Quotes and highlights from the Habs locker clean out
A round up of the players thoughts after the end of the season.
Alex Galchenyuk
On playing for Team USA at the upcoming World Championships
Alex Galchenyuk is not going to the worlds for Team USA. Wouldn't say if he declined an invite or simply wasn't invited. "I'm just not going."
— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) April 9, 2018
On possibly moving back to centre in the future
Galchenyuk also said a potential move back to centre next season was not discussed in his exit meeting.
— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) April 9, 2018
#Habs Galchenyuk said in his exit interviews this morning the subject of him moving back to centre did not come up. However, he said he did feel like he gained more trust from Julien as the season progressed.
— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) April 9, 2018
Asked Galchenyuk what gave him optimism for next year. He said it’s the same thing as life, you have a bad day but you wake up optimistic for tomorrow anyway #Habs
— Douglas Gelevan (@DGelevan) April 9, 2018
Noah Juulsen
Juulsen said he’s really happy with what he showed since being called up. But not taking anything for granted heading into next year. Needs to earn his spot. Said Alzner taught him a lot about being a pro. #Habs
— Douglas Gelevan (@DGelevan) April 9, 2018
Asked Noah Juulsen about top competition he was matchup up against during his time with #Habs. Said he liked the job he and Alzner did vs. Taylor Hall last week #TSN690
— Joey Alfieri (@joeyalfieri) April 9, 2018
Juulsen: “Coming into next year, I have to earn my spot here. Nothing is gonna be given to me.” #Habs
— Joey Alfieri (@joeyalfieri) April 9, 2018
Juulsen: “The biggest improvement, for me, was just shutting down the defensive zone. That was one of the bigger things I was working on in the AHL.” #TSN690
— Joey Alfieri (@joeyalfieri) April 9, 2018
Phillip Danault
On his health after a concussion scare
Phillip Danault says he's now 100% and resume skating.@CanadiensMTL #tvasports
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) April 9, 2018
Danault seems to expect changes to be coming after a poor season
Danault says that injuries weren’t the determining factor in the #Habs poor season. Says the player need to buy in from day one next year
— Douglas Gelevan (@DGelevan) April 9, 2018
“Ça va prendre des changements et une nouvelle ère... on a quand même terminé 28e!” - Danault
— Marc-André Perreault (@MA_PerreaultTVA) April 9, 2018
Phillip Danault est le seul à avouer qu'il y aura du changement cet été jusqu'ici, il dit également avoir confiance en Marc Bergevin @919sports
— Maxime Van Houtte (@MaxVanHoutte) April 9, 2018
Phillip Danault was very frank about what went wrong this season. It wasn't injuries, it was a lack of focus to start the season that snowballed. "Nobody was as hungry as the year before when we made the playoffs. We can't take anything for granted. That's what happened."
— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) April 9, 2018
Charles Hudon
You can add the rookie forward to the list of players with nagging ailments as the season ended.
Charles Hudon a joué les deux derniers mois avec une blessure à un genou. Pas besoin d'opération pour le moment mais beaucoup de repos. #CH
— Chantal Machabee (@ChantalMachabee) April 9, 2018
On next year for the fans
“It can’t be worse” Hudon on why #Habs fans should be optimistic for next season
— Douglas Gelevan (@DGelevan) April 9, 2018
It wasn’t an easy year for Hudon, despite his solid play.
Charles Hudon says he was surprised by the grind of his first NHL season. Despite first-class travel, etc, he found the back to backs, late nights a grind. Says he was pleased with his rookie season
— Dan Robertson (@DRTSN690) April 9, 2018
Brendan Gallagher
To the surprise of no one, Gallagher also played hurt
Brendan Gallagher said he’s been playing hurt for a while, but won’t need surgery this offseason #Habs #TSN690
— Joey Alfieri (@joeyalfieri) April 9, 2018
Brendan Gallagher admet que l’équipe connaissait des ratées dès le camp d’entraînement et que l’on a « jamais été en mesure de trouver des solutions ».
— Patrick Friolet (@PFrioletRDS) April 9, 2018
Lire ici un commentaire s’adressant à l’entraîneur et au directeur général #CH #RDS
On what went wrong, and how hard the season was
Gallagher: “The hardest thing was coming to the rink all year, talking to you guys thinking we had the answers and obviously not having it.” #TSN690
— Joey Alfieri (@joeyalfieri) April 9, 2018
Gallagher: “Right from our training camp, we weren’t good enough.” #TSN690
— Joey Alfieri (@joeyalfieri) April 9, 2018
More @BGALLY17: “I am proud of the guys. Even though we were out of it, we continued to come to work with the right attitude, continued to get better. But at the same time, it felt like we failed...” #TSN690
— Joey Alfieri (@joeyalfieri) April 9, 2018
Jonathan Drouin
On his first year playing centre
Drouin avoue qu’il se sentait plus confortable au centre à la fin de la saison, notamment dans le cercle des mises en jeu. Il est content d’avoir cette expérience #CH #RDS
— Patrick Friolet (@PFrioletRDS) April 9, 2018
Also said he and Bergevin didn’t discuss if he’d be playing either Centre or Wing next season in his exit interview.
