Montreal Canadiens

The NHL announced Friday that Saturday's game between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens has been postponed.

Boston had seven players and one staff member in the league's COVID-19 protocols as of Thursday night.

No make-up date for Saturday's contest, which was slated to take place at the Bell Centre in Montreal, was immediately established.

The Bruins played Thursday's game against the New York Islanders as scheduled. They suffered a 3-1 loss.

Boston winger Nick Foligno didn't mince words when asked about what the team went through leading up to the clash with the Isles.

"It's been a nightmare, to be honest with you," Foligno told reporters.

Meanwhile, Habs winger Jonathan Drouin raised concerns about playing the B's amid their COVID-19 outbreak.

"That's a tough question to answer, but I wouldn't be that comfortable playing with guys who might have COVID or against a team that's had seven cases; tomorrow morning there might be three more or two more, we don't know," Drouin said Thursday. "I don't feel comfortable playing with that. It's not what we were told this year with the vaccines and all that. For sure, things change in times like this, but it's really not ideal."

The Bruins aren't the only team going through coronavirus issues. The Calgary Flames had their past four games postponed with 18 players and three coaches in the protocols.

It's also an issue that extends beyond the NHL with the NFL, NBA and England's Premier League among the numerous sports entities dealing with a surge of COVID-19 cases.

For now, Boston's road game against the Ottawa Senators remains scheduled for Sunday.

Montreal is slated to begin a six-game road trip Monday when it visits the Islanders.

There will be no fans in attendance for Thursday's game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens.

The Canadiens announced they will not host a crowd at the Bell Centre following a request from Quebec public health officials due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases. The announcement explained there will be an update for Saturday's game against the Boston Bruins on Friday.

"We have accepted this request in order to help ensure the safety and security of our fans and fellow citizens throughout our community," the Canadiens said.

"We have obtained assurances that beginning with our games in January, we will return to a partial capacity scenario and be able to host fans once more," the team added. 

This comes after Sportsnet reported the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors and Ottawa Senators will all limit crowds to 50 percent capacity starting Saturday because of new rules announced by Ontario that prevent more than half capacity for indoor venues with more than 1,000 people.

Ontario premier Doug Ford explained "you've got to target the largest venues" because "you're sitting side-by-side for hours. Compared to a restaurant, that's comparing apples and bananas as far as I'm concerned, not even apples and oranges."

With the emergence and spread of the Omicron variant dominating headlines, sports are facing new challenges every day as the pandemic continues.

There have been cancellations, postponements and rising numbers of players placed in health and safety protocols.

In the NHL, the league announced the Calgary Flames' return to play was delayed because 17 more members of the organization entered COVID protocols. Saturday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets was postponed as part of the delay.

Calgary hasn't played since this past Saturday, and the Blue Jackets game was the fourth one postponed.                  

The Montreal Canadiens announced Sunday general manager Marc Bergevin has been fired as part of a massive front-office shakeup.

Assistant general manager Trevor Timmins and senior vice president Paul Wilson have also been relieved of their duties.

Jeff Gorton will remain with the team and serve as the executive vice president of hockey operations.

The Canadiens have been one of the worst teams in the NHL to this point, totaling only six wins and 14 points through 23 games. 

The Ottawa Senators are the only team in the Atlantic Division with a worse record, but they have played four fewer games than Montreal.

The Canadiens are coming off a trip to the Stanley Cup Final last season. They narrowly made the playoffs but went on a miracle run that included wins over the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets and Vegas Golden Knights before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

However, Montreal now appears set to miss the playoffs for the third time in five years. Last year's run was the only time since 2015 that the squad advanced beyond the first round of the postseason.

"We wish them all the success they deserve in the pursuit of their careers," owner Geoff Molson said in a statement. "I think, however, that the time has come for a leadership change within our hockey operations department that will bring a new vision and should allow our fans and partners to continue cheering for a championship team."

Bergevin was in his 10th year as the Canadiens general manager. The 56-year-old had also spent 20 years in the NHL playing for eight different organizations, including six years with the St. Louis Blues. 

The team will now begin a search for a new GM while Gorton will lead the front office in the interim. Gorton served as general manager of the New York Rangers for six seasons before he was fired in May.     

