Author: Dans les Coulisses

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Dans les coulisses

Kevin Weekes sparks discussion of Georgia arena project

When Kevin Weekes talks tweet, we listen read. Over the past few years, the former NHL goalkeeper has earned a reputation for scooping on social networks. With his eye-popping visuals (including videos in which the framing of his face is enough to make any photographer vomit), he often attracts attention.

And yesterday, it was via a tweet accompanied by a map of Georgia’s cities that the man himself set things alight.

Basically, he said to watch for an announcement regarding an arena development project in Georgia to house a field hockey team. He didn’t mention the size of the project or the city, but in the center of the map is Atlanta. Weekes finally added the famous line from the movie Field of Dreams: if you build it, they will come.

Understandably, there are many reactions to the announcement. Is Gary Bettman, who values his southern markets and must still regret sending the Thrashers to Winnipeg, up to something? After all, it’s important to remember that in recent weeks, Atlanta’s name has begun to circulate again in the NHL as a possible expansion team.

It’s worth what it’s worth, of course, but there’s a lot of buzz about it. The fear at the moment is that Atlanta, which has lost two franchises to Canada (Calgary and Winnipeg), will take revenge on Canada by stealing a club from Quebec City, which already has its own arena.

Obviously, there’s a world where we don’t talk about the NHL and we don’t talk about Atlanta. Maybe there’s an AHL project in a nearby city, which would explain Weekes’ map and not a photo of Atlanta per se. I’m officially intrigued, then.

In gusto

– Too bad.

– If he pitches well on Saturday, his bad outings will be forgotten.

– Good questions.

– Nice challenge.

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Dans les coulisses

Pierre-Luc Dubois won’t cost the Habs as much as they think

Last Friday, as part of the Habs’ end-of-season press briefing, we learned that expectations for next season were going to change. Will the CH make the playoffs next year? No, I don’t think so, but they won’t be aiming for 32nd place like they did in 2022 and 2023. The goal will be to build on what Martin St-Louis has done and make sure the players are in a position to get to the next level. Ideally, that means healthy guys, butI’ll say it again: I don’t think the CH can get to the next level without a better center line. And a bonus-based contract for Sean Monahan isn’t going to buy the CH the insurance it needs to protect Nick Suzuki. And unless they win the lottery on May 8, let’s just say that the first pick in 2023 isn’t necessarily going to fill that role this fall.

If only there were a top-notch center who openly wanted to play for the Habs and fit into the Habs’ long-term plans-oh yes: 24-year-old Quebecer Pierre-Luc Dubois.

I’ve never made a secret of the fact that I want to see the CH go get him right now since the longer you wait, the more likely it is that he’ll sign a big contract elsewhere. And that, the CH can’t afford.

We know that the Jets will do everything they can to keep him in Manitoba, but I think that if the club really feels that he wants to leave for Montreal, the GM will have to act accordingly. There are two ways of looking at this. The first is to try to get as much juice out of the day as possible. That’s whatAntoine Roussel would do.

You can have a Porsche or a Mercedes or a damn fine collector’s tank, but if you’ve only got one person to buy it for you, you’re kind of stuck with it… If you’re going to lose it for nothing, you might as well keep it all the way. And they’ve got a whole goalie and a strong center line. You can wreak havoc in the playoffs.

–

Antoine Roussel

For my part, I think Winnipeg is probably the worst sports destination in North America in many people’s eyes. Why would such a city want to lose such a great asset? Even if the return offered by the Habs isn’t as good, is it better than keeping him as a rental player? Will the results of the 2023 series change the answer to my question?

After all, even if we compare the cases of Alex DeBrincat, Kevin Fiala or Sam Reinhart, players with similar profiles traded recently, we mustn’t forget one thing: the Senators, Kings and Panthers didn’t have the same power as the Habs. The Jets know that the CH has power in this matter.

Obviously, the Jets won’t give Dubois to the Habs if they don’t like the price – or if they have no choice. But I believe that comparative market prices are used to establish the Jets’ base… but not the CH’s. This will clearly be the issue of the summer for the Habs.

In Brief

– To be continued in view of the playoffs.

– Good question.

– Good morning.

– He’s good.

– Yes.