— Douglas Gelevan (@DGelevan) April 9, 2018
Drouin is extremely optimistic for next season thanks to the success in New Jersey and Colorado
Drouin said that seeing what Colorado and New Jersey did this year gives him optimism that #Habs can do the same next season & be a playoff team pic.twitter.com/Bco9pGaH4Y
— Douglas Gelevan (@DGelevan) April 9, 2018
Jonathan Drouin said he hasn’t been asked to play for Team Canada at the worlds #TSN690
— Joey Alfieri (@joeyalfieri) April 9, 2018
Jeff Petry
Petry says the #Habs had the players and the talent to get the job done. They just didn’t get it done. He’s not putting this year’s failure on the unspent money or anything else pic.twitter.com/vxnIC1ASnF
— Douglas Gelevan (@DGelevan) April 9, 2018
Jeff Petry : « On avait les joueurs et le talent. On a tout simplement pas fait le travail » #CH #RDS
— Patrick Friolet (@PFrioletRDS) April 9, 2018
Petry:"Je sais que je dois être plus fort mentalement. Il y a des fois où je commettais une erreur qui m’amenait à en commettre une ou deux autres. Je dois comprendre que c’est un jeu rapide et que des erreurs surviennent. Même les meilleurs joueurs font des erreurs."#CH #Habs
— Jonathan Bernier (@JBernierJDM) April 9, 2018
Jacob de la Rose
De La Rose says he thinks he showed he can be an everyday NHL this season. Also says #Habs have enough talent in the room to make playoffs next season. Says there is a lot of good young talent here. pic.twitter.com/nFe7p5gxbI
— Douglas Gelevan (@DGelevan) April 9, 2018
The Habs will in fact have some representation at the World Championships!
.@JacobdelaRose confirme qu'il participera au Championnat mondial de hockey en mai.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 9, 2018
Jacob de la Rose confirms that he will play at the IIHF World Championships in May.#GoHabsGo
Artturi Lehkonen
Finland asked Artturi Lehkonen to play at the WC but he's not sure if he'll go. @CanadiensMTL #tvasports
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) April 9, 2018
Lehkonen had very little to say. Are you going to worlds? Wouldn’t say. Are you injured? Wouldn’t say. He did say that he believes in this team. #Habs pic.twitter.com/h8gclFXJKU
— Douglas Gelevan (@DGelevan) April 9, 2018
Nicolas Deslauriers
«Quand tu joues à la maison, devant tes partisans, c'est tellement facile d'avoir de l'énergie pour moi» Nicolas Deslauriers pic.twitter.com/d9o7x7IHwW
— Hockey 360 (@hockey360) April 9, 2018
Nicolas Deslauriers a rendu hommage au personnel d’entraîneurs du @RocketLaval qui l’ont bien préparé pour son retour réussi dans la LNH #CH #RDS
— Patrick Friolet (@PFrioletRDS) April 9, 2018
Victor Mete
Victor Mete says he would be healthy enough to go to the World Championships if invited. He hasn't gotten a call yet.
— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) April 9, 2018
Mete says this year was a roller coaster for him but thinks he feels like an NHLer now. Says the best thing for the team would be to forget about how the season went & come in with a fresh attitude next year #Habs pic.twitter.com/BDhgmF3WAg
— Douglas Gelevan (@DGelevan) April 9, 2018
Carey Price
Price said he’s not worried about the future of #Habs. Says things change very quickly in the NHL. Said his job is to stop pucks & he’s going to leave the roster decision to those people whose job it is. On summer plans said he’s going to “not think about hockey for a while” pic.twitter.com/6Jax9tftGu
— Douglas Gelevan (@DGelevan) April 9, 2018
Andrew Shaw
Shaw says his head injury is cleared. But his knee needs surgery. Hurt it on same play that knocked him out v Dallas #Habs pic.twitter.com/E9PJ9427Uv
— Douglas Gelevan (@DGelevan) April 9, 2018
Andrew Shaw did officially suffer a concussion on Pateryn hit. “Any time you get knocked out...” he felt symptoms for just three days.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) April 9, 2018
Andrew Shaw will undergo knee surgery next Tuesday #Habs
— Jessica Rusnak (@JessRusnak) April 9, 2018
Shaw re: what went wrong, he said players weren’t on the same page from day one.
— Douglas Gelevan (@DGelevan) April 9, 2018
As for why next year might be better “the only way to go is up” #Habs
Max Pacioretty
Pacioretty : « J’aime jouer à Montréal et j’en suis fier. Je veux être un Canadien pour la vie » #CH #RDS
— Patrick Friolet (@PFrioletRDS) April 9, 2018
Pacioretty:"J'aime joué à Montréal. Idéalement, je voudrais passer ma vie ici. Mais dans la vie, tout n'est pas toujours idéal."#ch #habs
— Jonathan Bernier (@JBernierJDM) April 9, 2018
"Je suis en ville à tous les jours. Les partisans m'encouragent toujours. En 10 ans ici, jamais un fan m'a donné un commentaire négatif" -Max Pacioretty.
— Luc Gelinas (@LucGelinasRDS) April 9, 2018
#Habs Pacioretty says in 10 years he has never had a negative interaction with a fan in Montreal. He says heat and criticism comes strictly from the mainstream media (but didn’t acknowledge talk radio and social media).
— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) April 9, 2018
Max Pacioretty says he's tried to be more human and open with media this season...
— Salim Nadim Valji (@salimvalji) April 9, 2018
Max Pacioretty, once again, expressed his desire to stay, how much he and his family love it here, how he lives here year round. But he also clearly knows it is out of his hands, and he doesn't know management's intentions in terms of his contract.
— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) April 9, 2018
Pacioretty knows he and the team underperformed and that changes are coming and that his contract makes it so he might be one of those changes. He said "one way or another" he will probably always live in Montreal.
— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) April 9, 2018