Montreal Canadians goaltender Carey Price shared that he entered a residential treatment facility for substance use in October in a public statement released on Instagram Tuesday:

Carey Price’s statement on Instagram pic.twitter.com/Kh8x9XRQYE

— Randip Janda (@RandipJanda) November 9, 2021

The NHL and NHLPA announced on Oct. 7 that Price had voluntarily entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

The 34-year-old netminder helped lead the Canadiens to their first Stanley Cup appearance in 28 years last season.

Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme told reporters last week the plan after a month-long absence was for Price to see the team therapists and doctors en route to him ramping up for his return to the ice, although he noted that a definitive timeline was tough to gauge at that moment:

News on Carey Price 👇#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/T3MwRlQuuI

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 5, 2021

As noted by Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette, Price arrived Sunday and met with the Canadiens' training staff.

Price also missed the entirety of training camp after undergoing offseason knee surgery.

In speaking with reporters, Ducharme made clear that Price's well-being was most important.

"It’s not about the hockey player, it’s about the human being," he said Monday. "To see that he’s coming back is a positive sign because he’s doing better. So that’s the most important thing. Our guys care about each other and to see a guy like him doing better, that’s positive."

Ducharme also noted that Price wants to return and help the team, which sits last in the Atlantic Division with a 3-10 record:

He wants to come back and play, but there's other things to manage. The injury that he was coming back from, getting back in shape and playing shape, too. So that's one thing. There's many steps to be taken but, yeah, he wants to play, he wants to be part of our group, he wants to help out.

Per Thomson Reuters (h/t CBC), Price met with teammates and coaches at the team facility Tuesday.

"It was good for me to see him and see how he is doing and for the guys too, to see their teammate back," Ducharme said.

"We have a group of guys that care about each other so having him back, just on the personal side, the guys feel pretty good about seeing him and seeing that he is doing good."

Price is entering his 15th NHL season. He has played with Montreal for his entire career and notably won the Hart and Vezina Trophies following a stellar 2014-15 season that saw him win 44 games, post a .933 save percentage and earn a 1.96 GAA.

He shined in last year's playoffs en route to leading Montreal to its underdog run to the Stanley Cup, going 13-9 with a .924 save percentage and 2.28 GAA.

The unlikely rivalry between the Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes took an interesting turn Thursday. 

Per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, the Hurricanes set up a website with the address DidTheHabsLose.com, and they directed their fans to it via social media after Thursday's 4-1 win over the Canadiens at the Bell Centre.

Unfortunately, there was a moment Friday morning when the site was hacked and turned into an anti-Carolina webpage. 

Hate us all you want, but don’t you dare insult @CookOut pic.twitter.com/VPR4nhxVhQ

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) October 22, 2021

According to Wyshynski, the original site "featured a banner photo with the word 'YES' in bold letters." The website also went beyond bragging about the victory and trolled the organization:

Underneath were two links to buy two Hurricanes player T-shirts: One for center Sebastian Aho, whom the Canadiens unsuccessfully attempted to sign away from Carolina with a free-agent offer sheet in 2019; and one for forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi, whom the Hurricanes poached from Montreal via an offer sheet last offseason. The shirts were on sale for $20—which is Aho's number and Kotkaniemi's signing bonus - for anyone using the promo code 'oui.'"  

Thomas Williams of Yahoo Sports noted the website no longer exists, but it is still accessible through a web archive if any Hurricanes fans want to remember the moment. 

While not exactly a full-fledged rivalry, like the Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs, the Habs and Hurricanes could turn into a fun one to watch. Former Canadiens player Jesperi Kotkaniemi joined Carolina in the offseason after Montreal declined to match an offer sheet in restricted free agency. 

Based on how they reacted to Kotkaniemi on Thursday, fans are holding a grudge against him for leaving.

The 21-year-old got the last laugh during the game by scoring a goal in his return to Montreal. 

Some hacker got the ultimate measure of revenge on the Hurricanes, though it's unclear if that person is a Canadiens fan. 

The Montreal Canadiens announced Tuesday that they signed forward Nick Suzuki to a contract extension.

The Habs noted that it is an eight-year deal worth $63 million that will keep him under contract with the team through the 2029-30 season.

Regarding the decision to lock up Suzuki, Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said: "We are very happy to secure Nick's services for the next eight seasons."

Although he is only 22 years of age and set to enter his third NHL season, Suzuki is already an alternate captain for the Habs and one of their best players.

