Fehr/Daly Meet, Cole Retiring?, Oilers Trade Looming? And More...

Good Morning Addicts!

After two weeks without talking, Bill Daly and Steve Fehr met last night in an attempt to save any of the season that can be salvaged. Although there have been phone conversations between the two sides, there have been no formal meeting since October 18th.

Forgive me if this news doesn't excite me. Sure, it can't be bad that the two sides met. In fact it's even better that they plan on meeting again early this week, but util anything concrete happens I remain of the belief that this season is toast.

With over 300 games already canceled including the Winter Classic it's hard to imagine the two sides comnig to an agreement on time for any hockey to be played. Although a December agreement was what saved the 1993-94 season it still left a mark on that year.

If the NHL resumes this year, I'll watch. Even with the bitterness and pessimism taking over the hope I tried to hold onto I never adopted the "I'm done with hockey, when it comes back I'm through with it!" attitude that so many people resorted to. I'm quite certain the majority of those people will be in the same bars I'm in cheering on their team when and if this labor strife ends.

However, it's hard for me to take any hockey that is played this year seriously. Without a full season played there will be an asterix in my mind next to the Stanley Cup champion, just like there is nect to the '94 Rangers.

I'm not going to sit here and pretend that if the league resumes and the Habs win I won't celebrate. I don't see that happening. But to be completely honest with you I wouldn't want them to win this year if there is NHL action. It's been too long since the Habs won ad when they do it again I want it to be earned after a full hard fought 82 game schedule where nobody can take anything away from them.

Habs And Hockey News

- Erik Cole is obviously not impressed with the lockout. Cole recently stated that he is considering heading towards Europe or even retiring if the whole season is lost.

- Greg Wyshynski asks if the "make whole" makeover will lead to the lockout's end?

- Edmonton Oilers president Kevin Lowe hinted a few days back that some trades could be made sooner rather than later to improve his club.

- USA Today Sports asked fans with tickets to the Winter Calssic for their reactions.

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WC Cancelled, Habs Prospects To Watch, CHLPA And More...

Good Morning Addicts!

Well by now you undoubtedly have heard that the 2013 Winter Classic that was to be between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs has been cancelled.

Although by now, you should not really be surprised. At the beginning of this whole lockout debacle, I was sure that we would see hockey by January 1st latest. The Winter Classic, in my mind, was something that could not be tampered with. I say this not because the game means anything to me, the game in fact means nothing to me. I say it simply because I couldn't see the league throwing away that much (more) money over the labor dispute.

With already millions of dollars lost and both sides involved proving that they each have abnormally large bladders in what has become nothing more than a pissing contest - I apologize for being crude, but urination contest just didn't have the impact I was going for - why not throw away the league's biggest event?

The game may just be a cash grab and annual attempt to sell the sport to an audience they will never win over, but for local residents and children who love the game the Winter Classic can be somewhat magical. For local businesses it can be something that brings in more money in one week of events than they normally make over a span of a couple of months, maybe even the rest of the year.

And so why not take it away?

It seems considerate of the league and players to hold out long enough to prove the remaining naive fans that they actually matter. I wish I still had the burning passion for the game I cherished growing up that would cause me to be upset over this but the truth of the matter is I don't.

The game will be held next year and I can wait. To be honest with you I probably won't even watch, and not because of bitterness but mostly because the whole thing seems like a circus to me. I'll never see the logic in making an outdoor game played on bad ice and possibly in a snowstorm count for the same two points as every other game.

But then again I don't see much logic in anything that involves the NHL these days.

Habs And Hockey News

- Greg Wyshynski writes why it's ok to cancel the Winter Classic.

- Our very own Fred Poulin (FredPoulin98)provides us with seven  Habs CHL prospects worth watching.

- Is the CHLPA not enough of a mess these last few days? Maybe this will help.

- And finally, in an effort to raise awareness for men's health through the power of a dirty mustache, I have joined the Movember Movement. Click here to make a donation. Any and every amount helps and will be greatly appreciated!

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Seven CHL Prospects Worth Watching for the Montreal Canadiens

With the lack of talks between the NHL and the NHLPA, the entire 2012-13 season is on the brink of being wiped out. As a result, hockey fans from all around the world have to turn their attention to other leagues such as the KHL, the AHL or the CHL.

For Habs fans, opportunities to see their favorite players play are limited, the Hamilton Bulldogs being one option. One of the other interesting options is to closely follow the development of the young prospects of the organization playing in the Western Hockey League (WHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) or the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), all part of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).

