Mike Cammalleri was featured recently in an interview at NHL.com (the french quotes below are from a translation at Le Journal) and the piece begins by noting that the player is a big Van Morrison fan. A verse from Morrison’s “Back On Top” opens the article, and likely misses the point of Cammalleri coming aboard after the Canadiens have wiped the deck clean in the off season. When it comes to rock tunes lending it’s lyrics for allusions to hockey, I’ll stick with Springsteen.
“Prove it all night, there’s nothing else that we can do”
Of all the players new to the club, Cammalleri’s addition is the one that sparks the most interest for me. He is the only player I feel the Canadiens have acquired that could actually come close to helping fans forget about Kovalev for the time being.
It hasn’t been easy for a great many Habs fans to become excited about the off season changes, but like that lyrics above states, there is nothing else we can do. I was pretty bummed last July 1, when it became apparent that many of my favorites would not be returning to the team, but perhaps the only Flames fan I know reassured me in regards to Cammalleri.
It started with something like, “Rob, give your friggin’ head a shake. The Habs have just snagged the highest scoring sniper on the open market. If you were a Leafs fan, you’d be planning the parade route!
It started with something like, “Rob, give your friggin’ head a shake. The Habs have just snagged the highest scoring sniper on the open market. If you were a Leafs fan, you’d be planning the parade route!”
He went on to provide a quickie assessment of Cammalleri’s gifts, particularly underlining his speed and quickness, and how he has the habit of seemingly rising out of nowhere to pot timely goals. He also mentioned that he had played center a great deal, which is a facet of his game that might come to be counted on in Montreal.
I took it from my friend that he hadn’t particularly digested the Cammalleri for Jay Bouwmeester tradeoff in Calgary very well. He stated that he would be greatly missed on an offensively challenged club.
In that case, the Habs should be happy to have him.
The good news, is that Cammalleri sounds totally jazzed to be a Hab.
Here are the quotes fom Cammalleri. Notice how the french press take a little creative license with his words!
“I really like the blend of players on our roster so I’m sure no matter what Jacques does with lines, we can blend in and find our roles,” he said. “I’m excited to get things going and I like our chances and I think we can turn this around.”
“J’aime vraiment le style de notre équipe et on a de bons joueurs à toutes les positions. Je suis persuadé que Jacques Martin saura réunir les bons éléments, j’aime nos chances de l’emporter et je suis très confiant”, a déclaré Cammalleri au site web de la LNH.
Sounds to me that from talks he’s had so far with Martin, that lines aren’t as clearly defined as some would think.
“I loved the fans of Calgary and it’s too bad it wasn’t longer there, but I think I’m in the same type of setting here in Montreal. Every time I have played there, it has always been a surreal experience and I can’t wait to do it on a regular basis.”
“À chaque fois que j’ai joué ici par le passé, c’était incroyable et maintenant je suis impatient de pouvoir le vivre sur une base régulière.”
Yeah, Mike, you’ve no idea how surreal it can get. Ask a Kostitsyn!
“This is a really amazing opportunity,” Cammalleri said. “We have a chance to make our own stamp on this team and really form our own identity. Sure it will take a bit of time to get used to each other, but I think this is pretty exciting. Obviously last season there were some tough times here and some things off the ice they went through but that’s in the past now and we can help this team move forward.”
“C’est une opportunité en or, nous avons la chance de forger notre propre identité. Cela prendra certainement un peu de temps avant que la chimie opère parfaitement mais je trouve ça excitant. Il y a eu des temps durs ici l’an dernier mais c’est du passé et on peut, ensemble, mener cette équipe vers les plus hauts sommets.”
Getting used to one another after such an overhaul is bound to have it’s road bumps, but the excitement the newcomers feel will hopefully outlast the short patience of Montreal fans.
“I’ve always been quite a romantic when it comes to tradition and history,” Cammalleri said. “My father and I, when we’re together, we probably talk about sports 90 percent of the time. He’s taught me a lot about the history of the game and I just really am interested in that stuff. I’m definitely a huge sports fan, so to play for a team like the Canadiens is huge.”
“J’adore la tradition et l’histoire qui berce notre sport. Lorsque mon père et moi sommes ensemble, on parle toujours de sport, il m’a appris beaucoup de choses sur l’histoire du hockey et j’en suis devenu un adepte donc pour moi c’est vraiment impressionnant de m’amener ici, avec une équipe comme le Canadien.”
Here hoping Cammalleri’s old man was a Habs fan, and told him that in this city, if you don’t make history, you become it rather quickly.
“I had a great time playing in L.A., don’t get me wrong, but when I got to Calgary and got to play in front of those fans, in that atmosphere, it was great and I knew that’s what I wanted to do during my next contract,” he said. “To be able to play in a place like Calgary and Canada where people bleed hockey, the passion is so high every game, that was something I never had and it was just such a great experience.”
He might have felt more heat playing for the Flames, but this will be like going from the frying pan straight into the fire.
One photo above was taken from an article in the Guelph Mercury on August 13. Check it out here.
The Hockey News from July 22 had a one on one with Cammalleri, in case you missed it.
