tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28380605665709718932012-02-16T06:15:36.862-05:00News and information on the Montreal Canadiens, their players, prospects and front office. Insight that's useful to Habs fans everywhere.HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.comBlogger491100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-86435192251560517972011-12-20T17:40:00.003-05:002011-12-23T16:17:06.186-05:00

Decision time Mr. Molson (Photo credit: Paul Chiasson/CP) The Richard Riot almost 57 years ago sparked the beginning of change, not only within province of Quebec but the Montreal Canadiens as well. And with that change, Dick Irvin would become the last unilingual anglophone to start a season as head coach of Les Glorieux. Some have claimed over the years that Toe Blake and/or Bob Berry were

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-21936953914662099402011-12-15T18:25:00.001-05:002011-12-15T18:25:13.537-05:00

Emelin Boom! (Photo credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) Ever since the NHL added Rule 48 in an attempt to deal with illegal hits to the head, there’s been repeated claims that it’ll force players to hit less, for fear of lost salary from suspension. The result of course would be a drastic reduction in physical play, turning the game we all love into mere Shinny. Yeah, about that… When the

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-70825057337564050542011-12-09T15:09:00.001-05:002011-12-09T15:25:06.720-05:00

Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images For those who thought the Montreal Canadiens wouldn’t try to save their season and at least one round of playoff revenue with at least one significant trade, meet Tomas Kaberle. It also makes it pretty clear that GM Pierre Gauthier still has more rope to hang himself with than Jacques Martin. If he didn’t, Geoff Molson would’ve or should’ve stepped in to

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-20744607507347029632011-12-08T16:05:00.000-05:002011-12-09T11:18:50.675-05:00

Yannick Weber - The only Habs D with a power play goal Rely too heavily on your power play and eventually, you’ll pay the price. The Montreal Canadiens traditionally have a Top 10 power play percentage that, like most power plays, suffers in the playoffs as opportunities become scarce, especially in those pesky deciding games.In the first two seasons under Jacques Martin, only 5 teams have

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-26134304368894397372011-10-21T15:36:00.000-04:002011-11-09T15:37:12.918-05:00

Photo credit: Marco Campanozzi/Canwest News Service In a league where teams play at even strength about two-thirds of the game and where power play opportunities in the playoffs dry up faster than a raisin in the sun, especially in deciding games, how wise is it to have an over-reliance on the power play and goaltending to save your bacon? Passive, counter-strike hockey is Jacques Martin’s

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-87490064931226571302011-06-24T16:03:00.004-04:002011-06-25T11:03:31.811-04:00

Who doesn't enjoy draft day? A year's worth of scouting where there's no cap limit on resources used to find the best players available. Interesting then that so many teams, the Montreal Canadiens included, have been relying more and more on video since the lockout. Only time will tell if the streamlining will improve their first round track record. While it’s tempting to address immediate needs

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-62594457960131286152011-04-14T16:21:00.001-04:002011-04-14T16:46:42.279-04:00

No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy and it’s why the first round of the NHL playoffs typically ends with major upsets every year. The majority of pundits beyond Montreal, and some within expect a short, one-sided affair with the Boston Bruins moving on in 5 or 6 games, even though the Canadiens won the season series 4-2 and were only outscored by two goals. This preview will

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-21967819082081351042011-04-01T16:29:00.003-04:002011-04-01T16:38:30.650-04:00

Pacioretty paying the price As the regular season winds down and teams jostle for playoff ranking, the Habs currently sit 24th in goal scoring average, 20th at home and 24th on the road… a paltry 0.03 goals a game better than last year, even though the Canadiens have twice as many forwards on pace to be healthy enough for 70+ games. So what gives? Is it Jacques Martin’s system, too many small

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-7666545892070491342011-02-16T16:19:00.015-05:002011-08-13T15:47:57.728-04:00

Finish him! (Photo Credit: Getty Images) If you close your eyes and listen to the hysteria, you’d think there was actually a crisis in the NHL over fighting. That somehow the league was intentionally turning a blind-eye on disciplinary action in order to promote fights for a ratings boost and increased attendance. More specifically, that fighting was so integral to the sport of hockey in

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-21949775111752205472011-02-14T02:16:00.007-05:002011-12-12T11:30:10.081-05:00

