Author: Dans les Coulisses

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Félix Séguin to describe his 1,500th career encounter tonight

Tonight, the Canadiens host the St. Louis Blues, looking to end their four-game losing streak.

At 7pm, a plateau will be reached. Not on the ice, but on the bridge.

Félix Séguin will describe his 1500th career game, a feat highlighted by NHL Public Relations earlier in the evening.

In 2014, he was hired by TVA Sports to be the lead commentator for the Montreal Canadiens and the NHL playoffs.

It was on April 6, 2001, that Séguin described his first game. That night, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies were defeated by the Shawinigan Cataractes. It was Guy Champoux who gave him his first opportunity.

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Clearly, he still has his heart set on the QMJHL, because as noted in a text by David Brien (QMJHL) in 2021, he doesn’t miss an opportunity to make links with the Quebec and Maritime leagues.

If Thomas Chabot touches the puck, for example, he makes a point of mentioning that he was a proud member of the Saint John Sea Dogs a few years ago. – David Brien

Seven years after his first game on description, the voice of the Canadiens games on TVA Sports has officially made the jump to Bettman Circuit games on the Sports Network. In 2014, when TVA Sports was born, he jumped at the chance to become a full-time commentator.

10 years later, he still has the same job, and he won’t have stolen the 1,500 games to describe a hockey game.

Overtime

– Heartbreaking defeat for the Alouettes.

– The end of an era.

– A first goal in a Kings uniform for Joel Edmundson.

– What a game!

– Back to basics.

– Quite a victory!

– Great performance.

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Rangers to pay whatever Igor Shesterkin wants

How much will Igor Shesterkin earn on his contract?

12 million per year? 12.5 M$?

It should be around these figures, making the Russian goaltender the NHL’s highest-paid goaltender on such an annual salary.

On the other hand, the Rangers’ contractual situation is starting to look a lot like that of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are paying close to $54 million for four forwards and a defenseman.

Artemi Panarin ($11.6 M/year), Adam Fox ($9.5 M/year), Mika Zibanejad ($8.5 M/year), Jacob Trouba ($8 M/year) and Alexis Lafrenière ($7.45 M/year), that’s a lot of money.

And then the Rangers have to add a salary in the $12 million/year range for their star goaltender.

And as Jim Biringer mentions in this article, Shesterkin will get what he wants, and the Rangers will offer it to him.

The text was published shortly before Lafrenière’s contract extension was announced, but Biringer was probably aware that it was coming soon.

Definitely, the Rangers will be handcuffed with such a contract extension, but he’s too important.

“I think the basis of this is that Shesterkin wants $12 million a year. If he wants $12.5M, he’s going to get it because of how important he is to the team.” – Jim Biringer

Indeed, the New York Rangers can’t afford to lose him on the free agent market for nothing.

His stats back it all up.

What’s more, the Rangers’ defensive brigade relies far too heavily on the goaltender.

There’s no doubt that the Russian is the best goalie in the NHL, and he should be paid as such.

On the other hand, players like Vincent Trocheck and Filip Chytil, who are worth just over $10 million a year, may have to pack their bags.

Losing two of your three centers is a major blow to a team.

Ryan Lindgren ($4.5 M) could also be a target.

One thing’s for sure: this will give Rangers GM Chris Drury a lot of work to do.

Overtime

– Unbelievable.

– Good point.

– Good question.

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Defending St. Louis in the face of criticism: Caufield and Slafkovsky show their support

MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 09: Cole Caufield (22) of the Montreal Canadiens congratulates Juraj Slafkovsky (20) at the end of the NHL game between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Montreal Canadiens on April 9, 2024, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Yesterday, Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis offered us another mythical phrase during his press briefing after the team’s practice.

However, this one isn’t the comical kind, like the one about chairs and bringing “your game into the game”.

It’s a much more serious one, aimed at responding directly to the criticism levelled at the coach, especially in the final days after the crushing defeat by the New York Rangers.

“Why would I listen to criticism from someone I would never ask for advice?” – Martin St-Louis

It’s the second time in a week that a member of the Habs has given a special, cocky response to a journalist, after Cole Caufield last Saturday.

In short, a “quote” from St-Lous made the media rounds yesterday, and was obviously seen and liked by many.

And when we look at the likes on BarDown’s Instagram post, we notice that Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky are among them.

