Three more weeks of training, but it will be tough to top this gem from Day One:
"Montreal has a better downtown than Buffalo, for sure ..." – defenceman Jaroslav Spacek, comparing the new place he plys his trade to the last one.
In a well-travelled career that has included stops in Chicago, Columbus, Florida and Edmonton the native of the Czech Republic has gained an appreciation of Canadien fans.
"They push me to do my best," Spacek said.
There were about 1,200 pushers on hand for the opening of training camp, including the heckler who bellowed "Gomez, you gotta wake up this year!!"
"Yeah, I heard him," Scott Gomez said. "He has every right to voice his opinion. That's what makes the fans great here. It shows you the passion.
Coach Jacques Martin said he would like to see his defencemen support the attack this season.
"Teams defend so well, there are few odd-man rushes," Martin said. One of the ways to create advantage is to have defencemen capable of becoming fourth attackers.
Martin repeated his "puck possession" mantra. He would like to see sound decision-making, tape-to-tape passing and a "shooting mentality", as opposed to excessively fancy playmaking.
Martin liked the work of all four goaltenders in today's game and singled out Guillaume Latendresse's physical play for praise.
The coach said given the number of new faces, training camp will afford the team an opportunity to forge an identity, which Martin hopes will be based "work ethic, commitment at both ends of the ice."
The undrafted 18-year-old LW, Pat Hickey reports from the final day of rookie camp, has been invited to the Canadiens training camp, which begins with medicals tomorrow.
Lefebvre played for new Hamilton coach Guy Boucher at Drummondville in the Q. The 5'11", 190-pounder scored 21 goals and added 27 assists.
He said he is not yet ready to do interviews in French, but that it is getting close.
The 20-year-old defenceman grew up in Toronto and spoke only English until he started taking the lessons. He said it is hard to learn a new language, but felt it was important to learn French.
"I wanted to learn not just because I want to play for the Canadiens one day, but also because it is a language spoken by a lot of people around the world," Subban said.
The week-long rookie camp is underway at the Canadiens practice facility in Brossard.
Pat Hickey was in the scrum to hear the words of defence prospects Yannick Weber and P.K. Subban, either (or both) of whom might see duty with the Canadiens this season.
Max Pacioretty says in an RDS piece that he's found it hard to sleep for the past two weeks. The pressure is on MaxPac to have a great rookie camp and main camp, which begins Sept. 12.
More to come from the rookie camp in the days ahead.
Belleville Bulls defenceman P.K. Subban, the Canadiens' second-round draft choice (43rd overall) in 2007, has been selected to the national team that will represent Canada in the World Junior Championship beginning later this month in Ottawa.
Subban, 19, is part of a Bellevile team that tops the OHL's Eastern Conference. In 29 games, Subban has 4 goals, 33 assists and is plus-27.
Two Canadiens' draft picks have made the U.S. team:
• Defenceman Ryan McDonagh (first round, 12th overall in 2007), who's a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin;
• Forward Danny Kristo (second round, 26th overall in 2008), who is playing for the Omaha Lancers of the USHL and will enter the University of North Dakota next fall.
Canadiens blue-like prospect P.K. Subban has a penchant for offence and he showed off his skills on Sunday with a goal during an intra-squad game in Pierrefonds.
RDS reports Bob Gainey phoned J.P. Barry, Mats Sundin's agent, on Tuesday.
While the sports network did not reveal the substance of the conversation, a source in Sweden has sent a recording of it to Habs Inside/Out.
Gainey: If you change your mind, I'm the first in line
Honey I'm still free
Take a chance on me
If you need me, let me know, gonna be around
If you've got no place to go, if you're feeling down
If you're all alone when the pretty birds have flown
Honey I'm still free
Take a chance on me
Gonna do my very best and it ain't no lie
If you put me to the test, if you let me try
Take a chance on me
(That's all I ask of you honey)
Take a chance on me
Barry: (Unintelligible)
Gainey:I don't wanna talk
About the things we've gone through
Though it's hurting me
Now it's history
I've played all my cards
And that's what you've done too
Nothing more to say
No more ace to play
The winner takes it all
The loser standing small
Beside the victory
That's his destinyÂ
Max Pacioretty wowed the crowd at Canadiens' development camp on Friday.
The big forward scored twice on nifty backhands during the 3-on-3 scrimmages.
On the first goal, Pacioretty drove the net and was slammed after scoring by Andrew Conboy, who was chosen 120 picks after Pacioretty in the 2007 draft. Conboy is a 6'4" bruiser who managed to rack up 188 minutes in penalties playing in the relatively tranquil – by Canadian major-junior standards – USHL.
Conboy will be a freshman at Michigan State this fall. If Pacioretty returns to Michigan – which he probably will – they'll be seeing more of each other.
As Pat Hickey writes in The Gazette today, Trevor Timmins describes Pacioretty as "head and shoulders" above the other prospects at camp.
Take this to the bank, people: Max Pacioretty will be with the big club when the 2009-'10 season begins. And he's going to be a good one.
Share the agony and ecstasy of Habs fandom and read live blogs from every game with Gazette columnist Mike Boone.
