Habs Open Camp, Gionta Sounds Off, More..

Good Morning HabsAddicts!!!

The Montreal Canadiens opened camp yesterday at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard, Quebec to a packed house. Most of the Habs' players were on the ice, with the exception of centre Petteri Nokalainen, who is still nursing a bad back, Tomas Plekanec, who's out with a rib injury, and most notably unsigned restricted free agent P.K. Subban.

Many of the Canadiens described Michel Therrien's first full practice as something they had never experienced before during their tenure with the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge. The Canadiens' bench boss had organized a high tempo practice, yet took the time to stop and explain mistakes that were being made, and immediately corrected them. He was clear in what he expected for his wards, and in turn they responded with youthful enthusiasm.

The organization also announced yesterday that five more players will be called up from the Hamilton Bulldogs for a simulated game day and inter-squad scrimmage on Thursday, January 17th. Among them with be 2009 1st overall pick, Louis Leblanc, as well as Fredeic St-Denis,  Patrick Holland, Mike Blunden and Michäel Bournival. They will arrive in Montreal this morning for their team physicals.

Habs and Hockey News and Notes:

- Canadiens' captain Brian Gionta sounded off on the departure of his longtime friend and locker room neighbour Scott Gomez. Gionta, while visibly shaken, said he understood that it was a business decision that the organization had to make, and claimed "We are content with what we have in the room right now." Many have speculated as to whether or not that comment was an underhanded shot at P.K. Subban. It's well documented that Gionta, and other veterans on the Habs, are not big fans of the RFA defenseman's antics on and off the ice.

- The New York Rangers resigned restricted free agent defenseman Michael Del Zotto to a two-year, $5.1 Million contract ($2.55 AAV). This is the first signing under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement that may directly impact the market value of P.K. Subban. Subban and Del Zotto are both represented by agent Don Meehan.

- The Gazette's Brenda Branswell spoke to Habs' defenseman Josh Gorges, who believes that the "No Excuses" banners in the Canadiens' dressing room is a call by the organization to bring the pride back to the NHL's most storied franchise.

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Scott Gomez Sent Home by the Canadiens

Finally, the hate story between the fans of the Montreal Canadiens and under-productive pivot Scott Gomez has come to an end on Sunday. On the first day of the training camp, newly appointed general manager Marc Bergevin addressed the media to tell them the organization was sending Gomez home for the explicit purpose of buying his contract out in the summer.

The hate story between the fans and Gomez is finally over (Icon SMI)

As a result, Gomez, who turned 33 in December, will receive the Wade Redden treatment: he will be paid to stay home and sit out the shortened season before the team can officially buy him out at season's end. This move was made necessary because Gomez didn't fit in the team's plans this season and if he were to suffer a long-term injury, the Canadiens would not be able to buy his contract out. The downside is that his current cap hit of $7,357,143 will still count against the salary cap this season even if Gomer doesn't play a single game for the Habs.

"I have nothing against Scott Gomez," Bergevin said during the presser. "It was the best thing for the future of the team." Bergevin added that he met Gomez at 7:30 AM this morning to tell him about the team's decision to send him home. Fortunately for the organization, Gomez's actual salary is more affordable than his cap hit at $5,500,000 this season and $4,500,000 in 2013-14.

As per the NHL's new collective bargaining agreement ratified yesterday by the members of the NHLPA, the cap will drop significantly to $64.3 million in 2013-14, but teams will be allowed two buyouts to help NHL teams fit under the cap in the next two seasons.

Gomez had a disappointing campaign in 2011-12, scoring only two goals and adding nine assists in 38 games in an injury-riddled season. During his three-year tenure in Montreal, Gomez recorded 21 goals and 87 assists for 108 points in 196 games to go along with a miserable -23 plus/minus rating.

After a fairly respectable 59-point season in his first full-campaign donning the Habs' jersey, things turned sour quickly. Gomez even went a full calendar year without scoring a single goal for the Bleu Blanc Rouge, drought that he ended on February 9th, 2012 when he scored a power-play goal against the New York Islanders.

The former Calder Trophy winner was acquired by former general manager Bob Gainey on June 30, 2009 with checker Tom Pyatt in exchange for defensive stud Ryan McDonagh, versatile forward Chris Higgins and prospect Pavel Valentenko.

