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About Mike Boone
Full Name
Mike Boone
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http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/columnists/mike_boone.html
About
I grew up in Park Extension, within walking distance of Dickie Moore's Dairy Queen on Jean Talon. Moore had a place on L'Acadie Blvd., and we used to see him driving around in his convertible with a Samoyed and a very dishy wife.
While "studying" at McGill University during the 1960s, I used to attend games at the old Montreal Forum. My fellow undergraduate reprobates and I would scramble up the stairs to get centre-ice spots in the top standing room section, where aged ushers didn't know or care what we were smoking.
I stood out in the cold for six hours to get tickets to the 1975 New Year's Eve game between the Canadiens and Central Red Army. With the exception of the birth of my daughter, the 3-3 tie was the greatest event I've ever seen in my life.
I've been a professional journalist since 1974, when I joined the Montreal Star sports department. I've covered the 1976 Olympic Games, the 1979 Expos, pop music and MSO tours of Europe and Asia (classical musicians are WAY more fun to drink with than athletes). I wrote a TV & Radio column for 20 years and, since 2000, have written a City column for The Gazette.
The best part of being a Habs Inside/Out contributor is attending games at the Bell Centre. I think it's a great building: noisy, raucous and packed to the rafters with Montrealers and visitors who live for hockey.
And I still get goosebumps every time Michel Lacroix booms out "Accueillons nos Canadiens ..."
Having seen the Boston Red Sox win two World Series and the Pittsburgh Steelers add a couple Super Bowl titles, I suppose I can die happy ... but not before another Stanley Cup parade. And I'd really like my daughter to see a historic New Year's Eve game.
I really like all the players, but Andrei Markov is God.
My weltanschauung was summarized by the late great Bill Hicks when he said "all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream and we are the imagination of ourselves."
Have a nice day.
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I don't want Kovalev back.
Don't sign him.
If Gainey is going to address the malaise that made the Habs an embarassment last year, Kovalev's departure is necessary. This is at least partly an exercise in sports psychology we've watched here, and it's an attempt to salvage the dignity of a franchise and turn the Canadiens into a 'normal' functioning team. A lot of guys thought they were needed, and because they were so necessary to the team, they arsed around too much. Two lukewarm contract offers to ten men? There's a message.
Kovalev's reaction to the Habs' offer? Probably expected and factored in. Gainey's response to Kovy's entitlement? Dead on. There were better options, and they were signed.
Koivu is gone get over it guys, he has trouble putting up 20+ goals... A great leader and a great person, but realistically, can he bring us the cup? Can he give us hat extra boost of confidence? Nope, hasn't worked the whole time he was here, and he deserves to play on a better team, he really deserves the cup.
Alex come back. We already miss you. Come back.
When you really think about it all, how does a team have a season like they did? The team looked awesome on paper to start (upgraded from last year), then everything got completely messed up. And how does a team lose the All-Star Captain of your conference's team, playing in his own arena??? What the hell happened with the team?!!!
Kovalev should re-sign a contract (basement bargain...thinking, 3 million-1 year), let Bob know he can win over the guys in the locker room and be a leader and example (he can do it), show how committed he is to this team. If he does that, I am thinking Gainey would consider giving him an extension at some point.
I know Gainey wanted changes, he got them, skill and great work ethic from the new crew. This year will be exciting to watch no doubt, with the new guys, the younger guys gaining ground on great careers as well as the vets on the team, and as a fan of Kovy's I hope he can work things out, if not, Good Luck Alex!
I want Kovy! I want Kovy!
Because Montréal is the only city where live bloggers and columnists worship him in the only proper way. By calling him simply "l'artiste!"
Commentators in other cities simply don't deserve him. And only the Canadiens are worthy of a player nicknamed like that.
I want Kovy! I want Kovy! ...
Kovy tried to dipsy doodle past Bob Gainey, and a lot of us remember what happened when guys with their heads down tried to deke our Bob.
He will be gone to a place where no one reads the Russian press, and where the odd nap during a shift won't matter. It's sleepy time down south...
Saku is a loss to the team and to the city.
HAHAHAHAHA. I love your post. Dipsy doodle comment got me. I want l'artiste back. Bob get him back.