Following a very good 2012 NHL Entry Draft — for which I gave Trevor Timmins and his team of scouts a grade of A — the Canadiens have finally restocked their prospects pool after years of thin organizational depth. Below you will find a list of the talented prospects worth watching this season in the junior circuits.


QMJHL

Olivier Archambault, Drummondville Voltigeurs (108th overall pick in 2011)

In his fourth, and most likely his last, season in the QMJHL, Archambault is off to a good start for the .500 Voltigeurs. Through 16 games, the 19-year old left winger has recorded seven goals and eight assists for 15 points. After missing most of last season with a concussion, Archambault needs to show he can play a full season in the Q before making the jump to the AHL. Blessed with excellent speed, a great acceleration and soft hands, Archambault will need to get stronger over the summer and improve his defensive play without the puck.

Charles Hudon, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (122th overall pick in 2012)

In his third season with the Sags, the feisty left-winger suffered a high ankle sprain in an early pre-season game, but the nagging injury had made him miss only one contest prior to suffering a concussion after receiving an elbow to the head, courtesy of Gabriel Verpaelst. The talented winger has recorded nine goals and seven assists for 16 points to go along with a solid plus-four differential in only 11 games. The diminutive winger had a very good performance for Team Canada at the Canada-Russia Challenge in early September and will certainly receive an invitation to play for Team Canada at the 2013 World Junior Championship this year. The 18 year-old Hudon is still day-to-day with a minor concussion.

OHL

Alex Galchenyuk, Sarnia Sting (3rd overall pick in 2012) 

With former teammate Nail Yakupov playing in the KHL this season, the Sting’s new captain will have to carry the offensive load on his broad shoulders if the team hopes to make it to the spring dance. The skilled center is blessed with great offensive skills, an above-average hockey sense and great wheels. The über-talented American has picked up the pace after a slow start this season during which he had to find his timing and confidence back after missing most of the 2011-12 season with a severe knee injury. After 15 contests, Gally has notched eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points with a plus-two differential. In the event the NHL lockout ends soon, the 18 year-old American would be the junior prospect the Canadiens could reassign to Montreal.

Brady Vail, Windsor Spitfires (94th overall pick in 2012)

The 18-year old center is off to a surprisingly good start this season in Windsor with six goals and 14 assists for 20 points in 16 games. Vail has been working very hard in the last year to improve his offensive numbers, especially after a good showing at the Habs rookie camp this summer. Vail has been excellent around the net this season, creating a lot of scoring opportunities for his linemates and himself, thanks to good puck-protection skills and a knack for driving to the net using his 6’1”, 195-lb frame.


WHL

Tim Bozon, Kamloops Blazers (64th overall pick in 2012)

Bozon is benefiting from playing for the No. 1 ranked team in the country, the Kamloops Blazers, who are still unbeaten in regulation. After 16 games, Bozon has scored 14 goals and 15 assists for 29 points with a sparkling plus-15 rating, good for 3rd in the WHL. His teammates J.C Lipon and Colin Smith are currently ranked 1st and 2nd, respectively. In his second campaign in the WHL, the 18 year-old native of Lugano, Switzerland, is looking to improve last year’s numbers when he recorded 71 points in 71 games. The offensive dynamo doesn’t have much more to prove offensively, which is why he needs to work more on the defensive aspect of his game this season.

Darren Dietz, Saskatoon Blades (138th overall pick in 2011)

The rugged defenseman is having some success so far this season with the Blades, recording six goals and three assists for nine points in 14 games. While Dietz, 19, is developing into a very skilled offensive rearguard, he still needs to improve his defensive play as shown by his poor minus-eight differential so far. Dietz, an excellent power play specialist, is blessed with a Shea Weber slapshot from the blue line and he’s using it very efficiently: his six goals have all been scored with the man-advantage! The tough and physical defenseman will play big minutes this season for Saskatoon, using his big frame to clear opponents in front of his net and deliver thunderous body checks along the boards.

Dalton Thrower, Saskatoon Blades (51st overall pick in 2012)

A teammate of Dietz, Thrower, 18, has been a major disappointment this season for the Memorial Cup hosts. Suspended four games already (one team-based incident for “playing by his own rules” and the other incident for a check to the head against Lethbridge), Thrower has only one goal and two assists for three points in 10 games. The talented blue-liner will have to play smarter hockey if he wants to repeat last season’s success of 54 points in 66 games. Thrower will have to think about the team first if he ever wants to have any kind of success at a higher level.

Next week, I will have a look at the best prospects playing for the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL.