This move opens a position at forward, and with the injuries to Tomas Plekanec and Petteri Nokelainen, look for at least one youngster to make the opening-day roster between Brendan Gallagher, Gabriel Dumont and highly-touted prospect Alex Galchenyuk. My bet is on Galchenyuk sticking with the team until Plekanec is ready to return.

Parody Scott Gomez doesn't understand the move.

Looks like the "Happy Meal" I had with Bergevin went sour fast. I don't understand the situation because I had a very good practice yesterday
— Scott Gomez (@ScottGomaize11) January 13, 2013

Do you agree by the decision made by Marc Bergevin regarding Scott Gomez?

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Cole's Attitude, Gomez Sent Packing and A Hypothetical Kovalev Return

Montreal Back In Hockey Mode

Scott Gomez has been told he's no longer in the Canadiens plans

The NHL has returned, Brian Burke has been fired and Scott Gomez was told by Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin to stay home. What a week to be a Habs fan. Okay fine, the Burke thing doesn't really have anything to do with the Habs, but when a Toronto GM or coach - or anyone in any position really - loses their job, you can't help but give them a ribbing.

To be honest, Habs' fans shouldn't even be too happy about ol'Burkie being given the boot. Burke failed to make the Leafs a playoff team throughout his tenure and made a number of questionable moves. Signing Komisarek for four years at $4.5 million didn't pan out so well. Jeff Finger was signed to four years as well for $3.5 million with only 94 NHL games under his belt. Signing Mikhail Grabovski for $27.5 million over the course of five years seems a little excessive, and of course there's the infamous Kessel deal.

So in hindsight, the Leafs can really only improve with Burke no longer at the helm, so that bit of news can be put in the negative column, along with Erik Cole's current fit over the new CBA.

I won't spend too much time on the Cole topic, but I will quickly touch on it. The Habs can't afford to lose Cole to retirement just yet, but, at the same time, they could do without his current behaviour. Sure, you may not get the full amount you signed for, but you still get millions. NHL fans around the league had to miss out on half of a season because of a monetary dispute between billionares and millionires. Now that it's been settled, nobody has any patience to hear any more whining.

Now onto Gomez.

During his time in Montreal, I haven't been as hard on him as the majority of fans have been. Why not? It's simple. Nobody would turn down the money he's been earning. If you yourself would say no to that contract, then you can complain all you want, but you wouldn't, so don't kid yourself.

His contract has handcuffed Canadiens' management over the years, and that's a fact. His play last season left much to be desired. For those two reasons alone, the Habs will be better off without him. He will be paid this season and count against the cap, but let's be honest, this season hardly even counts.

Gomez has been a class act during his three seasons with Montreal. Although he has bundles of cash to keep him company at home, I can't help but feel a little bad for the guy. It's never good for anyone's self esteem to be told that you're not in your team's plans anymore. A tough blow to one's pride for sure.

One thing's for sure, Bergevin is just a P.K. Subban signing away from being the most loved man in Montreal.

Could Gomez's absence be a sign that there's a spot for Galchenyuk on the roster?

With David Desharnais, Tomas Plekanec and Lars Eller down the middle it's hard to imagine Galchenyuk playing center. No point in bringing him up for fourth line minutes, but it wouldn't hurt to put him on a wing alongside Plekanec and....

(Bear with me here for a moment. This next bit is strictly meant for conversational purposes. I am not starting a rumor I am just throwing out a "What if?" type of scenario)

Alex Kovalev

Ever since leaving Montreal, Kovalev has made it clear that he regrets leaving and would love to return. I haven't been much of a fan of the concept of his possible return either.

There is no doubt that Kovy was the most exciting player to don the CH since Guy Lafleur. The problem with AK27 was his presence, or lack thereof. Kovalev showed up for half a season.

Half a season, eh? Seeing as we find ourselves with only half a season to play would it be so bad to have Kovalev back?

The obvious upside would be having him play with Andrei Markov on the team's top power play unit, but that's not what got me to start thinking about this whole idea. Can you imagine having Plekanec play in between Kovalev and Galchenyuk?

Kovalev and Pleky have played together before and enjoyed great success. Kovy finished the season with 82 points and Plekanec finished with 69 points, his second higest point total in his career. The other member of that line was Andrei Kostitsyn, who finished with 26 goals and 27 assists for 53 points. He has yet to top any of those stats.