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Dans les coulisses

Tampa Bay versus Toronto: the Maple Leafs are clearly favoured right now

That’s it: as of tonight, the NHL playoffs will get underway. In fact, four series will start tonight, and the other four will begin tomorrow. Here are my eight predictions for the first round.

  • Bruins in five against the Panthers
  • Lightning in six against the Maple Leafs
  • Hurricanes in four against the Islanders
  • Devils in seven against the Rangers
  • Avalanche in five against the Kraken
  • Stars in seven against the Wild
  • Golden Knights in five vs. Jets
  • Oilers in six against the Kings

Clearly, some series will be more exciting than others to follow. The Bruins, with the Panthers’ first pick at stake for the Canadiens. The Devils. The Oilers. We’ll be treated to some good field hockey in general,but for me, nothing compares to the series pitting the Maple Leafs against the Lightning. After all, we’re talking about two good teams, of course, but we’re also talking about an important issue. And what’s that? Seeing the Maple Leafs collapse.

There’s a lot of hope in Toronto right now. The club seems to have built itself not to score often, but to try and beat the Lightning in the first round of the playoffs. And if that’s the case, the road could be open.

But then again. You know as well as I do that even though Toronto has the longest active streak of consecutive playoff appearances in the NHL (7), nothing is a foregone conclusion for the club. The last time Toronto made it past the first round (2004), I wasn’t watching NHL field hockey because I was too young to follow it closely. Because the Lightning are the Leafs’ bête noire, it’s impossible for me to bet on Toronto. Could it happen? Yes, it can happen. That said, in recent years, the Queen City club has often collapsed, and before predicting anything, I’ll wait to see them win four games.

And according to some well-placed people in the business, it’s not an impossible scenario. In addition to being the bookies’ favorites, Pierre LeBrun found that no less than 14 out of 18 people in the field hockey world think Tampa Bay will lose.

The journalist asked five NHL coaches and they all think Toronto will win. What’s more, nine of the 13 executives questioned by LeBrun also see Toronto going through. Too often, the Leafs have lost to the underdogs (notably the Canadiens in 2021), and getting rid of such a weight on a club’s shoulders is clearly not easy.

Doing it against a dynasty like the Lighnting adds to the level of difficulty. And just because Tampa is more sluggish right now, I don’t want to make the mistake of underestimating the club.Again, there’s a world where that happens. There’s a world out there where the Maple Leafs do manage to chase away their demons… but I’m going to believe it when I see it.

Gossip

– Speaking of Toronto and Tampa Bay.

– Excellent pick.

– Congrats to Canadiens prospect

to

– Let’s hope everything’s in place for Wednesday’s game.

– Here we go,

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Dans les coulisses

Christian Dvorak: “A special case” to be shopped for

The Habs are going to need to make room under the salary cap for next season. #SurpriseAndConsternationObviously, the end of contracts for players like Jonathan Drouin, Denis Gurianov, Chris Tierney, Sean Monahan, Paul Byron, Evgenii Dadonov and Nick Bonino (to name but a few) will help Kent Hughes breathe easier. On the other hand, Cole Caufield is going to eat a big chunk of the money released… and Pierre-Luc Dubois could do the same.

This means that, in addition to the guys who won’t be back, the Habs will likely try to liquidate other contracts. Of course, Joel Edmundson’s comes quickly to mind.But what about Christian Dvorak? This is a special case, since he’s a player who’s quite beige in many people’s eyes. You might even question his reputation with the guys in the room, but in reality…

If the Habs were to keep him, that would provide depth at center. In an ideal world, the former Coyotes man would be a third-three player on a good team.But is there a better way to distribute the money than giving $4.45M until 2025 to a guy like him?

Including Carey Price’s salary, the Habs have over $73 million invested for next season and 20 guys under contract. Liquidating a contract like Dvorak’s would help, but would anyone take him? According to Yvon Pedneault, the Habs need to test the market… and he’s right. The journalist called him a “special case” by placing him in his “gone or discounted” category in his Journal de Montréal column. And since he can’t sign at a discount, we can draw our own conclusions.