I want Kovy back, dammit.
Canadiens sign Alex!!!
Henry, that is. Habs sign free agents Mathieu Darche, Alex Henry and Mike Glumac. Have fun in the AHL, boys!
Chuck............DON'T DO THAT!!!!! :)
"We will win the Cup one day only with a mature Carey Price in the nets"
Seriously, eh...
Wow, now THAT'S a huge shocker! I will miss Kovalev, along with Koivu and the rest of the UFAs, but a giant change is coming to the team and hope it'll be better than worse.
Good luck to them on their new teams, happy to see you all again when you come back to play against us!
P.S. Love the Don Kovalev pic... that's photoshop perfection!
---------- I am down but never out for their elimination from the playoffs. They will come back next year. Thanks for the Centennial, can't wait for 101st...
...I would be curious to see what Kovalicious can do within the new muscled-up speed paradigm of the Team ...yet I think Kovi missing-the-boat may allow the 'fresh-start' We need ...to change the Team Culture
...despite his personal magnetism ...He also had a benign selfishness in his game ...that infected the younger impressionable players
...Koivu was the type of leader that led by example ...not by getting into another player's face ...as was likely needed of young players like the Kostitsyns for example
...Kovalev as well ...I was disapointed he did not have a more positive and paternal influence especially on Our young Russians
...I will miss Koivu ...an icon for Our Team for almost a generation ...but We needed to re-invent Ourselves
...Kovilicious ...a compelling 'personality' ...a player that never consistently delivered ...thereby was not objectively 'worthy' of the Montreal Canadiens tradition Us older fans were familiar with
Habitant means PASSIONATE HOCKEY http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=423049
Looks like kovy could be going to the caps...if you want to believe EKLUND.
I understand that (almost) everyone is upset that Koivu, Kovy and Tanguay are leaving, I would love to have Kovy around for another couple of years also, but let's look at the bottom line: what did we accomplished with these guys? ONE playoff series win in four seasons after the lockout. I know it's not easy to let go because we are have sentimental attachments to many of the players (you can put guys like Bouillon, Begin and Tom the Bomb on this list also), but it is time to start over. Are the new players we brought in better than what we had before? Hard to say right now, but we have to give them a chance.
Gainey says kovy has seemingly reached his end with the habs.
from http://canadiens.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=...
Alex Kovalev was even closer to remaining a Hab. Armed with a multi-year offer from Montreal, the Russian winger sent a counter offer and then hesitated as other teams were also vying for his services.
“Both sides were interested in having Alex come back to Montreal, but we couldn’t come to terms in time,” said Gainey who had to move quickly as players were being snatched up in a hurry. “As it stands now, this would mark the end for Alex with the Canadiens.”
maybe i'm being optimistic but doesn't it sound like Gainey is keeping his options open?
"As it stands now." there's something unfinished there.
OMG
you folks are nuts.
how cut-and-dried does Gainey need to be?
Kovy is gone. You can be sure Gainey did not make that decision lightly, but lets face it, Kovy dropped the ball.
Until someone holds the teams feet to the cap fire or they announce a signing, it ain't over till the fat lady sings.
Now Carbonneau, that is over.
If you read what Gainey said, it's clearly open ended. Until Kovy signs somewhere else or Gainey fills in cap space with other players it's not definite what will happen. \
I remember gainey saying that kovalev was offered a contract, but that there wasn't a rush to hammer out details, that it could be done post july 1st. so why he went on to replace him with the likes of Gionta I have no f'n clue.
how cut-and-dried does Gainey need to be?
oh, much more so. :)
yep... that's what i'm focusing on too.
Sounds like the ball is in Kovy's court.
Nooooooooooooooooooooo!!!
As far as Kovalev's presumed snub is concerned, keep in mind that this is just one day into free agency, and he may be back in Russia at the moment or anywhere else in the world on vacation with his family. It does seem that the ball is in his court, and it only stands to reason that he must weigh salary, team make-up and family concerns first rather than make a rash decision. As far as loyalty is concerned, would you be overwhelmed by a sense of loyalty to your employers when they just gave so many of your co-workers the axe?