I'm not saying Galchenyuk would get Kostistyn type totals, however it would be at least interesting to see him play top line minutes with two linemates with as much talent as Plekanec and Kovalev. And to be fair, isn't it about time Plekanec is given some support?

Again let me reiterate that this is strictly hypothetical. Kovalev has been invited to the Florida Panthers' camp for a tryout and Rene Bourque will be given a fair chance to prove his worth. Besides those points, Kovalev doesn't strike me as the type of player that Bergevin is after.

So while it isn't exactly a possibility I still think it would make for an exciting combination on the ice for the Habs.

---

Sean is a freelance writer currently contributing to <a href="http://www.HabsAddict.com" target="_blank">HabsAddict.com</a>. He is also a regular blogger and frequent panelist on the Habs post game show at <a href="http://www.MontrealHockeyTalk.com" target="_blank">MontrealHockeyTalk.com</a> 

You can follow Sean on <a href="http://twitter.com/SeanLloyd93" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.

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Cole To Retire? Galchenyuk At Habs Camp And More...

Good Morning Addicts!



Will this be Erik Cole's last season in the NHL?

While the lockout may be over, the drama still lingers. Montreal Canadiens forward Erik Cole made it clear in the early stages of the lockout how he felt about the whole ordeal. Whether it was ripping into Roman Hamrlik or wearing a "Puck Gary" hat, Cole made no attempt in hiding his displeasure.

When Cole first mentioned the possibility of retiring a month or two into the lockout it was hard to gauge how serious he was. Cole brought up that he didn't want to play in a league that was so unstable and suggested he would either retire or look into playing overseas if the lockout continued.

Cole may not have played in Europe but he has once again brought up the possibility of hanging up his skates. After notching 35 goals and 61 points for the Canadiens last season, calling it a career would leave a massive void in the Habs lineup.

Max Pacioretty has only been getting better and will no doubt remain in Montreal for years after Cole's departure but with the majority of the Habs prospects still a ways away from earning permanent spots on the roster, the Canadiens can in no way afford to have Cole end his career prematurely due to his anger over the lockout.

Hopefully for the Habs, Cole is just speaking out of anger and is not serious about calling it quits. Maybe if the Canadiens have more success this season than they had last year - a feat that will not be hard to accomplish - Cole will change his mind and stick with hockey at least until the end of his contract which expires at the end of the 2014-15 season.

Habs And Hockey News

- Here is a look at the Habs 2013 schedule.

- Alex Galchenyuk will join Brendan Gallagher and a few choice Bulldogs at the Habs training camp.

- There are a lot of questions surrounding the Habs heading into the (half) season, and Eric Engels answers a few of them over at hockeybuzz.com.

- It comes as no surprise that P.K Subban made The Fourth Period's Top 5 Unsigned RFA's.

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Montreal Canadiens 2013 Schedule Released

With the Memorandom of Understanding signed, sealed and delivered by the National Hockey League amd the Players' Association, here is the Montreal Canadiens complete 2013 schedule:

