Saturday Habs Headlines: Tomas Plekanec wants to come home

Montreal Canadiens news and notes

• Tomas Plekanec says he wants to come home for one more season. [NHL | Montreal Gazette]
• Catch up with Habs’ prospect Will Bitten. [Canadiens]
• The Canadiens are always trying to address their problem down the middle. Here are a couple ways they could improve at centre. [The Athletic]
• Some of the greats of women’s hockey (and of Les Canadiennes) celebrated Caroline Ouellette’s birthday at their hockey camp. [Twitter]/

Spending my birthday with Marie-Philip Poulin & Julie Chu at the Team Quebec -16 to teach to on ice skills development. Je passe ma fête en bonne compagnie Au RV printanier d’équipe Québec-16 pour les sessions de développement des habiletés @pou29 et @juliechu1321 @HockeyQuebec pic.twitter.com/LAFpohlusK

— Caroline Ouellette (@couellette13) May 25, 2018

• Guy Carbonneau was the last captain to hoist the Cup with the Habs. Stu Cowan takes a look back at his career. [Montreal Gazette]/

Around the league and elsewhere

• It’s been 25 years, and Gary Bettman is still going strong. [AP News]
• The Vancouver Canucks ink Elias Pettersson to a three-year, entry-level contract. [TSN]
• The Washington Capitals emphatically stole the Lightning’s scoring thunder in the final games of the series. Here’s a closer look at how they did it. [TSN]
• Alex Ovechkin has gotten the lion’s share of praise for his playoff performance this year, but Braden Holtby is no less deserving of recognition. [Yahoo Sports]
• TSN chronicles the Vegas Golden Knights’ Cinderella season. [TSN]
• Previewing the Knights/Capitals Stanley Cup Final [Sportsnet | NBC Sports | NHL | The Hockey News]
• There can be only one winner of the Cup every season, but who were some of the best losers at the end of the road? [ESPN]
• So THAT’s what Patrik Laine looks like without that beard! We’d forgotten. [Twitter]/

Something’s.... missing... 🤔

via @PatrikLaine29’s Instagram Story pic.twitter.com/4oRRTU71UT

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) May 25, 2018

• Following his hiring by USA Hockey, John Vanbiesbrouck apologizes for his use of a racial slur directed at Trevor Daley earlier in his career. [Craig Custance]/

John Vanbiesbrouck addresses Daley racial slur incident during intro conference call following his hire at USA Hockey: "I was absolutely 100 percent wrong, there’s not a lot of days that go by that I don’t feel remorse for that. I’m extremely sorry for it. It’s not who I am."

— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) May 25, 2018

• We’re into the final round of the playoffs, which means trade season is rapidly approaching. Here are some top names who may find themselves in new jerseys in October. [Sportsnet]
• John Tavares has been at the centre of the most free-agent speculations and rumors for months now, but there is a definite possibility that he could re-sign in New York. [Sportsnet]
• Scott Hartnell wants to keep playing. [NHL]
• Auston Matthews may not necessarily be the shoo-in captain for the Leafs that he seems. [NHL]
• The Toronto Marlies advance to the Calder Cup Final. [CBC]
• Justin Trudeau invites the Markham Thunder to the Capital, marking the first time that a CWHL team has been invited to meet the prime minister after winning the Clarkson Cup. [CBC]
• The story of an ECHL EBUG. [The Athletic].
• Humboldt Broncos’ coach/GM Darcy Haugan has been nominated fro the NHL Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award. [Twitter]/

Broncos' Coach/GM Darcy Haugan has been nominated for this year’s NHL Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award We know who our vote will go to - https://t.co/SCo1M4Zh2b Thanks @NHL! #HumboldtStrong

— Humboldt Broncos (@HumboldtBroncos) May 25, 2018