Originally written as a two part special for AllHabs.net on February 10th and 11th, 2011 Photo Credit - AP/Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz When it comes to coaching strategy and systems, is it better to adapt to the strengths and weaknesses of the lot your given, or bend the will of players to execute a system you feel wins hockey games? And what if you were given a clean slate and had a direct

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-51923930726324312682011-01-12T11:49:00.002-05:002011-01-12T16:43:20.423-05:00

Photo Credit: Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images  At the halfway point of the season it’s time to look at what worked, what didn't and what must be done if the Montreal Canadiens hope to not only make the playoffs but go deep once again. In order to provide better insight, I've broken down the statistics by quarter so readers can judge for themselves how not only the players performed but how they

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-11258239181172845932010-12-21T12:19:00.008-05:002010-12-22T08:31:37.267-05:00

You could make a strong argument that no single person or position is more important to an NHL team's success and organizational stability than the goaltender. Not only is it the most difficult position to scout, project and draft - consider that only 16.7% of goalies drafted today make an impact in the NHL - it’s also the one position that highlights fundamental philosophical differences between

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-39769165824003828912010-11-22T17:00:00.002-05:002010-11-23T02:33:11.852-05:00

Photo credit: Richard Wolowicz / Getty Images Everyone knows Montreal Canadiens fans and the media who feed them are fickle beasts. Always ready to pounce on anything negative in a game of sensationalist one-upmanship that Quebecers do so well. Controversy, real or tabloid is the life energy that keeps this city fed and warm during long winter nights and just one thing messes with that… winning

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-35606536683367875402010-11-20T16:42:00.002-05:002010-11-23T02:38:05.564-05:00

Way back in the not so long ago… hockey fans had to rely on local papers, television and sports-radio during the week for trade rumours that were supposedly circulating around the NHL. I always looked forward to Saturday nights and CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada in the hope that someone would mention a rumour involving the Montreal Canadiens during one of their segments. Of course, back then

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-19159543630378273082010-10-07T15:44:00.002-04:002010-10-07T15:52:52.493-04:00

If Carey Price can hold his own and put up at least respectable numbers, the Montreal Canadiens should be healthy enough this season to finish as high as seventh in the East and make the playoffs. If Price can't handle the pressure and blows up then the season will get real ugly, real fast as there's no Plan B to cover for his expected 60 starts, potentially dropping the Habs into Lottery pick

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-71084200213527556402010-08-12T10:03:00.002-04:002010-11-13T13:01:00.664-05:00

A study of leagues producing the NHL players of tomorrow The hockey world changed in 2005 and it had nothing to do with the NHL lockout that cost owners, players and fans the 2004-05 season. Starting with the Crosby draft lottery of 2005 which signaled the end of hostilities between the NHL and NHLPA, teams began a broad, calculated and intentional shift away from drafting European players.

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-19360982673567319162010-08-11T18:18:00.004-04:002010-09-02T13:40:57.193-04:00

Or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the Habs First published at All_Habs on July 21st We’ve all heard the annual complaints, mostly agenda driven, by Francophone sports media preceding, and certainly after each draft, that the NHL in general and the Montreal Canadiens in particular have something against drafting Quebec-born players. Some, like Bertrand Raymond’s June 23rd rant on

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-58708327742248213162010-06-15T16:21:00.005-04:002010-06-17T00:45:24.446-04:00

Part 2 of 2 ROUNDS 2 to 7 - The true measure of drafting There's a reason why all the mock NHL drafts you see don't speculate beyond the first round and why scouting services only offer paid access to their lists. The consensus over who should be taken gets murky very quickly once you're about half-way through the second round. A very good reason why so many eagerly await the bible that is Bob

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-51041589375123481572010-06-11T14:32:00.004-04:002010-06-13T00:17:33.247-04:00

Part 1 of 2 Round 1 - Do NHL teams really benefit from draft position? It’s said that there are lies, damned lies, and statistics. And then there’s the NHL Draft. Over the years we’ve all heard stories about which organizations are supposedly good at scouting and drafting NHL calibre players and which organizations are supposedly so bad that they constantly waste their picks or trade them away.

