Canadiens' Christmas greetings

I would like to wish everyone at HIO a merry christmas,happy holidays and a happy new year. I have spent the day playing nhl 2k9 for the wii and i would have to say it is super realistic. First of all i played against the leafs in toronto, despite winning 5-0 i spent most of the game short-handed, like i said, remarkably realistic. Second of all even using the super speed burst, lats still looked slow out there,lmao. Have a good one all. Can't wait to cheer for canada tomorrow night and our habs saturday.

Merry Christmas to everyone... and have a safe and Habby New Year! __________________________________

Best wishes to all HIO staff and members. Let's hope for an exciting second half of the 08-09 season. Go Habs, all the way to Lord Stanley !

what looked like a Habs lock for the starting lineup for the allstar game, now looks like a Pitts lock...

Peace & Love folks! If you drive, try not to cut anyone off today! Merry Christmas all you dogs and not-dogs. Merry Christmas especially to those friends I haven't met, and to the HIO staff. Thanks for this forum - you guys rock! ~ Listen to the smart dog - he knows his poop!

FROM WINDSOR WITH LOVE. HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE. I still hate Boston.

Happy Holidays to all the HIO crew and fans!! Looks like its a white xmas for everyone here in Canada. Enjoy good times with family and friends. I'll be rooting for Team Canada on Boxing Day and throughout the WJHC.

Merry Christmas to all at HIO. I had an nice little Christmas Eve time with my family. I promised my young nephew I would post the story. Perhaps, for content here today, some of you can share your stories as well. Christmas Through A Young Habs Fan's Eyes http://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2008/12/25/701826/christmas-through-a-... ....of course, Santa is a Habs fan...

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY FELLOW HABS BRETHEREN! HERE AT HIO AND THOSE AROUND THE WORLD

Merry Christmas morning to all HIO and Staff. Thank you all for a wonderful year of great talk. Best site in the world for all Habs Fans to read. May 2009 be the greatest ever. Its Christmas time here in Newfoundland. Party is just begun and until daylight. Party on Habs Fans and nothing but the best in the New Year. Go HABS Go!!!

To the HIO staff and Habs fans worldwide; I'd like to wish everyone Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year! May their be peace on this Earth for once. Too much war and not enough love on this planet of ours. Man his his worst enemy, we need to learn from our beloved pets what life is really all about....unconditional love, always being happy, and not miserable, angry or hatred towards one another in our everyday life! Let the year 2009 brings health and happiness to everyone. Dave Stubbs, Mike Boone, Kevin Mio, J.T., and Pat Hickey.....keep up the great work on this site! I love you guys....and J.T.! "We will win the Cup only with Carey Price in the nets"

I already posted this a few days ago but it won't hurt to repeat them again: My very best wishes to HIO Staff and all the posters (especially the veterans whom I had the great pleasure to meet them at the first Summit) a very Merry Holiday Season and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. Cheers everyone, Ali B.

A very merry Christmas to every one on here and Happy Holiday to those who are of another faith. A big thanks to all the gang that make this such a great site. We may not all agree but we can come here to cry when the Habs lose and laugh when they win. Now the march to the cup begins. Happy Holiday everyone. To all those with kids get out and enjoy them while you have time. You never know when the next Habs star will be born

Hey Dave I wished Boone a Merry Christmas on his page but I want to wish you a safe and Happy holiday as well. Thanks so much for your input on HIO always a pleasure to read. All the best to you and yours. look forward to an exciting '09.

I never knew Stubbs to have such a sly sense of humour. He's not going to force those of us tuning in, to constantly be greeted by a picture of Bob Cole, now is he? For those interested (I won't post links, hee!), there's three or four new things up at the site on Xmas, early jersey and the flag, the outdoor rinks, etc. Click the signature and enjoy.

http://www.habseyesontheprize.com/

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah folks! I hope you all have a peaceful and fun holiday with family and friends.... and if you're short on either of those where you are, go help someone who needs it. There's nothing that will make you feel better or understand the real meaning of these few days off. See you on Saturday for the Pens game. ~ Listen to the smart dog - he knows his poop!

