Quotes & Highlights from Montreal Canadiens end-of-season media availability

#Habs Eric Staal calls this #Canadiens team a "phenomenal group of guys"

— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) July 9, 2021

#Habs Staal on his (immediate) future: “Get home and be a dad and a husband. It’s been over half a year of being away from (my family),” adding the playoff run was memorable: “It was special to don the Habs colours.”

— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) July 9, 2021

“She is a rock” - Staal rend hommage à sa femme

— Marc-André Perreault (@MA_PerreaultTVA) July 9, 2021

#Habs Staal gives credit to his wife and kids for staying strong without him, admitting he and his family all had their “moments” being apart. This is an example of the mental adversity players endured in this bizarre season.

— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) July 9, 2021

"There are bright days ahead for him, it was a treat to meet him."

- Eric Staal on Nick Suzuki

— Marc Antoine Godin (@MAGodin) July 9, 2021

#Habs Eric Staal: "you win with players like Phil Danault"

— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) July 9, 2021

#Habs Staal said quarantining after arriving in Montréal, his back was “a little wonky.” Before playoffs he developed a left pectoral muscle strain that made it tough to take faceoffs. Missed Gm 3 vs TO due to a numb L hand related to a lingering neck issue.

— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) July 9, 2021

Cayden Primeau says he's felt ready for while.

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 9, 2021

#Habs Primeau said being on the black aces during the playoff run helped him realize “how tough it was to be in that situation — all the hard work and commitment that went into it.”

On watching Price through the run: “He went into beastmode and it was something else.”

— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) July 9, 2021

#Habs Corey Perry says he intends to play hockey next year and would love to come back to Montreal.

— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) July 9, 2021

Corey Perry says he intends to play next season and would like to return to Montreal to get the full Montreal experience.

— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) July 9, 2021

"There's definitely a bright future in Montreal and hopefully I'm a part of that." - Corey Perry

— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) July 9, 2021

"He's going to be a tremendous player in this league for a long time. He's going to score a lot of goals."--Corey Perry on Cole Caufield.

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 9, 2021

"He's a head coach" - Corey Perry on Dominique Ducharme

— Jared Book (@jaredbook) July 9, 2021

"It's hard... It's not an easy situation. It came to a screeching halt pretty quick. To be so close and only a couple of games away... It's hard" - Corey Perry on the emotions he and the team are facing.

Perry sounded like he was choked up throughout his interview.

— Jared Book (@jaredbook) July 9, 2021

#Habs Perry getting emotional talking about playing for a Canadian team to complete his lifetime hockey experience: “This is the team I grew up cheering for. It’s blown everything out of the water. It’s been a lot of fun.”

— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) July 9, 2021

#Habs Allen echoed Perry's eagerness to play in Montreal in a "normal" season: "For me, having the real Montreal experience -- having a full building on a Saturday night -- that's what I'm looking forward to."

— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) July 9, 2021

Jake Allen says he's aware of the possibility of being taken in the expansion draft, but he signed his two-year contract extension with the intent of playing in Montreal and hopes that will be the case.

— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) July 9, 2021

#Habs Allen says his and Price's common interests of hunting, fishing and country music helped them bond, but they weren't able to enjoy them together because of the pandemic. Allen says, "I hope we can experience those real life events (together)."

— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) July 9, 2021

#Habs Jake Allen on backing up Carey Price: "he is one of the best goalies in the world and has been and always will be in my eyes but at the same time you do need your rest and that's my job."

— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) July 9, 2021

"I had to tape my fingers together so it was harder to grip the stick... It was an adjustment to see what worked and what didn't work. I'm hoping that we avoided surgery" but says that he has a follow up appointment soon.

— Jared Book (@jaredbook) July 9, 2021

"I feel like he brought the best out of each guy...Did a great job with our group."--Petry on Ducharme.

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 9, 2021

"Just the pinky finger went into the glass, turned sifeways, and that was it. The eyes were because of when they were setting my finger back into place to put the cast on, I basically passed out and popped all the blood vessels in my eyes." - Jeff Petry

— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) July 9, 2021

#Habs pending UFA Phillip Danault says he's been so dialed in with the playoffs that he hasn't even spoken to his agent about his future.

— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) July 9, 2021

"Yeah, I think it affected me," #Habs Phillip Danault says about his turning down a contract offer being leaked to media this season. #HabsIO

— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) July 9, 2021

#Habs Phillip Danault says the leaked news that he turned down a contract offer earlier in the season affected him mentally because he wasn't playing his best at the time but dealing with that helped him become mentally stronger to elevate his game in the playoffs.

— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) July 9, 2021

"I did get some offers for some pizza deals, but it wasn't the time during the playoffs. I'm open now, though." - Phillip Danault.

— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) July 9, 2021

#Habs Danault admits stalled contract talks were related to his perception of his usage: "I was scared (Suzuki) and (Kotkaniemi) would take more minutes but if you see around the league you need two-way centres... I found my game. I know what I am and I know what I can give."

— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) July 9, 2021

#Habs Tyler Toffoli doesn't want to use his groin injury as an excuse for not producing in the #StanleyCup Final

— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) July 9, 2021

Tyler Toffoli won't get into details on his injury.

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 9, 2021

"It was just frustrating overall," #Habs Tyler Toffoli says about having to play through a groin injury in Cup final, adding it's no excuse for his performance. #HabsIO

— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) July 9, 2021

#Habs Josh Anderson says losing in the #StanleyCup Final still leaves a bad taste in their mouths; says it was "devastating" to see the faces of Shea Weber and Carey Price in the room after Game 5.

— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) July 9, 2021

"The emotional rollercoaster this year was quite the ride," says Paul Byron, who was waived three times and ended up being a strong contributor to the run to the Cup Final.