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-39418164213903246372010-06-08T15:27:00.002-04:002010-06-08T20:45:40.843-04:00

When Bob Gainey announced on February 8th that he was stepping down as vice-president and general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, club president Pierre Boivin sat next to him and proudly announced that every stone had been overturned in a league-wide review of available candidates and after this comprehensive endeavor, the best candidate was here the whole time in then assistant GM, Pierre

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-77818784605045153922010-06-03T00:22:00.003-04:002010-06-19T12:41:19.482-04:00

A number of media pundits believe Habs GM Pierre Gauthier has a decision to make this summer on who will be the No. 1 Goaltender of the Montreal Canadiens for the foreseeable future. If only it were that simple. Problem is, the choice he makes will most likely be in reaction to what moves his two goalies make via their agents this summer. By June 26th we should know who the Habs next No. 1

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-69886498705998115472010-02-02T15:29:00.004-05:002010-02-02T15:37:58.588-05:00

With the injury to Mike Cammalleri, who’s expected to be out about six weeks with an MCL sprain, the Molson family under Geoff Molson, not Habs GM Bob Gainey operating in a bubble has a decision to make in the next 48-72 hours. Make a move similar to Calgary and execute a panic trade... or two... in an attempt to save the season and try for a round of playoff revenue, praying for more OR...

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-31977422380564316222010-02-01T02:53:00.004-05:002010-02-01T03:05:58.843-05:00

We should know more about the extent of damage done to Mike Cammalleri’s right knee when he has an MRI done in Montreal this morning, assuming the swelling has gone down enough to remove the inflatable cast and get good imaging. What we do know is that the offensive production of Mike Cammalleri cannot be replaced, not when he was providing 27% of the teams 5 on 5 goal production which was

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-60164697947847296712010-01-28T15:24:00.017-05:002010-08-12T18:55:13.695-04:00

While the media is masturbating to their manufactured or at the very least, greatly exaggerated rumour regarding the supposed verbal altercation between Andrei Markov and Carey Price, there hasn’t been a serious look into the numbers behind the Price/Halak goalie controversy. Sure there have been stats thrown around by supporters of each goaltender but nothing of any substance that might shed

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-69035936134512837792010-01-25T16:22:00.000-05:002010-01-25T16:22:27.019-05:00

In a scathing interview done by the Frozen Royalty on January 20th, Los Angeles Kings President & General Manager Dean Lombardi didn’t hold back on his feelings regarding the coaching ability of University of Michigan Head Coaching legend, Red Berenson who was in charge of Jack Johnson’s development in 2006 and 2007. Johnson was traded to Los Angeles from Carolina just prior to his second season

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-84232273567777971022010-01-22T15:17:00.000-05:002010-01-22T15:17:43.063-05:00

Maxim Lapierre was sent a message loud and clear yesterday in practice when Mike Cammalleri got in his face which soon led to a physical confrontation over Lapierre's lackluster effort and indifferent attitude, not just in practice recently but all season long. 51 Games later, Lapierre is an absolute shadow of the player he was and the type of player the Habs expected him to be this year with no

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-78869014014568279892010-01-21T12:26:00.003-05:002010-01-21T13:37:03.747-05:00

The final straw on Georges Laraque was his absolute failure to stand up for his teammates in the embarrassing loss to the Rangers last Sunday and if BGL didn’t sense it then, it should have been patently obvious when Ryan O’Byrne took his spot up front last night against St. Louis. The media today are running with their usual agendas; Gainey’s fault for signing him, Martin’s fault for misusing

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-78005034390382919472010-01-20T15:08:00.004-05:002010-01-20T15:10:15.853-05:00

With 13 games to go before the Olympic break, 12 after tonights must win game against St. Louis, it’s becoming clear Habs GM Bob Gainey is feeling the pressure to work a trade in the coming days and not wait until the 72 hour trade deadline window that opens after the break when it may be too late. The billboard-sized tell of what Gainey wants is size and more size with a side of skill with the

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-41119293495802712032010-01-16T16:09:00.000-05:002010-01-16T16:09:36.028-05:00

With Habs GM Bob Gainey looking to parlay Jaroslav Halak into secondary scoring help up front it’s becoming more and more likely that Tomas Plekanec will remain a Montreal Canadien beyond the trade deadline. Even before the injuries to Andrei & Sergei Kostitsyn, the Habs were already looking for more secondary scoring help to off-set the brutal production from the “Next Six” on their forward

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-75129737701775163902010-01-14T15:14:00.007-05:002010-01-15T16:57:04.734-05:00

If one takes a moment to sit back, remove their fanboy cap and put on their GM helmet it's easy to laugh off the current rumours floating around regarding Halak and the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers have no desire to trade away young players or prospects (aka affordable talent) while sitting dead last in the Western conference and firmly planted in Lottery pick territory. In fact, the only players

