Scott Gomez

Scott Gomez denies he and Sergei Kostitsyn fought during a party at the end of September, hours before SK74 was sent to the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs.

On TSN, he said it was "complete B.S," and that he was with Kostitsyn's older brother Andrei when he first heard it on Thursday and both had a good laugh.

"It was kind of funny," he said. "There's absolutely no truth to it. But it is a good story. Everyone's been calling. I guess that's what happens here in Montreal."

Scott Gomez, in warmup last night before the season-opener in Toronto, brings a world of experiences to Montreal.

Claus Andersen, Getty Images

Over seven consecutive days, Pat Hickey and Dave Stubbs have introduced you to the seven new members of the Canadiens who joined the team during the offseason.

In order, we've profiled Mike Cammalleri, Travis Moen, Hal Gill, Paul Mara, Jaroslav Spacek, Brian Gionta and, today, the highest-profile of the summertime acquisitions, Scott Gomez.

Sometimes, you're called upstairs to your general manager's office to be told you've been traded. You absorb the sledgehammer blow, go back downstairs to your locker-room stall, bundle your sticks, bag your equipment and set off toward your new life.
Or you could be traded, as Scott Gomez was last June 30 - you're an hour up the road into the wilds of Alaska with your buddies, going fishing, your mind swimming with the trade rumours that have found you even up there.
You don't believe them until your boss finds you on your don't-bother-me cell, the voice of New York Rangers general manager Glen Sather crackling like a campfire.



• Link here to today's profile of Scott Gomez.

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."

AUDIO: Scott Gomez  Paul Mara  Jaroslav Spacek  P.K. Subban  Jacques Martin (in French and English ... not a great recording ... hey, it's training camp)

Predictable, depressing reaction in the usual corners on the news today that new Canadien Scott Gomez is taking French lessons.

It's terrific that Gomez is doing this. It's not so terrific the way the usual knuckledraggers are comparing it to the bilingual (Finnish- and English-speaking) former captain of the club who has signed with Anaheim.

Of the many things that will never change about the Canadiens, this is very near the top of the list.

Today's featured attraction is another compilation from Watsatheo, this one featuring Paul Mara.

It was a tough call, because he (or she?) has done a nice one on Hal Gill, also. But Mara's includes a Darcy Tucker beat-down .... and a Michael Jackson classic.

• Video from the Canadiens web site of Scott Gomez, Mike Cammalleri, Brian Gionta, Travis Moen and Mara visiting the Brossard training complex. And some photos of the lads in their new unis, with Mara and Moen bookending the wee guys.

• Lions in Winter on Language and Hockey.

• The Globe and Mail's Stephen Brunt on Jim Balsillie and Eric Duhatschek on the Olympic Team.

• Jim Kelley of SI proposes new rules.

• William Scott Bowman only the seventh greatest coach of all time? Behind Don Shula? And Vince Lombardi? Really? And Red Auerbach won with only one great team, Bowman with three ... in three cities .... and he wasn't that shabby in St. Louis or Buffalo. I rate him 1-A with John Wooden.

• Five Who May Surprise includes Gomez, Gionta ... and Huet.

• From James Mirtle's web site, a list of Twitter accounts hockey fans should follow.

The Scott Gomez contract contextualized:

Howie Mandel made $12 million last year.

Gomez made $7.5 million.

Zdeno Chara has never hit Mandel.

And Gomez is funnier.

Contrast this with Saku Koivu's stubborn refusal to learn Hebrew.

During his time in New York, Scott Gomez demonstrated great adaptability to local cultural mores.

Book him now for a rockin' Reveillon.

(Shout-out to Mike Schiavone for finding several Gomez gems on YouTube)

Two of the newest Canadiens have selected their jersey numbers for next season, according to the team.

Mike Cammalleri will wear the No. 13 that was left vacant with the departure of Alex Tanguay.

Scott Gomez will become the first Canadiens in history to wear No. 91 in Montreal. The two numbers he has worn his entire career, 23 and 19, are both hanging from the Bell Centre rafters and are untouchable.

It’s been a stunning few days for the fans of the Montreal Canadiens. A few have applauded Bob Gainey for making bold changes to a team that’s been mired in mediocrity for too many years. New faces and new skills will bring a necessary change to a team that had hit it’s ceiling.

Most fans, and many pundits, however, have blasted the Canadiens’ GM for blowing up the team, being impulsive, disloyal, and (almost criminally) inept.

Before the free agency period, Gainey was targeted by fans saying that he wouldn’t do anything. That he was sleeping in on July 1st and had his phone turned off. And even if he tried he couldn’t bring in any talent.

A few cycles of the clock later and Gainey proved those armchair pundits wrong. He made bold moves. Difficult moves.
As the dust settles, BG is being hounded by critics for bringing in 2nd line talent, over-paying for it and missing out on Franchise players.

Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta, and Mike Cammalleri will be an explosive line. A top line.

But like many fans, I’m hurting right now.

O Captain! My Captain!

Kovy! Kovy! Kovy!

Komisaurus!

Higgy!

I’m definitely going to miss these guys. The Habs are going to be a vastly different team without them. But you know what? We’re going to be a better team. We’re going to be more consistent and we’re going to win more games.

The Habs Centennial year was a disaster. Bob’s 5-year plan was supposed to come to fruition but injuries, a stubborn coach and scandals sunk that celebration. This season we’re back to Hockey 101 – a new class, a new coach, a new spirit in the locker room.

The Canadiens' newly acquired centreman Scott Gomez has just concluded a conference call with Montreal journalists. He is in Alaska, on a fishing trip.

Gomez said the trade is part of the business and he's a little disappointed that he didn't have a chance to play more for New York coach John Tortorella. But he said he's excited to be playing in the "mecca of hockey."

• Here's the full audio of the call.