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year for the staff and readers of Habs I/O! Wesołych Świąt i szczęśliwego Nowego Roku dla redakcji i czytelników Habs I/O! GO HABS GO!!! ___________________________________________________________ It was love at first sight. The first time Koivu saw Tanguay he fell madly in love with him.

Merry Christmas and Joyeux Noel to all and to all ... GO HABS! On y va!

All the best and a safe and pleasant holiday to all in the HIO community.

A short tale on that maple leafy thingy from the early Habs jerseys. Evolution Of A Hockey Jersey / The Origin Of Our Flag http://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2008/12/24/701189/the-evolution-of-a-h...

Does anyone notice the 1910-11 jersey (the one with the green leaf logo) seems a little Christmasey? The Habs should wore those jersey before the holidays so that everybody who buy the jerseys would be the perfect wear for Christmas instead of the ridiculous holiday sweaters(you know the kind)... ---------- "We all wore the same costume as Maurice Richard did; the red-white-and-blue costume of the Montréal Canadiens, the best hockey team in the world." - Roch Carrier

A X-Mas song? I call it: "When Fletcher met the Boys" Leafs last won a Cup when I was three And didn't leave much to my team and me Just an old broke Swede and a raggedy view on the reef. We don't blame the bosses cuz they run and hid But the meanest thing that they ever did Was before they left, they went and named us "Leafs." Well, they must o' thought that was quite a joke And it got a lot of laughs from a' lots of folk, It just seems we had to suck and grit our teeth. Some team would giggle and we'd get red Some conference'd laugh and we'd go to bed, I tell ya, life ain't easy for a team named "Leafs." Well, we grew up dumb and we grew up queens, Our heads got hard and our wits got lean, We'd roam from course to green to hide our shame. But we made a vow to the moon and Mars That we'd play the Oilers, Habs and Stars Till we finally had the stones to win a game. It was down in Pittsburg in mid'o'March And we just hit town with a roster parched, And for kicks, we thought we'd play in a charity beef At an old saloon on a sheet of ice, There at a table, throwin' dice, Sat the dirty, mangy dogs who called us "Leafs." We knew those snakes were our foes that night And at a glance, we thought everything'd be alright, Cuz we knew those talentless and stupid eyes. They were big and bent and gray and old, And we looked at them and our blood got bold And we said: "Our name is 'Leafs!' The Maple Leafs! Grammar is denied!!" Well, we hit'em hard right between the legs And stood our ground just to scare the dregs. But an old fart took his cane and wrapped 'round the'side of my ear. So we busted a chair right across the wall And we crashed through the plaster in a big fall Kicking and a' crying on the ice and the blood and the beer. I tell ya, we've played tougher men But we really can't remember when, They kicked like Ribeiros and stomped like a Chris Simon. We heard'em laugh and then heard'em cuss, They went for their sticks and called us a wuss, They stood there lookin' at us and we saw'em smilin'. And they said: "Boys, this league is rough And if a team's gonna make it, they's gotta be tough And we knew no one'd be there to help ya along. So we give ya that name and we said goodbye We knew you'd have to get tough or die And that name has helped you to barely crawl along." They said: "Now you just lost one hell of a fight And we know you hate us, and you got the right To cry again, and we'll just wait here drinkin' O'Keefes. But ya ought to thank us, before you die, For the elbow in ya face and the stick in ya eye Cause WE'RE the sons-of-bitches that named you "Leafs.'" Peace Out ______________________________________________________ Lord Bugs Potter, esq. Earl of Fluppitburg, Baron of Flopshlupshire and Knight of the Flannel Republic.

REPOST..from early in this thread... ....Komisnowman just inside the blue line, passes to Steve Bonhomme who sends it back to Freezebois. Freezebois fires a rocket through traffic! Icechipchura pounces on the reboound, passes to Kovaneige... he SCORRREEESS!!!! ~ Listen to the smart dog - he knows his poop!