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-90696606865204230602008-11-28T13:00:00.011-05:002010-01-15T02:41:58.875-05:00

With the season a quarter of the way through it's time look at the development of the Habs key prospects throughout their system. I start with a look at the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs: Matt D'Agostini 6'00, 201 lbs, 22 yrs RW - Shoots right GP: 20 G:14 A: 11 PIM: 16 Now in his 3rd AHL season the time is almost now for Matt D'Agostini. Since being drafted 190th overall in 2005 he's added 20 pounds to

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-26817794536350395832007-11-02T13:12:00.000-04:002007-11-02T14:27:01.404-04:00

The fans gave it to him good last night and rightly so as the boos rained down from the rafters from the first moment Daniel Briere stepped onto the ice until the very end of the game. And what a game it was with the speed of the Habs running the Flyers into the ground. Some might be tempted to claim the phantom penalty on Briere was the turning point of the game but it wasn't as lousy reffing

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-66757820205787555562007-11-02T02:49:00.001-04:002010-01-15T02:44:58.768-05:00

You just gotta love how rumours get started in this hockey mad town. The Team 990 has very few resources to hire solid sports personalities beyond Mitch Melnick who I've listened to in Montreal for years and like a lot. During his "The Stock Exchange" show however, P.J. Stock told his listeners that a source had just informed him that Jaroslav Halak had asked to be traded or else he'd "return to

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-72573879306437772702007-11-01T15:41:00.001-04:002010-01-15T02:45:24.900-05:00

All three were told today to get an apartment in Montreal which is no surprise at all when you consider the overall situation. Of the three, I'm sure Grabovski raised some eyebrows... especially those who feel he's blocking the return of Maxim Lapierre from Hamilton or Sergei Kostitsyn from the pressbox. As I wrote previously, there is a very real possibility that Mikhail Grabovski would sign

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-82307254540888470982007-11-01T14:59:00.001-04:002010-01-15T02:45:48.812-05:00

The Montreal Canadiens prospect who's their most NHL ready offensive defencemen took to the ice two days ago for the first time since spraining a ligament in his left knee during a pre-season game against Pittsburgh back on September 17th. Although he's not expected to play for another week or two, Carle is slightly ahead of schedule which is great news for Hab fans. As one of the only

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-21394775771726809692007-10-25T02:09:00.000-04:002007-10-25T02:33:06.742-04:00

Now this is funny. For those that may not know TQS has a show called 110%, during which they dedicated almost the entire October 23rd broadcast to the hot rumour that injury-plagued Eric Lindros was on the verge of signing a UFA contract with the Montreal Canadiens. Say what?? I'm sure I wasn't the only one who had a good chuckle over it but I'll admit I burst out laughing when just 24 hours

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-66371715331765202242007-10-25T01:46:00.000-04:002007-10-25T17:03:17.916-04:00

Or so says Yvon Pedneault. In a story he wrote a couple days ago he claimed Dallas Stars scout Dave Taylor had been seen at the last four Montreal Canadiens games. Curious why he never mentioned that when he was pumping his Tanguay rumour? Anyway, a quick look at both rosters and it's obvious both teams have the same needs. Scoring goals. Brenden Morrow or the right-handed Philippe Boucher would

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-72208634839324157932007-10-18T15:21:00.001-04:002010-01-15T02:45:39.069-05:00

Gotta love the French media here in Montreal. They wait just 5 games before they begin the annual pot-stirring competition between the various media outlets in their effort to sell papers or draw in listeners. And yes, the truth and common sense are always the first casualties in their constant effort to one-up each other. Enter Yvon Pednault with his annual self-generated rumours that always

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-28369045551887441142007-10-11T13:24:00.001-04:002010-01-15T02:45:58.276-05:00

Perhaps hockey analysts have just gotten lazy and don't do their homework anymore, merely trolling the Internet to see what others are saying and mirroring those opinions in fear of looking stupid. Well... they are. The Hockey News for example has picked the Habs to finish 13th this season and gave them an overall rating of D+ and in doing so proved to any doubters out there that the only

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-8579296368552152602007-04-20T02:29:00.001-04:002010-01-15T02:46:06.925-05:00

And what a debut it was. As had been speculated, coach Don Lever tapped 19 year old Carey Price to start in goal against Rochester and he reponded by stopping all 34 shots in a 2-0 win for Hamilton. Once again he looked calm, cool and composed way beyond his years. After the game Price said "It was a lot of fun because the guys help me a lot, helped me to see the puck and they did a good job of