Boone: what are your thoughts on Kovy signing here or leaving for another team?
I like Kovalev. He's exciting to watch and has a set of skills that are very rare. But he's old and getting older. The guy is a bull, but you wonder about injuries piling up.
Bottom line: I'd like to see him back, wearing the C – at a VERY digestible cap hit.
The one that confuses me is Tanguay. Bob paid a first- and second-round draft choice for 16 goals, some pretty passes and frequent injuries. I'm surprised, however, by the team giving up this quickly on a Quebec homeboy.
And a selfish reason: Kovy and Tanguay are good interviews in the room, as was The Captain.
But that's another story.
"The one that confuses me is Tanguay. Bob paid a first- and second-round draft choice for 16 goals, some pretty passes and frequent injuries. I'm surprised, however, by the team giving up this quickly on a Quebec homeboy."
Not sure why it confuses you, Gainey and his management team have made it pretty clear over his tenure that he's not going to submit to the "gotta be a french guy" pressure that is present. Gainey's group has been drafting a lot of north american players and now has brought in some north american free agents. Up until this recent draft Gainey hasn't been afraid to pass over a Quebec boy. Tanguay really didn't blow people away with his perfromance last season, and at his price tag that's what he needs to do. I think what we witnessed yesterday was Gainey drawing a much needed line in the sand, and saying "if you're playing in Montreal we expect the best, half assed, party boy behavior will not be tolerated. When you pull Le Tricolore jersey over your head, a certain standard is expected and nothing less will be tolerated."
Was Tanguay really one of the Party Boys, though? He averaged almost a point a game, if I recall correctly, and that's with missing half the season with an injury, and then trying to play through it near the end of the season while his linemates (and everybody else) were sucking on a regular basis. I had thought Tanguay was one of the few unsullied spots on our record.
---- "The best fans don't embarrass our coach, they don't embarrass our team, they don't embarrass the players, they don't embarrass the goalie. When you're a proud Montreal Canadiens fan, you bleed the Canadiens; you don't do stuff like that." - BGL
the party boy reference was more directed at Komi and Higgins. Tanguay wasn't terrible, I just think for the amount of money he wants he's not worth it.
Right on Mike . He has skills that are rare all right. Like the inability to hold on to the puck. A propensity to try and beat 3,4 and even 5 guys that almost never works out.
Is he a finisher? Sure.. but this guy sulks about the captaincy ( and there is truth to it) and complains about Carbos and Juliens system instead of trying to find a way he can fit in .
Like I said all along. When he feigned injury against the bruins that told you everythign you needed to know about his character
Kovy is no captain. And I would rather have guys that are going to work their ass of than tease us constantly.
he had to try to beat those five guys because he had no support. he was the main attraction so opponents knew who to target. the new guys would take some of the spotlight away from him; and that's a good thing for a player like Kovy. imo.
Mike, you can add to that the marketing implications of having Kovy on the team. With the departure of Saku, now more than ever Kovy would be the face of the franchise that they could market around.
Mike, regarding Tanguay. Do you think there could be any truth to what Demers said about Tanguay faking being hurt during the playoffs? Could that be a reason for his not being given an offer?
Also, per Koivu. Could Gainey be laying the blame on him for letting the young guys get out of hand? What I mean by that is, not getting in their faces a little more 'forcibly'.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The patience that Bob Gainey showed me when he could have gotten rid of me years ago, I am just really grateful for it." - Mike Modano, June 30, 1999
My read on Tanguay (I had heard that story during the playoffs, but can not think of who I heard say it, may have been sportsnet) is that he didn't fake the injury. Rather he couldn't separate the idea that playing injured is not the same has playing through pain. He felt he was injured, the Canadiens felt that he refused to play through the hurt.
And I don't know if Gainey is laying blame. I just think we've had this core of veteran players, including Koivu, that havn't been able to get the job done. It was time to change the veteran core on this team.
Eklund: Kovy to the Caps E3
That would be an amazing team with the addition of Kovalev and the under-rated Mickey Noodles.