In his eyes, if the CH were to receive an offer, it would be surprising to see Kent Hughes say no and choose to keep him. I agree, although I doubt that Kent Hughes will actually receive an offer. We’ll talk again in 2024… The CH must be careful not to affect its center line, but let’s just say I’d be very excited by the prospect of seeing this contract leave the CH’s books.

In gossip

– Keep an eye on it.

– Good for him.

– Logical.

– Alignment: what will the Maple Leafs do? [RDT] – Oh yes,

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Dans les coulisses

Field hockey Canada: Trudeau government re-approves funding

Ever since it came to light that Hockey Canada was using taxpayers’ money to cover up horrific sex scandals, let’s just say the federation’s reputation has taken a hit. In the end, in the wake of (among other things) the 2018 scandal with Junior Team Canada, heads fell at the top of the pyramid and changes were made. To make sure that happened, the Trudeau government cut off funding to the federation in June 2022. The government wanted to see changes take place before restoring funding to Hockey Canada, and now it has: it has been restored, as announced yesterday.

It’s important to note, however, that federal sports minister Pascale St-Onge isn’t going to blindly give Hockey Canada the money to continue, but there are conditions that must be met by Hugh Fraser, Hockey Canada’s new chairman of the board, and his team.

Firstly, HC will absolutely have to inform Sport Canada of the new administration’s progress in maintaining the culture change within the company. Secondly, the recommendations of the Cromwell report as well as the Henein & Hutchinson report will have to be followed. Thirdly, Hockey Canada must continue to promote a program (which is independent, for those wondering) that serves to prevent abuse: Sport Without Abuse.

If this is not done, funding will be cut again.

Hockey Canada must address the issues of safe sport, such as toxic behaviour, the trivialization of sexual violence and the culture of silence, which have all too often made the headlines. There is no reason why such situations should continue to plague field hockey or any other sport

. –

Pascale St-Onge

But does this make everyone happy? No, of course not. Because Hockey Canada’s coffers aren’t exactly empty ($98 million last June), and because the whole thing is happening pretty quickly, there are some people who are against the idea right now. Among them? The Bloc Québécois.

The investigations into the events of 2003 and 2018 are still ongoing. Add to this the fact that the Bloc doesn’t believe that such major changes could have been implemented in four months at Hockey Canada, and it confirms its stance. The fact that HC’s funding comes before an independent public inquiry and a report from the Status of Women Committee (which had been unanimously called for by the House of Commons) also comes into play.

Headlines

– Will the Preds change coaches?

– Good question.

– One to watch.

– We complain when the clubs aren’t good and question when the division is too tough?

– Nice amount.

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Dans les coulisses

Canadiens: NHL’s longest streak without a 40-goal scorer

Before his shoulder injury, Cole Caufield was scoring goals at a furious pace. He had scored 26 in just 46 games, for a total of 46 goals in a full season. Finally, the CH had a potential 40-goal scorer on its hands. Surprisingly, he still finished as the team’s leading scorer, tied with Nick Suzuki.

In fact, this is hardly a surprise, since for nearly 30 years, the Tricolore has been the laughing stock of the NHL when it comes to the production of its forwards.

Indeed, as reported by HabsolumentFan, a Reddit user nicknamed Go_Habs_Go31, has compiled statistics demonstrating the offensive lethargy that Montreal has been experiencing for several decades. The Habs are the team that hasn’t had a 40-goal scorer for the longest time, during Vincent Damphousse’s 1993-1994 season.

The Habs haven’t had a 40 goal scorer since ’94, a 50 goal scorer since ’90, an 82 point scorer since ’08 & a 100 point scorer since ’82.
by u/Go_Habs_Go31 in Habs

Even the Kraken, which has only been around for two years, has more 40-goal scorers than the Tricolore has had in 25 years…

Max Pacioretty came close, however, when he scored 39 in 73 games during the 2013-2014 season.

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However, this is not an isolated case. The CH is also the second team with the longest drought for a 50-goal scorer (Stéphane Richer 1989-1990). Worse still, it’s the team without a 100-point scorer for the longest time (Mats Naslund 1985-1986).

In the case of the latter two statistics, however, there’s a slight downside, as more recent franchises such as the Blue Jackets, Predators, Kraken and Golden Knights have never had one.