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 9, 2021

Paul Byron fighting back tears answering my question about what it means to him to play for #Habs as one of the very few players who lives in Montreal year-round with his French-Canadian wife. #HabsIO

— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) July 9, 2021

“I love Montreal. I love the city. I love the fans (…) je suis la personne la plus chanceuse au monde. C’était une année incroyable” - Byron qui dit que de porter le même chandail que Béliveau, Cournoyer, Richard, etc… est un honneur incroyable

— Marc-André Perreault (@MA_PerreaultTVA) July 9, 2021

Paul Byron is one of the very few #Habs players who lives in Montreal year round. Here's what he said when I asked him earlier today what it means to him to play for the Canadiens #HabsIO: pic.twitter.com/DJ5WaKfpkL

— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) July 9, 2021

"He's 20 years old (21), so much potential. He's an awesome kid. I don't think I've ever see anyone--he loves hockey, loves coming to the rink every day, so the sky's the limit for him. He's going to be a good player in this league for a long time."-Joel Edmundson on Alex Romanov

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 9, 2021

Jake Evans on the Mark Scheifele hit in the second round: "I really want to turn the page. It was a scary incident. It's one of those things you don't want to talk about anymore. You just want to move on from it." #Habs

— Joshua Clipperton (@JClipperton_CP) July 9, 2021

"I wouldn't be where I am without him," -- Jake Evans speaking on Joel Bouchard. Praised him for helping with his development to this point. Added that he'll be missed.

— Julian McKenzie (@jkamckenzie) July 9, 2021

"I think the fans deserve a winning team... We gave them a taste... Hopefully we can keep that going moving forward."--Cole Caufield.

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 9, 2021

#Habs Cole Caufield says some time off will be good for him after the 2021 he had but he'll be hungry to get back to work to prepare for the 2021-22 #NHL season.

— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) July 9, 2021

"I want to improve everything. It's not just one thing. I think every day you can grow and get better. Guys in this league are really good, and every night you have to bring it. Everything, skills, work ethic..."--Cole Caufield.

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 9, 2021

Full Ben Chiarot quote on GM Marc Bergevin pic.twitter.com/WHgtaehR5l

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 9, 2021

#Habs Suzuki on Caufield partnership: "It's been a ton of fun getting to know him, getting to play with him. We have a lot of fun outside the rink and on the ice... He makes every play in the book and got better as the games went on."

— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) July 9, 2021

#Habs Nick Suzuki on Shea Weber: "it's a pleasure to be on the same team as him. Playing with him has been amazing and I learned a ton from him. He's a great captain and we're lucky to have him - everyone learns from him everyday."

— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) July 9, 2021

Joel Armia says no conversations yet on contract. "Told my agents I didn't want to talk about it before I get home... Not going to close any doors."

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 9, 2021

#Habs Armia on his positive COVID test prior to the start of the Final: "Pretty crazy when I got the news first when I wouldn't be able to be with the team. It was something I couldn't believe at first... It was a really emotional rollercoaster."

— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) July 9, 2021

Kotkaniemi says he'll continue working on his skating as a priority. Said he took a big step last year, but still feels it's an area he can improve.

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 9, 2021

#Habs Jesperi Kotkaniemi on watching Game 5 from the press box: "to be honest I was really disappointed - I wanted to be out there with the guys, help the team..."

— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) July 9, 2021

"I'll let Marc discuss that... I think it will be resolved soon" - Dominique Ducharme on his future

— Jared Book (@jaredbook) July 9, 2021

"When Shea originally got hurt, there was talk of surgery. He'll have to meet with trainers, but expect he'll be ready to start next season on time."--Dominique Ducharme https://t.co/iY4LK7XRtR

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 9, 2021

"It was 14 days looking like three months," #Habs coach Dominique Ducharme says about his 14-day quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19. #HabsIO

— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) July 9, 2021

#Habs Dominique Ducharme says he decided to stick with Brendan Gallagher & Tyler Toffoli despite both players being hampered by groin injuries because of what both guys bring to the line-up; Gally's energy/passion and Toffoli's ability to be a game-changer.

— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) July 9, 2021

Ducharme on Kotkaniemi: "We want him to reach his full potential to become a dominant player. We wanted to take the time with him to make everything clear and explain how he can take a big step forward... We're going to work with him."

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 9, 2021

Dominique Ducharme explains why the team was keeping certain defensive stats internally pic.twitter.com/0v3NquyH4K

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 9, 2021

Marc Bergevin says Joel Bouchard was offered to return to Laval or join Ducharme's coaching staff.

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 9, 2021

Marc Bergevin on Dominique Ducharme's interim status: "The day that I made the change with Dom, my intention was to keep him here long-term in Montreal. But it was important to give him that tag, like Dallas did with Rick Bowness...Internally, we believed in him."

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 9, 2021

"It's been hard on me. It was tough on me. Mentally, it was very difficult."--Marc Bergevin.

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 9, 2021

"We love Phil Danault. I know he mentioned we made an offer in September. He's still in our plans and we hope he remains with our team."--Marc Bergevin
Said Jonathan Drouin is doing much better, but can't comment on his future right now.

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 9, 2021

Marc Bergevin said Tomas Tatar had an exemplary attitude, and that he thanks him if he chooses not to return to Montreal.

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 9, 2021

#Habs Bergevin wouldn't acknowledge what Danault's shutdown work would entail in contract negotiations, but said, "I still hope we will be able to get something done but we value Phil quite a bit."

— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) July 9, 2021

Asked Marc Bergevin directly if he'd like to continue in his role beyond the year he's still under contract.
His response: "I have one more year under contract, and I will honour that."

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) July 9, 2021