(Credit: Instagram/BarDown)

The Habs’ two star forwards were quick to publicly offer their support to their coach in the face of recent criticism.

It really shows that the players, at least two very important ones on the team, are behind Martin St-Louis and clearly haven’t given up.

While some fans and analysts are beginning to doubt Martin St-Louis’ system and plan, the players believe in their coach and are backing him right now.

It’s great to see, and it gives St-Louis renewed confidence for the future.

Owen Beck, currently with the Laval Rocket, also offered his support to the coach.

Overtime

– A historic moment.

– Indeed.

– What do you think?

– Young Nashville Predators prospect makes his mark in the KHL.

– To watch today.

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The Canadiens will be looking for an experienced goaltender, says Dave Morissette

MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 09: Cayden Primeau (30) of the Montreal Canadiens congratulates teammate Sam Montembeault (35) at the end of the NHL game between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Montreal Canadiens on April 9, 2024, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Over the past two days, the Montreal Canadiens have been the talk of the hockey world.

Of course, we’re hearing a lot about the criticism levelled at Martin St-Louis after his crushing 7-2 loss to the New York Rangers, but we’re also hearing rumours about the trade market.

Indeed, Chris Johnston spoke of Christian Dvorak as a player who could move between now and the trade deadline.

However, that’s not the rumor that got the most attention.

Rather, it was Frank Seravalli’s rumor that Kent Hughes was shopping for a right-handed defenseman for his top-4.

Naturally, this rumour caused quite a stir, and was even a topic of discussion yesterday on the “Sortie de Zone” podcast, as to whether this rumour was myth or reality.

Among those around the podcast table was Dave Morissette, who was the guest for this 11ᵉ episode of Sortie de Zone season 6.

The former NHL tough guy and current host of the NHL post-game Saturday nights on TVA Sports, actually gave his opinion on the rumor.

And according to him, well, it’s not a defenseman that Kent Hughes will be going after, but rather a goaltender.

Indeed, Morisette believes that the Habs will be looking for an experienced goaltender to back up Samuel Montembeault, and thus fill in the defensive gaps.

Obviously, this isn’t a rumor (at least for now), it’s a prediction by Dave Morisette, who believes it could help the Habs, especially considering Cayden Primeau’s difficulties, even though he did well against the New York Islanders.

“Primeau’s not working right now. Am I the only one who gets nervous every time? Are you nervous?” – Dave Morissette

Overtime

– RHP is skating this morning.

– The Penguins send Tristan Jarry to the AHL for conditioning purposes.

– Here are the terms of his AHL loan.

– Read more.

– What do you think?

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Kaiden Guhle started skating again

Good news this morning.

On the heels of the club’s practice session, defenseman Kaiden Guhle was seen jumping on the ice. He did it at the same time as the other guys, even though he wasn’t wearing a jersey that allowed him to receive contact.

It’s the first time he’s skated since October 17. Reporter Patrick Friolet took pictures of just that.

Obviously, he’s just starting to skate again. He wasn’t allowed to receive contact from his teammates, and you’d think he’s really not at 100% if he hasn’t skated in about 10 days.

But it’s an important development nonetheless.

Don’t expect him to play today or tomorrow. And have the same expectations for Juraj Slafkovsky, who also skated today, and for Justin Barron.

Slaf skated today – also in a non-contact jersey – and has been on the ice a lot in recent days. Barron skated yesterday for the first time since the New York game.

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It’s not even close: Demidov is the KHL’s most productive player (per 60 minutes).

SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - 2024/09/23: Ivan Demidov (91) SKA Hockey Club seen in action during the Hockey match, Kontinental Hockey League 2024/2025 between SKA Saint Petersburg and Avangard Omsk at the Ice Sports Palace. (Final score; SKA Saint Petersburg 4:1 Avangard Omsk). (Photo by Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Ivan Demidov is on a winning streak.

He has picked up at least one point in his last five games and has 16 points in 20 games so far this season.

The fact that he’s not playing much puts even more emphasis on the fact that he’s having a good campaign.

After all, Demidov has averaged 10:34 of playing time since the start of the SKA St. Petersburg season.

He’s capable of producing despite it all, and that’s what’s exciting about the Habs prospect.

That said, per 60 minutes, Demidov is (by far) the most productive player in the KHL at just 18 years of age.