There are many ways to look at the size debate:
Size matters
Size matters not
The bigger they are, the harder they fall
Speed kills
It's not the size of the man, but the size of the man's heart
You can't hit what you can't catch
Short and stocky vs. Tall and big
In the end one thing matters: what happens on the ice...they should be fine, the big players will have to stoop to hit with their elbows and shoulders which may limit their effectiveness, I see a lot of ducking and dodging and zipping around making the other team dizzy.
"Even Roy can be run out of town after 2 Stanley Cups."
We'd all love to have skilled players who have both high skill and high compete levels. No doubt about it. Even as I write this I wish we had more size, but I'll take a skilled guy who's a little undersized who still competes when the going gets tough, over a guy with size who disappears when there starts to be a little conflict in the game.
Someone will have to earn the C in training camp and the players should elect him, I think. As far as the defence goes, I think PK Subban is going to surprise a lot of people. He's going to be a force to be reckoned with eventually. I'm glad Bob held onto him.
Hmmm... could Bob sign Kovy for $500,000/year for 16 years? Do it with the understanding that he'd be excpected to play for two years.
:)
crabvader i just read you comment about how you bought a s kost jersey at the beginning of last year lmao, i pulled the same move X)
Beauchemin.
Kovalv is a part time player...not the kind of leader you want AT ALL. It is summed up by this old quote:
"The speed of the leader, dictates the pace of the pack"
E.
In terms of who I'd like to see back with Montreal: hands down, Alexei Kovalev. Who would improve us more though? I have to say Beauchemin.
Here is the exert from Wyshynski on Puckdaddy:
12:31[Comment From hank]
kovalev to the kings? or is he staying in montreal?12:32Wyshynski: The Habs pulled a two-year deal for him. Honestly, I think Montreal is a great spot for him now that there are other focal points (Cammy, Gomez) that are going to draw the heat he always received in the media.
Hopefully HIO can confirm this or deny it...
Go Habs Go!Go Habs Go!
I think that the term "pulled" refers to Gainey reportedly withdrawing the offer to Kovy in order to sign Cammalleri.
Chuck...think you are right...looked at that also...sent Wysh a note to see if he would clarify...
Go Habs Go!
My guess is Gomez will end up with the "C" and Markov and Laps will wear "A", maybe Gorges.
Chiming in on the captain debate:
Ideally, I'd like to have Kovy back and I'd give him the C, if not, I'd give 3 A's out to Lapierre, Gomez, and Markov, then let the players vote around Christmas/All-star break.
New roster: I like this team, but I liked last year's squad this time last year too. Rather than nitpick on the new guy's, I think the most important thing this season is the development of our youth: Laps, Lats, Dag, Stewart, SK, Weber. These are the guys that are going to make or break this squad over the next half a decade.
I also like the BIG IDEAS going in to this season: 1) Defense-first -- hopefully some responsibilty will help Dags become a legit NHL'er, and 2) Chemistry on every line -- Gomez/Gionta, Kostitsyn/Kostitsyn, Gui!/Laps
GO HABS!
Kovalev was fantastic to watch and maddening at the same time. If he wanted to play here he would have. He chose to shop around so thanks for the memories if that is the case. I hope we can still sign him but if it's between him and Beauchemin, I'd go with Beauchemin. Make up for the mistake of letting him go for nothing years ago.
I'd rather take a less-skilled player who wants to play here than a better-skilled player who doesn't and might poison the atmosphere on the team.
For Boone or anyone else...finish this joke:
A Latino...two Italians...a Czech...and an American walk into a bar...
E.
...and one of them says LIQUOR?! Dudes, I'm getting paid 5-8 million dollars per year until halfway to 2020. I'll pay someone else to LIQUOR.
And Ryan O'Byrne gets arrested ...
We have a winner!
---- "The best fans don't embarrass our coach, they don't embarrass our team, they don't embarrass the players, they don't embarrass the goalie. When you're a proud Montreal Canadiens fan, you bleed the Canadiens; you don't do stuff like that." - BGL
...and the tallest of them says, OUCH MY HEAD
they have too much to drink and photos end up in the Journal de Montreal the next morning.
They find the two Belarussians and the cowboy they're looking for. "You guys realise we have a game in 2 hours, right?"
Boone...puckdaddy chatter has Kovy two year deal with the Habs as of 12:32...might be another false alarm...