Although the Habs enjoyed some playoff success during this period, it’s still a good example of the organization’s problems. For almost three decades, the team has been sorely lacking in offensive stars, an absolutely necessary element for any team aspiring to great honors.

Normally, Caufield should soon put an end to the 40-goal drought. On the other hand, Nick Suzuki doesn’t seem to have the offensive potential to become more than a one-point-per-game scorer.

So who will be the next CH player to score 100 points? The answer probably doesn’t lie in the current roster.

In bursts

– Too bad.

– Good news.

– LAFC wins “El Trafico”.

– A great comeback.

– I hope we’re not talking about NHL field hockey.

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Dans les coulisses

Images of Senators players at the party are making the rounds on the web

For the sixth consecutive season, the Senators have missed the playoffs. With the emergence of Tim Stutzle and the arrivals of Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat, one might have hoped, but Ottawa simply isn’t ready to compete with the big boys from the Atlantic.

With the end-of-season toll behind them, many Sens players took advantage of the weekend to celebrate in the nation’s capital. While professional athletes usually try to be subtle with their partying, that wasn’t the case here. Twitter users shared photos and videos of the players, and it’s a sight to behold.

In particular, defenseman Jakob Chychrun improvised as a shirtless bartender.

Jake Sanderson also showed off his mixologist skills, this time wearing a sweater.

And finally, we saved the best for last. In broad daylight in downtown Ottawa, a visibly intoxicated Brady Tkachuk waxes on about how they’ll win the Stanley Cup, much to the delight of passersby.

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It’s a safe bet that the Senators’ PR team probably wasn’t too happy when they woke up Saturday morning. But these are the kinds of images that put a smile on your face.

Like many people, professional athletes also like to party and have a few drinks. Despite their status, it’s important to remember that they’re normal people. What’s more, in this case, we’re talking about young men in their early twenties.

In short, there’s nothing surprising about it, and personally, it makes me like Sens even more.

Although we’re more accustomed to seeing athletes celebrate like this after winning a championship or a competition, the end of a field hockey season is also a good reason to celebrate.

Still, nothing will ever beat Alex Ovechkin’s performance after his Stanley Cup in 2018.

And you also have to give Tkachuk credit that this isn’t just something he said because he’d been drinking. At the end-of-season wrap-up, he talked about how disappointed he was to have missed the playoffs again, and how he believed the team’s core was good enough to be successful in the future.

Bunch of news

– Very bad news.

– Very impressive.

– Obviously.

– Important victory for the Lakers.

– I can’t wait to see how the young Devils perform.

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Dans les coulisses

Kyle Dubas could replace Pierre Dorion in Ottawa

On Tuesday, the Leafs take on the Lightning in the first game of a series with multiple implications for Toronto. After six consecutive first-round losses, the Leafs must win or face a major cleanup.

Sheldon Keefe, Kyle Dubas and Brendan Shanahan; everyone is at risk.

Knowing that his job is on the line, Dubas has been extremely aggressive on the trade market. He sacrificed two first-round picks and other top picks, as well as Rasmus Sandin, to get his hands on Ryan O’Reilly, Jake McCabe, Sam Lafferty, Erik Gustaffson and Luke Schenn.

Regardless of regular-season success, losing in the first round seven years in a row would simply be unacceptable, especially with the talent and resources available to the organization.

A win over the Lightning, however, does not guarantee a return for Dubas and Keefe. Indeed, in the most recent edition of Daily Faceoff Rundown, Framk Seravalli mentioned that there would be a power struggle between Shanahan and Dubas. The latter fight over who has the final say in big field hockey decisions. Most of the time, it’s the former player who has the upper hand.

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What’s more, Dubas’ contract expires at the end of this season. With all these questions facing him, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him leave Toronto. A few days ago, his name was linked to the general manager position now vacant in Pittsburgh.

Seravalli adds, however, that another team to keep an eye on is the Ottawa Senators. According to Seravalli, there are more than nine out of 10 chances that Dorion is not “the right man for the job”, and Dubas could be an option to replace him.

Despite the fact that he’s still on the job, there’s no guarantee he’ll still be there next year. The new owners will probably want to hire the person of their choice, and the Franco-Ontarian has done nothing to prove he can build a winning team.