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Follow Fred on Twitter for more updates on the Canadiens and hockey in general.

(Photo via Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

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No NHL Winter Classic, Chris Nilan's Documentary, Georges Laraque Resigns, More

Happy Friday.

Or not.

After all, it appears that the NHL will take another step towards a lost season today with the announcement that the 2013 Winter Classic will be cancelled.

This year's Winter Classic was to be between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings at Ann Arbor's "Big House". Organizers believed the event would break the world record crowd of 104,173 who attended the "Big Chill" NCAA game at the University of Michigan in 2010.

Kevin Allen of USA Today believes this cancellation leads the NHL and NHLPA on a path of mutually assured destruction.

Elsewhere, Adam Proteau of The Hockey News claims the cancellation of the event is a new low for the league.

Hard to argue with them.

Habs and Hockey News

- Chris Nilan opens up in a new documentary called "The Gladiators", which also profiles enforcers such as Bob Probert and Marty McSorley.

- Amidst some internal turmoil, George Laraques has resigned his position with the CHLPA.

- In case you missed it, scroll to the bottom of this piece to see P.K Subban doing the weather.

- Stu Hackel looks at some the men working behind the scenes during the NHL Lockout.

- Montreal's ECHL affiliate, the Wheeling Nailers, won 3-2 against the Toledo Walleye last night.

(Photo via Getty Images)

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Habs Overseas Prospects, Taylor Hall in AHL, Devin Setoguchi in ECHL, More

Good AM hockey fans!

So, what have you been doing with NHL hockey still in the dark?

I have been paying close attention to the American presidential election — after all, I am American. But, sporting wise, I've found no adequate replacement for my beloved Habs.

What about you? Have you gotten your hockey fix elsewhere or have you shifted your focus somewhere else?

Habs and Hockey News

- HabsWorld, which always has excellent prospect coverage, takes a look at Montreal Canadiens prospects playing in Europe.

- Taylor Hall has been cleared to join the AHL's Oklahoma Barons while Devin Setoguchi has signed with the ECHL's Ontario (Calfiornia) Reign.

- The Washington Capitals new head coach, Adam Oates, is slated to join the farm team in Hershey. An odd experiment, as ESPN's Scott Burnside points out.

- Ryan Kennedy looks at some of the NCCA-eligibility issues faced by the newly formed CHLPA.

(Photo via Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images North America)

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NHL Winter Classic In Peril, Wayne Simmonds, HA Mailbag, More

Honestly, I never thought it would come to this point.

But now it truly appears that the NHL Winter Classic — as well as the rest of the season — is in serious jeopardy.

In fact, a formal cancellation is expected on Friday.

326 games have already been cancelled.

Habs and Hockey News

- We are going to feature a mailbag segment later this week where we — Kamal, Sean and myself — will discuss whatever you throw our way, so be sure to drop us a line via Twitter.

- With the season in peril, Stu Hackel lays the blame on the league and its "take it or leave it" approach to negotiations.

- Former NHLPA director Paul Kelly believes expansion could help end the current labor stalemate.

- Wayne Simmonds was victim of racist remarks while playing in a Czech League contest.

(Photo from Wikipedia/AndrewHorne)

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Lars Eller in Finland, Hamilton Bulldogs, Wheeling Nailers, More

Good morning hockey fans!

You can now add Lars Eller to the list of players who have opted to play in Europe.

The Danish forward is set to join defending Finnish champions JYP Jyvaskyla. He will line up alongside Rich Peverley as well as former NHLers Ramzi Abid and Éric Perrin.

Finland also appears to be the destination of choice for Denmark's top players, with Philip Larsen, Mikkel Boedker and Frans Nielsen currently playing for Lukko Rauma.

Habs and Hockey News

- The Hamilton Bulldogs beat the Abbotsford Heat by a 2-1 score on Sunday night. Blake Geoffrion and Aaron Palushaj provided the goals for their side. Earlier in the weekend, Brendan Gallagher also scored his first professional goal in an overtime loss to the Toronto Marlies. HabsWorld has a full recap of the weekend's action.  

- Down in the ECHL, the Wheeling Nailers won their weekend set against the Reading Royals, winning 3-2 and 7-3. 

- Winnipeg Jets' forward Blake Wheeler is bound for Munich in the German Elite League.

- It appears that HC Mountfield of the Czech Extraliga has acquired Milan Michalek, Martin Hanzal and Vinny Prospal in one fell swoop.

- More and more, the KHL is positioning itself as a viable pan-European league. Next year a Milan, Italy based squad is set to join the circuit. 

(Photo via Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)

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