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-22252600301690694332007-04-19T13:12:00.001-04:002010-01-15T02:46:24.363-05:00

With just 2 pro games under his belt, all signs point to 19 year old Carey Price starting in goal for the Hamilton Bulldogs tonight as they open the AHL playoffs on the road against the Rochester Americans. Montreal Canadiens goaltending coach, Rollie Melanson has stated that Price has "earned it" and Bulldogs coach Don Lever has been nothing but impressed with what he's seen so far in the young

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-66519440586304571102007-04-17T15:02:00.001-04:002010-01-15T02:46:36.530-05:00

Media sources indicate the Montreal Canadiens have begun serious negotiations to sign Pavel Valentenko and Alexei Emelin out of Russia with Valentenko being the top priority. Here's a bio on both players: Pavel Valentenko Size: 6'02, 202lbs Shoots: Left Position: Defence Drafted: 139th, 2006 2006/07Neftekhimik NizhnekamskGP: 50 G: 0 A: 2 Pts: 2 Pim: 62 Plus/Minus: -6 Greatly impressed

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-43253845690768905222007-04-17T14:27:00.001-04:002010-01-15T02:46:45.280-05:00

Rumours out of Austria have Canadiens owner George Gillett in secretive talks to sell the franchise to Dietrich "Didi" Mateschitz, the billionaire behind Red Bull. Donald Beauchamp, the Canadiens’ vice-president of communications and community relations has said the team is not for sale but two websites in Austria are reporting that Gillett has been involved in “top secret” negotiations with

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-91058648998496113552007-04-17T13:24:00.001-04:002010-01-15T02:47:15.092-05:00

The Montreal Canadiens signed Carey Price, the team's 1st round pick in the 2005 NHL draft to a 3 year contract on April 10th and assigned him to the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL. The Habs goaltender of the very near future was quickly given 2 starts as the regular season ended, stopping 56 of 59 shots. Media covering the game were very impressed with his size, anticipation, composure and puck

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-1268570160940579092007-04-17T11:11:00.001-04:002010-01-15T02:46:56.792-05:00

First off, I'm back and will be posting regularly once again. The Habs roller coaster season came to an end on April 7th after back to back losses to the Rangers and Leafs. Jaroslav Halak helped give the Habs hope and although he gave up a couple of soft goals in New York, the team couldn't generate any offence and showed little energy to have made his goaltending the difference in the game.

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-51271922576178076672007-01-24T15:46:00.001-05:002010-01-15T02:47:05.792-05:00

The Montreal Canadiens General Manager, Bob Gainey, announced Wednesday that centre Maxim Lapierre has been assigned to the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League. Lapierre, 21, played in 13 games with the Canadiens so far this season, collecting three goals and two assists, with six penalty minutes and a plus/minus rating of plus-3. Lapierre joined the Bulldogs on Wednesday who play

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-30468057642873912152007-01-23T18:27:00.001-05:002010-01-15T02:47:25.382-05:00

Not until he’s finally traded that is. Montreal is consistently on the short list of teams mentioned as actively pursuing Peter Forsberg before the February 27th trade deadline though the players supposedly involved really highlight how much pumping and sheer guesswork is circulating as sourced information. A prime reason for that is the interesting habit of online media, print journalists and

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-21060826464054566522007-01-23T14:45:00.000-05:002007-01-23T16:26:38.794-05:00

The Montreal Canadiens have been awarded the All-Star Game for the 2008-09 season, which coincides with the club's 100th anniversary. The announcement was made by the NHL today in Dallas, home to this year's All-Star Game. Montreal last hosted the All-Star game in 1993 and it'll be the 12th time the city has hosted the event. This news, combined with the NHL introducing new jerseys that'll be in

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2838060566570971893.post-77121012696501061472007-01-22T00:57:00.000-05:002007-01-22T20:54:02.569-05:00

Had the Montreal Canadiens not hung on to beat Buffalo 4-3 this past Thursday the cries for change from fans and the media would surely have turned to screams. With the entire team fighting the flu their weakness in 5 on 5 situations could no longer be hidden by excellent Special Teams play and solid goaltending that had been carrying the team since the start of the season.Heading into the

HabsWatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16733030331100513408noreply@blogger.com0