I want to know why I can't comment on the excellent Bob Cole article. I wanted to ask who the man standing beside Toe Blake in the picture behind Cole and Belliveau was. I thought it was a great article and I have always enjoyed Cole as an announcer despite most Habs Fans opinion. Anybody that doesn't worship the Habs is not acceptable to some Habs Fans! ------------------- Individual records are nice to get, but before the season starts, you want to play to win the Stanley Cup! ~ Guy Lafleur

Notice the one player in the current Canadiens jersey is on the bench, of sorts.

http://www.habseyesontheprize.com/

Happy Holidays and the best of cheer to all staff and readers. A toast to ALL HABS fans, players, staff, owners and sponsors. We are Hockey and have been for a hundred years.

Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays to everyone. Have a fun and safe holiday season. http://yourhabs.com - My Montreal Canadiens Blog

So I guess Kovalev is the snowman in blue, skating around with the puck while the rest of the snowman stand around wondering when he's gonna pass it. Cute Christmas card, Happy Holidays to everyone!

A Merry Christmas to all the bloggers and also to Dave, Pat, Kevin and even you Mike. And a Happy Stanley Cup year. Go! Habs Go!

Happy holidays, people. All the best and see you on the other side. Chris "Chorske"

AAWW!!!! the snowmen are so cute!! "Marc-Andre Fleury is going down!!!"

Great card, Merry Christmas Peoples! sholi2000.com God Bless Our Infantry 2PPCLI

Thank Dave for the request! Happy Holidays to everyone at the HIO Site and fans on this site as well! Can you wish Kovalev, Markov, the Kostitsyn brothers a Merry Orthodox Christmas for me on January 7 as well? I also celebrate Christmas on this day also. You might say the best of both worlds! "We will win the Cup only with Carey Price in the nets"

I don't post much, but here's to a Merry Christmas for staff and readers. Whatever happens to Les Boys this year, it's a durn sight better than it used to be.

C'est tres cute. http://moeymusings.blogspot.com/

An interesting little story from Patrick Roy's book that the author did not make much of... Passing The Torch From A Trivial Number 99 To A Pivotal Number 33 The name Leo Bourgeault is but a footnote in Montreal Canadiens history, most often associated with a trivia question involving the number made famous by Wayne Gretzky. Bourgeault however, left his mark on Canadiens history in a different, if more subtle way. His story might seem to be one of numerology, or even geneology, but it is in fact just a tale of passing down one's love for the game of hockey, with added lucky coincidences thrown in. http://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2008/12/22/700148/passing-the-torch-fr...

Look at those nice smiley faces. Cute, cuddly, sweet. That won't do at all. Let's see some bloody grit! How can they just leave Stripey-Kovy-Shirt all alone in the slot?! Crush him! Hack his shins; crosscheck him in the neck! Wake UP fer petessakes! Let's see some friggin' HOCKEY here! Lookit Gilbert Dionne on the left, so NOT involved in the play "I'm open; I'm open!" Get IN there, you lazy bastich! Peace Out ______________________________________________________ Lord Bugs Potter, esq. Earl of Fluppitburg, Baron of Flopshlupshire and Knight of the Flannel Republic.

I knew that we should have resigned Mark Streit. but them,s the breaks.