Acquired in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018, Suzuki made his NHL debut during the 2019-20 season, registering 13 goals and 28 assists for 41 points in 71 games.

He was even better last season, as he matched his 2019-20 point total of 41 but did it in only 56 games. He also set a new career high with 15 goals in a top-six forward role for Montreal.

Perhaps even more impressive was Suzuki's performance during the postseason. After putting up seven points in 10 playoff games in 2020, Suzuki followed that up with seven goals and nine assists for 16 points in 22 playoff games last season.

Suzuki was Montreal's leading scorer both in terms of goals and points during last season's playoffs, as the Canadiens shocked the hockey world and made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final before falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Each of the past two regular seasons were truncated because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but with a full 82-game schedule on tap for 2021-22, Suzuki is poised to enjoy a career year.

Now that Suzuki is set to earn $7.875 million annually, the Habs are banking on him being their go-to guy offensively.

Suzuki is likely to center the top line with veteran Tyler Toffoli and rookie Cole Caufield flanking him.

Caufield is among the top candidates to win the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year, and if Suzuki continues to progress as expected, the Canadiens could have another star on their hands in Caufield.

The NHL and NHL Players' Association announced Thursday that Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price is taking leave from the team to voluntarily enter the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

According to the Associated Press, the player assistance program was created in 1996, and it assists players and their families with "mental health, substance abuse and other matters."

Price was already expected to miss the start of the 2021-22 regular season because of a non-COVID illness and recovery from offseason knee surgery.

Angela Price, Carey Price's wife, released the following statement on Instagram regarding Carey's entrance into the program:

Message from Angela Price on IG. pic.twitter.com/mnAn8YpxP4

— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) October 7, 2021

While addressing the media Thursday, Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said Price will miss a minimum of 30 days, but it "could be longer."

Bergevin also said he was caught "off guard" by the news since he just learned of it Wednesday, but added: "Today I'm not thinking of Carey Price the Montreal Canadiens goalie, but Carey Price the human being."

The 34-year-old Price has been one of the NHL's top goaltenders for the past 14 seasons, and he is coming off a magical 2020-21 campaign.

Price split time with Jake Allen during the regular season, starting 25 games and going 12-7-5 with a 2.64 goals-against average, .901 save percentage and one shutout, but it was during the playoffs when he truly stepped up.

Starting 22 games, Price went 13-9 with a 2.28 GAA, .924 save percentage and one shutout as the Habs shockingly made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final before falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Despite his remarkable performance, Price was left unprotected in the expansion draft, but the Seattle Kraken did not select him, ensuring he would remain in Montreal.

During his successful NHL career, Price has appeared in 707 regular-season games, going 360-257-79 with a 2.50 GAA, .917 save percentage and 49 shutouts.

He is a seven-time All-Star and won both the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goalie and the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP at the conclusion of the 2014-15 season.

Price is also in elite company on the international stage, having won gold in the Olympics, World Junior Championships and World Championships for Team Canada.

With Price away from the team, Allen is in line to take on the lion's share of the work between the pipes until he returns.

The Habs are in good hands given that Allen won a Stanley Cup during his time with the St. Louis Blues and has a career 2.50 GAA and .913 save percentage in eight seasons.

Logan Mailloux, the Montreal Canadiens' first-round draft pick in July, has been suspended by the Ontario Hockey League. 

The OHL announced an indefinite suspension for Mailloux stemming from conduct that resulted in a criminal fine while he was on loan to SK Lejon in Sweden in 2020. 

Per the league's announcement, Mailloux will be eligible to apply for reinstatement on Jan. 1, 2022. 

"A decision regarding reinstatement will be based in part on his conduct since his return to Canada and the appropriate treatment, counselling, mentoring and or education he receives from the date of this decision," the statement reads.

There was a lot of controversy around Montreal's decision to select Mailloux with the No. 31 pick. 

Prior to the draft, The Athletic's Katie Strang and Corey Pronman reported Mailloux was "issued a summary fine, akin to a conviction in Swedish court, for 'Kränkande fotografering' (offensive photography constituting an invasion of privacy) and 'Förtal' (defamation)."

The fine stemmed from Mailloux taking a photograph of a woman—without her consent—performing a sex act and circulating the image among some of his teammates with SK Lejon. 

"I do not think that Logan has understood the seriousness of his behavior," the woman told Strang and Pronman in an email. 

