside/Out (Video)]
- The head coach gives Kotkaniemi a ringing endorsement. [TSN]
- Previewing the Habs season. [ESPN]
- Jonathan Drouin is feeling much more at ease, back at his natural position and away from the media glare. [RDS]
- A new season brings new faces: who’s new in town for the Habs? [Yahoo! Sports]
- Joël Bouchard takes us on a tour of the Laval Rocket dressing room./
”It’s very important for me to show you the new dressing room of the Laval Rocket” – Joël Bouchard
Take a look 😉 pic.twitter.com/RIH4GjXoMF
— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) September 27, 2018
- Carey Price hopes a vintage mask design will bring back a vintage season./
A vintage mask design for a guy that’s looking to return to vintage form this season.@CP0031‘s new bucket is👌. (Created by @daveartofficial) pic.twitter.com/2d1ki9oylG
— NHL (@NHL) September 27, 2018
- The Canadiens star netminder spoke with Pierre LeBrun about a bounce back season and the Habs playoff chances. [The Athletic]
- Guy Lafleur talks about his fondest memories with the Quebec Remparts./
#QMJHL50 | MUST SEE! @CanadiensMTL legendary player Guy Lafleur talks to us about his fondest memories from his time in the QMJHL with the @quebec_remparts. pic.twitter.com/RbB6rN8u5e
— QMJHL (@QMJHL) September 27, 2018
Around the league and elsewhere
- The making of Gritty. [The Athletic]
- Which NHL coaches are under the most pressure entering the season? [The Athletic]
- Robert Bortuzzo of the St. Louis Blues has been suspended two pre-season games and one regular season game for elbowing Michal Kempny of the Washington Capitals in the head. [Sportsnet]
- Brian Burke claims to have ordered his coaches to play Colton Orr every night during his tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs. [Sportsnet]
- Phil Kessel has been awarded the Excellence in Cancer Awareness Award by the Prevent Cancer Foundation. [TSN]
- After all that he went through last year, Robin Lehner knew exactly what he wanted on his mask this season./
- Why did the Leafs sign Adam Cracknell? [The Athletic]
- Where does your franchise rank in this list of the league’s most miserable fanbases? [ESPN]
- Barry Trotz is one of six coaches starting new gigs this season. [ProHockeyTalk]
- A look at Nicklas Backstrom, usually hidden in the shadow of Alex Ovechkin. [Washington Post]
- Is the salary cap good or bad for the NHL (and professional sports in general?) [Jewels from the Crown]
- Goaltender chest protector size is coming under the watchful eye of the NHL. [Radio-Canada]
- Bob Cole will be returning for his 50th and final season with Hockey Night in Canada. [Sportsnet]/