Go Habs Go!
Kovalev, Koivu, Tanguay
WTF! I miss them so much that I can't stop crying
No Koivu, No Kovy, No Komi
Not my Habs ... I think i'm gonna watch more Nascar
I would throw Metro, D'ag and Latts under a bus for my boys Kovy and Saku :(
I posted a theory about this last night at around 1 am or so. At the time I was hoping I was wrong, that Kovalev hadn't pulled some prima donna move despite all the bones Gainey has thrown him over the years- but there was some thing sad about the way Gainey told the media that Kovy hadn't given any return contact information.
If he did pull this crap on his friend and protector Bob, you have to wonder whether he might have been that poison in the room Carbo talked about.
AND What the frak are they gonna do with all that Kovy Koivu Komisarek and Tanguay merch? FIRE SALE??
So my purchase of an S.Kost. shirt last year doesn't look so bad after all.
i got my first jersery last year and i was set on a christopher higgins jersey but i balked at the last second and got a good old #74. i still have hope for my man sergei.
is it a bulldogs shirt?
Boston's payroll is at -100k
Recchi re-signed with Boston for $1mil/1 season. Kessel's days there seem numbered.
So Kovy has the following options:
1. Wait for the next best offer and say "i just want to play hockey".
2. Fire his agent, call up Gainey and say "1 year at what fits in your cap".
3. KHL.
I like #2.
And if he fires his agent, he gets to keep the agent cut, which means that he'd be able to play for 20% less and still take home the same amount of coin. :)
i like #2 but with a year or two more.
adrien aucoin to Phoenix apparantley...
"I went to see a fight the other night...And A hockey game broke out!" ~Rodney Dangerfield~
Oh and if the above about Kovalev is true then Bob did the right thing. If Kovalev thought he deserved more than 4M a year and was shopping the Habs offer to other teams and then get back to Bob with a better offer then good riddens. A player who "loves" his city needs not do this and put things into perspective.
Kovalev's days in MTL are done unless some weird low salary + bonuses get included somewhere but very unlikely.
Let's get a good dman and let's do a package deal somewhere to get some strength up our middle, Pleks should be shipped somewhere. Lapierre is our 3rd line center and we got plenty who can fit the role of our 4th line center.
fully agree
We have Metro, Maxwell, Chipchura, White is a possibility. We're good for 4th line centers, that's for sure.
These agents need to give their head a shake sometimes .. if that is how we lost Kovy .. what a shame !
I'd fire him if I was Kovy.
If Spacek is going to play with anyone it will be with his good friend Hamerlik. Expect a Markov/Gill?? and Spacek/Hamerlik combo with Gorges/Weber?? Definitely need another Dman here. Beauchemin would be AMAZING.
In regards to who'll be the C or the A, let the players decide that in October.
I wonder if Dany Masse will be able to showcase a bit of skill this year.
I'm gonna miss Saku forever.
Ex nihilo nihil fit
want some kleenex , a tissue perhaps.
Me too, Hazard. Me too
You will always be a Canadien in my eyes, Saku
Apparently we're still in on Beauchemin which would seriously help out that defence.
That would likely mean Bob has a deal to ship Hamrlik out of town. We don't have cap space anymore. $8.8m left with 5 RFA's to sign including Plekanec and Latendresse.
We have 10.5 left in cap space.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The patience that Bob Gainey showed me when he could have gotten rid of me years ago, I am just really grateful for it." - Mike Modano, June 30, 1999
NHL Numbers can't even do their own math right. Salary Cap: $56.8m. Habs' cap hit so far: $47.961m. Cap space = $8.839m. I don't know where they get $10.5m from.
You know... we COULD put Metro on waivers. That would clear up a million. I mean I know we can't do that now... But still.
Metro would only clear up at best $500,000. You have to replace the player with at least a minimum wage guy (and minimum wage is $500k).
Kovy can be as entertaining as he is frustrating. His agent has over-priced him and he will probably end up in LA just in time to screw up Kopitar's game. (I'm kidding.... maybe.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
Beliveau is the best that ever was.
Antropov off to Atlanta for 4 million for 4 years.