Mailloux announced on July 20, three days prior to the draft, that he was renouncing himself from this year's class because he didn't feel he'd "demonstrated strong enough maturity or character to earn that privilege in the 2021 Draft."

Despite not wanting to be selected by any team, the Canadiens decided to select the 18-year-old with their top pick. 

"It was totally irresponsible and a stupid act that I committed without thinking twice,"  Mailloux told reporters in a statement after the draft. "I know I caused a lot of harm to this person and her family, and I regret doing this stupid and egotistical act. I deeply regret it. What I did is now unfortunately a part of both of her life and mine. I've apologized to her, but nonetheless this will follow her for the rest of her life. For that, I deeply and sincerely regret it."

Canadiens owner Geoff Molson did announce that Mailloux was not going to participate in rookie training camp or main training camp, and they would "reassess Logan's readiness to be part of our organization" at a later date.

Mailloux was expected to start the 2021-22 season with the London Knights in the OHL.    

The Carolina Hurricanes' signing of Montreal Canadiens center Jesperi Kotkaniemi to a one-year, $6.1 million offer sheet on Saturday was a gift to the hockey world. The late-summer weeks are typically slow for hockey content, with the 2021 Women's World Championship the only relevant activity scheduled during that time this year.

Any offer sheet is noteworthy because they are uncommon and usually features a player of consequence. The optics of revenge for Montreal's offer-sheeting of Sebastian Aho in 2019 add a whole new dimension to the storyline. During what is expected to be the quietest period on the hockey calendar, the Hurricanes blindsided everyone with absolute chaos.

The move is a major win for neutral observers who are served with unexpected entertainment, but it's one that has significant implications for two Eastern Conference teams that, in differing ways, will have spotlights on them for the 2021-22 season. The Canadiens are coming off a run to the Stanley Cup Final. The Hurricanes are expected to be a top contender next season.

The fate of a 21-year-old former top prospect, as well as a first- and third-round pick, hangs in the balance. The Hurricanes took a massive risk by initiating this process and left the Habs in a vulnerable position with only a few days to choose between a rock and a hard place. It's a decision that will have significant consequences for the two teams both immediately and in the long term.

      

The Hurricanes' Big Risk

At least in concept, the Hurricanes' offer sheet for Kotkaniemi is perfectly executed. They found a young player left unsigned on a team with little wiggle room under the salary cap. He's a player who, while a good one, is not so integral to the Canadiens that general manager Marc Bergevin will be willing to move mountains to keep. They made an offer that the Habs might have a tough time justifying in spirit and an even more difficult time making work logistically.

In contrast to the Canadiens' offer sheet for Aho, which the Hurricanes matched without hesitation, in this example the Hurricanes are exploiting a situation where the other team may be out-leveraged.

But this particular deal for Kotkaniemi is a massive risk. He has had a roller-coaster career since the Canadiens drafted him third overall in 2018. He was good enough to make the NHL team as an 18-year-old in 2018-19 and played fairly well, then he suffered a sophomore slump severe enough for Montreal to demote him to the AHL.

Last season was a mixed bag encapsulated by his performances during the team's run to the Stanley Cup Final, where he was sometimes among the team's top contributors and at other moments played his way into the press box.

When Kotkaniemi is at his best, he's a cerebral two-way center with the hands to make plays in the offensive zone. Despite some hiccups in 2019-20, the defensive component of his game has, at least comparatively, been there. It's offensively where he's struggled the most, registering just 22 goals and 40 assists in 171 career regular-season NHL games. 

It's not the draft-pick compensation potentially headed to Montreal that causes concern, although that has to be accounted for. Kotkaniemi, despite his struggles, is a former top prospect who has had his moments in the NHL. He holds way more upside than that of what will likely be late picks in the first and third rounds in 2022.

The contract, and others necessary in coming years, is where this has the potential to blow up in Carolina's collective face. Even if Kotkaniemi presents the best version of himself, he won't be worth that $6.1 million next season. The Hurricanes themselves have to know this. It's suboptimal for 2021-22, but they have the cap space to deal with it.

It could pose much more of a problem long term. The following season, the Hurricanes will have to present him with a $6.1 million qualifying offer or he will become an unrestricted free agent. In theory, this would continue every offseason until 2026. 