It’s not even close when you look at the following table:

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What interests me most is the fact that he produces offensively at a more than interesting rate, even if his coach doesn’t use him on the powerplay.

Demidov is an offensive player and we know he has skills that can help his club, but we also know the strategy of KHL clubs with youngsters who want to leave Russia to come and play in North America.

That said, it’s hard not to be excited when you see him being so good with such little playing time.

Especially in the context of the Canadiens’ current need for forwards.

Seeing Demidov perform on the other side of the globe seems to make us all even more eager to see him arrive in Montreal, and that’s only natural.

The good news? We should (technically) see him in a Canadiens uniform within a year if Demidov really does decide to leave the KHL after the end of his current contract, which binds him to SKA until the end of the 23-24 campaign.

It’s coming!

Overtime

– It’s not too much to ask…

– He starts the season strong.

– There’s a real buzz around town.

– Oopsie..

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A $3 billion value for the Canadiens?

MONTREAL, QC - NOVEMBER 29: Montreal Canadiens owner and president Geoff Molson listens to a question from the media on November 29, 2021 at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

In 2021, Forbes reported that the monetary value of the Montreal Canadiens was $1.6 billion.

The following year, in 2022, Forbes announced that the Flanelle’s value had risen to $1.85 billion.

That’s true for the Habs, and it’s just as true for the other teams.

According to Kevin Weekes, there are three NHL clubs today worth (at least) $3 billion.

According to Weekes, eight other teams in the league are worth at least $2 billion. That’s a lot of money.

We know that the Canadiens have always been among the most valuable teams in the NHL… And at this level, we can really believe that Weekes is talking about the Canadiens when he refers to the three clubs worth at least $3 billion.

The other two? Quick as that, it’s logical to think we’re talking about the Leafs and Rangers here.

In November 2023, Michael Andlauer sold his shares in the Canadiens, taking into account the Montreal organization’s estimated value of $2.5 billion.

He therefore sold 10% for $250 million, which is why today, almost a year later, it’s logical to believe that the Habs are one of the clubs worth $3 billion.

It’s still special in some people’s eyes, because the Habs’ value continues to rise even if the club isn’t winning on the ice.

The team has been rebuilding for a few years now, and the results aren’t there.

But it goes even further than that: a club’s value is determined by its brand, its location, its amphitheatre…

But it proves that the league is doing well financially after the difficult years of the pandemic, and it proves that the Habs’ reputation is still huge.

Geoff Molson must be happy!

Overtime

– Interested?

– Love.

– Really?

– It’s on!

– Who will win this year?

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Lightning owner offers $50,000 bonus (minimum) to employees

TAMPA, FL - JULY 7: Chairman and Governor Jeff Vinik of the Tampa Bay Lightning hoists the Stanley Cup overhead after the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadiens in Game Five to win the best of seven game series 4-1 during the Stanley Cup Final of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on July 7, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)

Earlier this week, Lightning owner Jeff Vinik sold a majority stake in the franchise to a pair of fund managers from an investment firm in New York.

Vinik sent an e-mail to his employees with the news.

But in the e-mail, there was also an interesting message for Vinik Sports Group employees…

The Lightning owner said in his e-mail that each full-time Vinik Sports Group employee (there are around 300 in total) will share a handsome $20 million bonus in connection with the sale.

In the end, each employee will be able to collect a “minimum” bonus of $50,000, which is meant to be a nice amount of money for those working within the organization.

This prompted Julien BriseBois (Lightning GM) to say:

He’s the best owner in the sport. I have friends who are involved in other sports and they all say the same thing: Jeff is the best. – Julien BriseBois

It’s out of the ordinary, honestly.

Jeff Vinik really didn’t have to make the decision to share his income with his employees, and it seems refreshing.

After all, it’s possible that some of those employees are having a hard time with the two major hurricanes (Helene and Beryl) that have hit Florida in recent weeks.

The Lightning owner is obviously aware of this and has decided to take action to help these people. I think that’s really interesting.

It also makes the club’s employees feel even more attached to the Tampa Bay organization.

It’s a nice vote of confidence in the employees, and it also shows that the owner is thinking of his staff.

Hats off to him!

Overtime

– He’s getting better.

– Wow.

– It’s coming…

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Defensive setbacks: Matheson and Savard hold team meeting with young defenders

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

The Canadiens’ defense is young.

It lacks NHL experience, which may explain why the Habs have had so many setbacks defensively so far this season.