JANUARY 2013
DATE	VISITOR	HOME	TIME (ET)	TV NETWORK/RESULTS
SAT, 19 JAN 2013	MAPLE LEAFS	CANADIENS	7:00 PM	CBC, RDS
TUE, 22 JAN 2013	PANTHERS	CANADIENS	7:30 PM	RDS
THU, 24 JAN 2013	CANADIENS	CAPITALS	7:00 PM	RDS
SUN, 27 JAN 2013	DEVILS	CANADIENS	6:00 PM	RDS
TUE, 29 JAN 2013	JETS	CANADIENS	7:30 PM	RDS
WED, 30 JAN 2013	CANADIENS	SENATORS	7:00 PM	RDS, TSN
FEBRUARY 2013
DATE	VISITOR	HOME	TIME (ET)	TV NETWORK/RESULTS
SAT, 2 FEB 2013	SABRES	CANADIENS	2:00 PM	CBC, RDS
SUN, 3 FEB 2013	SENATORS	CANADIENS	2:00 PM	CBC, RDS
WED, 6 FEB 2013	BRUINS	CANADIENS	7:00 PM	RDS, TSN, NBCSN
THU, 7 FEB 2013	CANADIENS	SABRES	7:00 PM	RDS
SAT, 9 FEB 2013	MAPLE LEAFS	CANADIENS	7:00 PM	CBC, RDS, NHLN-US
TUE, 12 FEB 2013	CANADIENS	LIGHTNING	7:30 PM	RDS, TSN
THU, 14 FEB 2013	CANADIENS	PANTHERS	7:30 PM	RDS
SAT, 16 FEB 2013	FLYERS	CANADIENS	7:00 PM	CBC, RDS, NHLN-US
MON, 18 FEB 2013	HURRICANES	CANADIENS	7:30 PM	RDS, NHLN-US
TUE, 19 FEB 2013	CANADIENS	RANGERS	7:00 PM	RDS
THU, 21 FEB 2013	ISLANDERS	CANADIENS	7:30 PM	RDS
SAT, 23 FEB 2013	RANGERS	CANADIENS	7:00 PM	CBC, RDS
MON, 25 FEB 2013	CANADIENS	SENATORS	7:30 PM	RDS
WED, 27 FEB 2013	CANADIENS	MAPLE LEAFS	7:30 PM	RDS, TSN
MARCH 2013
DATE	VISITOR	HOME	TIME (ET)	TV NETWORK/RESULTS
SAT, 2 MAR 2013	PENGUINS	CANADIENS	7:00 PM	CBC, RDS, NHLN-US
SUN, 3 MAR 2013	CANADIENS	BRUINS	7:30 PM	RDS, NBCSN
TUE, 5 MAR 2013	CANADIENS	ISLANDERS	7:00 PM	RDS
THU, 7 MAR 2013	CANADIENS	HURRICANES	7:00 PM	RDS
SAT, 9 MAR 2013	CANADIENS	LIGHTNING	7:00 PM	CBC, RDS
SUN, 10 MAR 2013	CANADIENS	PANTHERS	6:00 PM	RDS
WED, 13 MAR 2013	SENATORS	CANADIENS	7:00 PM	RDS, TSN
SAT, 16 MAR 2013	CANADIENS	DEVILS	7:00 PM	CBC, RDS
TUE, 19 MAR 2013	SABRES	CANADIENS	7:30 PM	RDS, TSN
THU, 21 MAR 2013	CANADIENS	ISLANDERS	7:00 PM	RDS
SAT, 23 MAR 2013	SABRES	CANADIENS	7:00 PM	CBC, RDS
TUE, 26 MAR 2013	CANADIENS	PENGUINS	7:00 PM	RDS
WED, 27 MAR 2013	CANADIENS	BRUINS	7:00 PM	RDS, TSN, NBCSN
SAT, 30 MAR 2013	RANGERS	CANADIENS	7:00 PM	CBC, RDS, NHLN-US
APRIL 2013
DATE	VISITOR	HOME	TIME (ET)	TV NETWORK/RESULTS
MON, 1 APR 2013	HURRICANES	CANADIENS	7:30 PM	RDS
WED, 3 APR 2013	CANADIENS	FLYERS	7:30 PM	RDS, TSN
THU, 4 APR 2013	JETS	CANADIENS	7:30 PM	RDS
SAT, 6 APR 2013	BRUINS	CANADIENS	7:00 PM	CBC, RDS
TUE, 9 APR 2013	CAPITALS	CANADIENS	7:30 PM	RDS
THU, 11 APR 2013	CANADIENS	SABRES	7:00 PM	CBC, RDS
SAT, 13 APR 2013	CANADIENS	MAPLE LEAFS	7:00 PM	CBC, RDS, NHLN-US
MON, 15 APR 2013	FLYERS	CANADIENS	7:30 PM	RDS
WED, 17 APR 2013	CANADIENS	PENGUINS	7:00 PM	RDS, TSN
THU, 18 APR 2013	LIGHTNING	CANADIENS	7:30 PM	RDS
SAT, 20 APR 2013	CAPITALS	CANADIENS	7:00 PM	CBC, RDS
TUE, 23 APR 2013	CANADIENS	DEVILS	7:00 PM	RDS
THU, 25 APR 2013	CANADIENS	JETS	8:00 PM	RDS
SAT, 27 APR 2013	CANADIENS	MAPLE LEAFS	7:00 PM	CBC, RDS

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