His skills as an evaluator of young talent are excellent. Except that the team hasn’t even come close to making the playoffs in two years, despite the fact that he publicly announced that the rebuild was over and that he got his hands on Claude Giroux, Matt Murray and Alex DeBrincat last summer.

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But is Dubas really Ottawa’s answer? Because of his success at a young age and his use of advanced statistics, there has always been a certain fascination surrounding him.

Even in Sault-Sainte-Marie, where he became general manager at the age of 26, his team never made it past the second round of the playoffs. In Toronto, many of the team’s big pieces were already in place when he replaced Lou Lamoriello.

However, it was he who gave John Tavares a monstrous contract, handcuffing the team financially. What’s more, he’s never been able to find a top-notch goaltender and the depth to excel in the playoffs.

In short, if all this really comes to fruition, don’t get too excited.

Breaking news

– We now know the Rocket’s opponent.

– Field hockey Canada news.

– Another Rays victory.

– Victory for Filip Mesar and the Rangers.

– And for Owen Beck and the Petes.

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Dans les coulisses

Fans no longer believe in Jake Allen

Jake Allen seems to be completely out of the minds of Canadiens fans. This was confirmed in a recent poll conducted by TVA Sports, and the responses are almost unanimous.

The question posed by TVA Sports was, “Who will be the number one goalkeeper at the start of next season?”

Unsurprisingly, the majority of people voted for Samuel Montembeault (60.3%). He quietly established himself as number one throughout the season, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him occupy the position of true number one next year.

Monty kept goal for the Tricolore in the team’s last four games of the season and did a fine job. His Quebec status also helps him to be a crowd favorite and earn points.

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When we say that Jake Allen is out of the CH fans’ minds, we’re not kidding . He received only 6.9% of the votes in this poll. At the start of the 2022-23 season, many saw him as the number-one goalie who could fill in until they found someone stable. That’s what happened, but much more quickly than expected.

Montembeault may not be the Canadiens’ goalie of the future, but he’ll probably do a good job in the meantime.

The problem with Allen is that he’s often injured. If it weren’t for his injuries, he could keep goal for a full season, but he’s fragile. Fans don’t like to see that, and it makes him look unreliable.

His stats aren’t great either. In 2022-23, he had a .891 save percentage and a 3.55 goals-against average.

Allen has so lost the confidence of the fans that the option of a different third goalie received more votes than him (32.8%). That says a lot about his situation in Montreal.

You’d almost think he’d have to be traded in the off-season. Frankly, it wouldn’t be a bad idea.

In gusto

– The QMJHL is in turmoil.

– Bad news for the Suns.

– It’ll be easier if they have Bedard.

– Not great for the Dodgers.

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Dans les coulisses

All tickets for Rocket’s first game sold out

The Laval Rocket has officially qualified for the playoffs. Canadien fans will have another team to follow over the next few weeks. Laval is so excited about the playoffs that all their tickets have been sold for the first playoff game.

What’s even crazier is that we still don’t know the Rocket’s opponent for next Wednesday’s first game. The Laval team is expected to face either the Rochester Americans or the Utica Comets, depending on the final results of the season. Regardless of the opponent, Laval will have plenty of support from the crowd.

Tickets went on sale Sunday at noon. It only took half an hour for the tickets to sell out.

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What’s worrying in this situation is that resellers will probably take advantage of the playoff craze to resell tickets at a much higher price than paid on the Rocket website. We should be able to get tickets at the same price as the Habs.

At the same time, it’s normal for ticket prices to be so high. Last year, the Rocket proved that the atmosphere at Place Bell was magical during the playoffs. It certainly convinced even more fans to buy tickets.

With 8 wins in their last 9 games, the Rocket are on a roll and it’s going to be hard to stop them.

If you’re one of the lucky ones to get your hands on tickets, you’ll be in for a WHITEOUT evening. The Rocket organization will be handing out white towels and sweaters to everyone to create a white wave in the stands.

The Rocket’s playoffs are going to be very exciting and it should be one hell of a party.

In a gust

– Now that’s determination.

– What do you think?

– Bad news for Boston.

– Things are tightening up in England.

– Sad story in Italy.