The era of Mark Streit, swingman, is over. And the Swiss – get ready for it – defenseman couldn’t be happier. “I play 100 percent, full-time defenseman so I’m happy with that,” said Streit, now 28 games into his New York Islanders career after joining them as a free agent last summer. “That’s one of the big reasons I signed with the Islanders and obviously it was always my goal to play as a defenseman.” Last year, when Streit was among the top-scoring rearguards in the league with Montreal, people were quick to attach an asterisk beside his name because he wasn’t exclusively a defenseman. Streit always manned the point on the Canadiens’ potent power play, but often took his regular shift as a forward on the third or fourth line. “In Montreal I was kind of in and out; played on the power play as a defenseman, but other than that I was the joker a little bit - wherever they needed me, they put me,” Streit said. Streit parlayed a 62-point season and the fact he was a key member of the league’s No. 1 power play last season into a five-year deal to play on Long Island for $4.1 million annually. Some thought it was a case of paying racehorse money to a one-trick pony who would find it much tougher to flourish now that he wasn’t surrounded by such talented teammates. That notion can be safely heaved out the window. Through Tuesday night’s action, Streit sat seventh in league scoring among defensemen, one spot ahead of Chicago’s $57-million man Brian Campbell and further up the charts than the likes of Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Pronger. Make no mistake; Streit’s production is still rooted in the power play. In fact, his 14 man-advantage points is tops among all blueliners and accounts for 70 percent of his 20 total points. Streit has six goals this year and none of them have come at even strength (five on the power play, one shorthanded). Yes, Streit is minus-6, but he also plays for a team that gives up the third-most goals per game and has produced the fewest 5-on-5 markers of any NHL team this season with just 35. Look beyond the numbers and you’ll see a guy who’s working game in and game out to shed the ‘specialist’ label. And he’s getting plenty of opportunities to do it, thanks to the fact he plays roughly 25 minutes a game, almost five minutes more than any other Islander. “He’s established that he is a defenseman,” said Islanders coach Scott Gordon. “I think coming into the year there was a little bit of uncertainty, not from knowing (if he could do it), but just from the perception of him playing defense mostly on the power play and being the odd guy in and out of the lineup as a defenseman. “What he’s done now is he’s been able to perform as a defenseman full time and not just be an offensive guy, but be a guy who can kill penalties and he’s played, at times, against other teams’ top lines. I think he really has shown he’s more than just a power play specialist.” Related Links * More from Ryan Dixon * Mark Streit Player Page * Islanders Stats and News Proving things to hockey types is certainly nothing new for Streit, who turns 31 on Thursday. He originally came to North America nearly 10 years ago as an undrafted player trying to show his worth. He split the 1999-2000 season between the ECHL, American League and even played one game in the old International League. Sufficed to say, the undersized defenseman from a place known more for its chocolate and neutrality didn’t exactly send scouts scrambling for the phone. “Nobody really believed I was capable of being an NHL player, so I had to go back (to Switzerland); there was no other way and I knew if I wanted to come back (to North America) I had to work really hard and be an impact player in Switzerland and show what I can do at the World Championship,” Streit said. Streit played five seasons with Zurich in the Swiss League, increasing his point totals each year. It would have been easy to sink into a comfortable life as a well-paid pro athlete playing at home, but Streit never relinquished the belief he could play with the best. His hard work paid off when the Habs selected him as a 26-year-old with the 262nd overall pick of the 2004 draft. “It was still my dream,” Streit said of playing in the big show while he toiled in Europe. “When I was 24, 25, I thought, ‘Well, it’s going to be tough,’ but it was still somewhere in my head, that’s why I kept working and believing and when I finally got drafted, it was a dream come true.” In three post-lockout seasons, Streit carved out a nice existence for himself in Montreal and proved he could be an effective NHLer. The resolve he showed in simply making the world’s best league is still very much a part of Streit and he won’t be content until everyone knows his on-ice position shouldn’t include a slash. “In the past I played as a full-time defenseman and I played against some pretty good players and I knew I had it in me; I just wanted to prove it and I’m still proving it,” he said. “I want to get better and be a good defensive defenseman, but also good offensively.”

WHAT THE!! number 1 player has my sweater on!

Is that snowman with the red jersey in the back supposed to be Lats? Hey fellows, wait for me!

....Komisnowman just inside the blue line, passes to Steve Bonhomme who sends it back to Freezebois. Freezebois fires a rocket through traffic! Icechipchura pounces on the reboound, passes to Kovaneige... he SCORRREEESS!!!! ~ Listen to the smart dog - he knows his poop!

I feel bad for the snowman way off in the distance who's cheering about something or other -- I guess they wouldn't let him play. 1. www.flickeringpictures.com - not a hockey site, but still kinda neat 2. Josh Gorges on Montreal's attack: "They're comin', they're comin' and they keep comin'. Just line after line, wave after wave..."

Are these the new 'lower body' protectors? I like them. It kinda makes them look like snowmen. "I like women and I like cake " - HIO Summit 2008

The blue guys gonna shoot right through the goalie's body!

Hey! one of those guys on the card looks like Yeats.!

A Canadiens card with 7 Kyle Swellwood's on it???