Rene Bourque Trade
On November 20th Rene Bourque was traded to Anaheim in exchange for 6'5" defenseman Bryan Allen. This was a win-win trade. Bourque gets a fresh start in Anaheim after falling out of favor in Montreal after some indifferent play. On November 9th Bourque was waived by the Canadiens and sent to Hamilton the next day. This trade will free up significant cap space and will allow forwards like Jiri Sekac to see more ice time. Meanwhile, Montreal gets added insurance on defense in case of injury. Allen won't be contributing much to the offense, but he's a solid veteran who can perform in a top-four pairing. Expect to see him on the 3rd pairing with time on the PK unit.
Mr. Hockey takes a turn for the worst
Hockey Legend Gordie Howe is in ill health after suffering a massive stroke October 26th. On November 16th, Howe took a turn for the worse suffering some minor strokes and also feeling the effects of a previous back injury that was worsening his dementia. Howe is a living legend in hockey having played through parts of five decades. He really opened the game up for youth who followed and idolized him. Habs fans raise your sticks to Mr. Hockey and pray for the best for him.
Legendary coach Pat Quinn dies
Pat Quinn sadly passed away on Sunday November 23rd passed away after a lengthy illness. While he never coached the Montreal Canadiens, defenseman PK Subban was on the 2009 World Junior team coached by Quinn. Pat Quinn was instrumental in resurrecting the Vancouver Canucks. He served as GM and President of the Canucks from 1987-1997. He was head coach from 1991-1994 after a ban was lifted preventing him from coaching after selecting Pavel Bure a year before his draft eligibility. Quinn held the GM/head coach positions for the Toronto Maple Leafs 1998-2005. I had the privilege of meeting the legendary coach at a Canucks fan appreciation event in 1995. The hockey world truly lost a legend in Pat Quinn. Rest in peace coach.
Edmonton Oilers fire goalie coach
On November 11, the Edmonton Oilers fired goalie coach Frederic Chabot. I choose to write about this topic because it exemplifies how NOT to run a hockey team. The Edmonton Oilers were once a feared franchise, winning five Stanley Cups in the 80's. However, since that time, the weak Canadian dollar affected the Oilers ability to sign and keep top players. From 2010-2012 the Oilers had the first overall pick in the entry draft and selected Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov respectively. Clearly, the Oilers have issues having given up the most goals in the league. However, it is easy to make a coach the scapegoat for poor play, but at the end of the day it is on the players. Also, the coach can only work with what he is given. GM Craig McTavish also has to take some blame for poor drafting decisions and not getting the right players in free agency. No, the Oilers will not make the playoffs this season.
Current Playoff Standings
If the playoffs started tomorrow, five of the seven Canadian teams would make the playoffs (your Montreal Canadiens, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Winnpeg). Only Edmonton and Ottawa would be on the outside looking in.With just over a quarter of the season in the books, the Habs are in a six way tie for 1st in the league. By virtue of having played an extra game, the Habs are officially 4th in the East. I love that they have beat the hated Bruins thrice and Detroit twice. Goalie Carey Price has been spectacular. Jiri Sekac has been effective in the Habs bottom six. GM Marc Bergevin's moves have all paid off thus far. Hopefully the team continues to thrive as the season goes forward. I hope all five of the teams make it to the playoffs because I want to see a Canadian team win the cup. Although realistically, Montreal and Vancouver are the two most likely teams to make it all the way to the cup finals.
Brandon Gallagher extended six seasons
Finally on November 30, the Habs extended forward Brandon Gallagher to a six-year deal that will expire after the 2020-21 season. While Gallagher is a good player signing, such a lengthy deal is always risky. First, one can't predict the health of a player. Hockey is a violent sport and there is always the risk of injury. Another factor is by signing a lengthy deal, the motivation to perform at a high level might be down. Gallagher has a guaranteed contract the next six years. He doesn't have to worry about earning his next contract for a few years. I like Gallagher as a player so I think he will likely provide scoring and grit for the Habs.
Go Habs go
Habs fan blogging from BC
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