Former NHLer Georges Laraque reported on 91.9 Sports that Kotkaniemi and Carolina have a handshake agreement on a contract in the ballpark of $4 million annually for the following season.

If true, that makes the situation more manageable, but it still sets the standard for Kotkaniemi as a top-six center at a time when he is still searching for enough consistency to remain in the lineup every night.

The 21-year-old has the talent to make this work, and the Hurricanes' style as a cycle-heavy team may suit him better. It's possible that he ends up justifying the contracts, but anything less than peak development will make him an expensive third-line center. 

On Kotkaniemi
Young enough that there is still a wide range of possibilities for him. Might not amount to much, but at 20 still has low-end 1C potential. Likeliest outcome right now is solid 3C pic.twitter.com/hFb6Ig5Mza

— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) August 29, 2021

 

The Hurricanes are effectively overpaying Kotkaniemi in the short term as a means to an end for acquiring a 21-year-old center with the talent to become a really good NHLer over the subsequent decade. There's logic in that, but this is a team that needs to get over the hump and realize its potential as an immediate contender. There is a path for Kotkaniemi to play a role in that pursuit, but with little margin for error, there are many ways in which this could backfire.

       

The Canadiens Are in a No-Win Situation

Kotkaniemi's signing of Carolina's offer sheet is literal insult to injury for Montreal. As the Hurricanes openly mock the Habs with no-so-subtle references to the prior Aho offer sheet, the Canadiens now face a major dilemma in an offseason in which an already rickety Carey Price underwent knee surgery, Shea Weber headed for pseudo-retirement and center Phillip Danault left for Los Angeles. 

LOLhttps://t.co/OXX6n4WK57

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) August 28, 2021

 

Danault's departure is particularly relevant in assessing the predicament in which Bergevin finds himself. He was integral to shutting down the opposition's top players during the Canadiens' unexpected Stanley Cup run.

As it were, the Habs were already vulnerable down the middle after the initial frenzy of free agency. That the Habs were going to rely on Kotkaniemi to jump into a second-line role behind fellow youngster Nick Suzuki was itself an uneasy scenario.

Without Kotkaniemi, the Habs are in crisis at the center position. Suzuki is very good, but the cupboard behind him would be empty. Jake Evans and Cedric Paquette are nowhere near good enough for second- and third-line roles, respectively. Prospect Ryan Poehling has upside but isn't ready to even attempt such a prominent role. 

Yet the financial implications of matching the offer sheet are abysmal. Where the Hurricanes are overpaying for a luxury they can afford, the Habs don't really have the space to make this work. Paul Byron's hip surgery will push him to long-term injured reserve, opening up just enough cap space to squeeze Kotkaniemi in at $6.1 million with a smaller roster, but upon the latter's expected return a few months into the season, the team would need to move a notable salary in order to stay cap compliant. 

Even worse are the consequences in future seasons. Kotkaniemi may have a verbal agreement with Carolina on a lower future contract as a condition of their submitting the offer sheet, but the center would have zero obligation nor the incentive to give the same compromise to the Canadiens should they match.

They will be forced to offer Kotkaniemi that one-year, $6.1 million qualifying offer through 2026 unless a different agreement can be found while holding little leverage. 

The Canadiens seem to be planning for damage limitation by seeking out a separate trade in which they'd acquire a center, perhaps using the draft picks Carolina would be handing over. Jack Eichel would obviously be a dream scenario, though that situation is as complex as ever.

The more realistic name in the rumor mill is Arizona's Christian Dvorak. The Canadiens could do worse than acquiring the 25-year-old as a replacement.

Dvorak has been a strong driver of offensive possessions the last couple of seasons, but his offensive output has been underwhelming, albeit on brutal Coyotes teams, his defensive impacts have been OK and he's already suffered some notable injuries in his young career. 

Other potential options could include Sean Monahan (Calgary), Ryan Strome (New York Rangers) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (Washington). But early September is not the time to be in the market for a splash, with most teams having already conducted their big business early in the summer. And with every team aware of Montreal's sudden, desperate need, the market won't be a favorable one.

It's possible that Montreal does indeed find a suitable replacement, but this is still far from an ideal scenario. The Habs invested a third overall pick in Kotkaniemi just three years ago and despite some turbulence, his upside remains high. They became too cavalier in their negotiations with Kotkaniemi and, thanks to Carolina, now find themselves between a rock and a hard place.