Because, as we all know, the Canadiens have been taking pity on their zone lately.

When you look at the age of each defenseman, it’s easy to see that Mike Matheson and David Savard have a lot of pressure on their shoulders.

They’re there to help the younger players, who need a little guidance:

  • Lane Hutson, 20
  • Logan Mailloux, 21
  • Kaiden Guhle, 22
  • Jayden Struble, 22
  • Justin Barron, 22
  • Arber Xhekaj, 23

But Matheson and Savard may be the oldest of the bunch, but at the end of the day, the two veterans can’t do it all alone on the ice.

That’s why, after yesterday’s practice, Matheson and Savard held a small team meeting with the rest of the defensive brigade to clarify a few things.

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Matheson and Savard are the team’s leaders, along with Brendan Gallagher and Nick Suzuki.

They have an important voice in the dressing room because they do things the right way and because they have mileage.

David Savard even has a Stanley Cup ring, which proves that he knows how to find himself in a winning situation.

That said, it’s interesting to know that these two guys stood up to calm the storm. They’ve taken the initiative knowing that things haven’t been going so well lately, and that’s why they’re important in the room.

We’ve talked in the last year about the possibility of trading one of them so that Kent Hughes could maximize his assets, but this is where we see how crucial it is to have veterans in the room.

It takes older players to guide the younger ones, after all.

Now, all that remains to be seen… is whether the meeting in question will have had its impact on the ice. We’ll see tonight at the Bell Centre and we’ll see tomorrow, when the Habs visit Philadelphia to take on Matvei Michkov’s Flyers.

Overtime

– Oh.

– Will they be fit tonight?

– All the better.

– This is normal.

– The Islanders are on the move :

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Alex Barré-Boulet vs. Joshua Roy: the battle is on

MONTREAL, CANADA - MARCH 12: Joshua Roy #89 of the Montreal Canadiens celebrates his goal with the bench during the first period of the NHL regular season game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Bell Centre on March 12, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Arianne Bergeron/NHLI via Getty Images)

Right now, there’s a lot of talk about the battle for a roster spot on defense with the Montreal Canadiens, and rightly so, considering that there are opportunities to be seized with the injuries to Kaiden Guhle and Justin Barron.

By the way, Arber Xhekaj had better get up quickly if he wants to keep a place in the line-up, because Kaiden Guhle has started skating again, as has Justin Barron.

And on the forward front, well, let’s not forget that Juraj Slafkovsky is injured, so there’s also an internal battle going on.

As a result, the Habs currently have exactly 12 healthy forwards, allowing Michael Pezzetta to play his first minutes of the season.

And if the logic of things and the Habs’ bad luck in recent years are anything to go by, another forward could well get injured.

So, the recall of a Laval Rocket forward could come much sooner than we think.

And in this case, it’s clearly between two Québécois, Alex Barré-Boulet (five points in three games) and Joshua Roy (four points in five games), who are currently dominating in Laval.

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The two Québécois were excellent once again last night, earning a point each in another Laval Rocket victory, this time 4-3 over the Utica Comets.

In short, both forwards are performing well, and so, in the event of a recall, it really comes down to these two.

And that’s where it will be interesting to see what the Canadiens’ decision will be.

Will they choose to leave Roy in the AHL and rely on the experience of Barré-Boulet, or will they prefer to bring Roy’s undeniable forward talent to Montreal to help the Habs’ attack?

The question also arises as to how much the off-ice factor will play into the Habs management’s decision.

Joshua Roy doesn’t have the best reputation off the ice, and let’s just say that his absence without giving any news at a signing session probably doesn’t help his cause.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Canadiens decide whether to recall a forward.

If it’s just to be the club’s 13ᵉ forward on an overseas trip, Barré-Boulet will be the choice, but if it’s for a roster spot, there’s definitely room for debate between the two Québécois.

And let’s not rule out the possibility of the Habs recalling Brandon Gignac or Lucas Condotta, given that the Rocket are on fire at the start of the season with their 4-1-0 record, and that recalling Roy or Barré-Boulet would clearly put the brakes on this hellish pace.

In short, all this remains to be seen.

Overtime

– It goes without saying.

– Logical.

– Let’s hope so. I predict he’ll hit the 40-goal plateau this season.

– Comical.

– Jarry really is capable of the best and the worst.

– Things are hopping in French hockey!