Author: Dose

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Corey Perry wants to play until he’s 45

Photo by Derek Cain/Getty Images

Corey Perry is not the player he used to be.

We’re still talking about a guy who once scored 50 goals and averaged 65-70 points per season when he was in his prime.

The veteran has been in a depth role for a few years now, and he’s doing his job well.

We knew him in Montreal as a true leader and he still has those qualities.

It’s not for nothing, after all, that he was able to sign a new one-year contract ($1.15M) with the Oilers this summer.

But Perry is 39 years old, and players that age usually start thinking about retirement. It’s quite the opposite for the former Habs star, who wants to play until he’s 45.

At least, that’s what we learn from an article by Dave Lévesque. Perry will celebrate his 40th birthday next May:

This season, Perry has collected three goals and one assist.

Still, he’s not as productive… But he’s still played in every Oilers game so far (18) and is still capable of being useful to a National League club.

That said, it remains to be seen whether he has enough in the tank to play another five years.

Five years is a long time… And when an athlete passes forty, the body often doesn’t keep up.

Which is normal, of course.

But what can help him is that Perry doesn’t need to score 15 goals a season to help a team. His voice in the dressing room is important because he’s won… And because he’s always ready to go to war for his teammates.

Anyway. All this to say that Perry wants to play for a long time to come… And that it wouldn’t surprise me to see him be able to do so.

Overtime

– Interesting…

– Of note for poolers:

– That would be something.

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Bérubé comes to Reaves’ defense: “In my opinion, he’s a clean player”.

Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images

Ryan Reaves decided to make news for all the wrong reasons this weekend.

He delivered a brutal blow to Darnell Nurse’s head, and the images are chilling.

Especially when you see Nurse’s head banging on the ice after the blow:

The NHL has decided to act on the matter by suspending Ryan Reaves for a total of five games.

Not enough in my opinion, but hey. I don’t work for the NHL.

But when Craig Berube saw his player being criticized on social networks for his disgusting hit, he came to Ryan Reaves’ defense.

And the Leafs’ coach sounds crazy: he said he doesn’t think Reaves is a dirty player.

He’s not a sneaky player. In my opinion, he’s a clean player. – Craig Bérubé

Oh, right! I forgot…

According to Bérubé, it’s “not like Reaves wants to hit him in the head”.

Is the Leafs coach blind? I’m asking for a friend…

If not, maybe he should go see an optometrist for an eye exam!

I will always respect a coach who comes to the defense of his player.

But perhaps Bérubé should have taken the opportunity to avoid that comment.

Ryan Reaves isn’t a bastard player, but this is already the fourth suspension of his career. Right…

After all, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen him act like a caveman on the ice. Here’s a good example:

Craig Bérubé wasn’t about to throw his player under the bus. His club still managed to win against the Oilers, regardless.

But on the other hand… It’s illogical to see him defending a player whose reputation is well established.

Ryan Reaves has been in the NHL for almost 15 years and he’s never changed his style…

Overtime

– Stankoven is having quite a season.

– Hum…

– Sick.

– It’s going to be tough tonight. 5-1 Oilers.

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Brett Kulak “calls out” Carey Price about morning practices at the Bell Centre

MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 29: Look on Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price (31) during the Florida Panthers versus the Montreal Canadiens game on April 29, 2022 at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

When the Canadiens play in Montreal, they practice in the morning at the Bell Centre, not at the training complex in Brossard.

It’s the same for most NHL teams. When a club plays at home, it normally practices that morning on its home ice.

But that hasn’t always been the case with the Habs. In fact, it hasn’t been that way for long…

Anthony Martineau met with Brett Kulak in the lead-up to tonight’s game, and Kulak told him that, back in the day, players used to wonder when they were going to start practicing at the Bell Centre on the morning of a game.

At the time, practices were still held in Brossard even though the Habs were playing that evening… And Kulak explained why this was the case.

The reason is simple, by the way. Her name is Carey Price:

I told them that as long as Carey (Price) was going to be there, they’d better be patient! He had the power… – Anthony Martineau

What you need to know is that Carey Price lived not far from the practice complex in Brossard.

That way, he’d be able to get home faster for the evening game.

But after seeing Kulak call out his former teammate, it makes you realize how important Price’s voice was within the team and within the organization.

He was the club’s superstar for many years, the one on the big salary… And the Canadiens’ management wanted to make sure he was happy and satisfied in Montreal.

That’s normal, and we often see it elsewhere in the sport. Organizations do everything they can to make their star players comfortable, because it can bring concrete results.

When athletes are happy, they’re even more motivated… #SpecialTreatment

Extension

– Auston Matthews is still injured.

– Of note:

– It’s funny, but I’d like to see him be dominant.

– Nice contest :

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SKA match: A pass for Demidov, but Kuznetsov stole the show

Ivan Demidov and the St. Petersburg SKA were in action today.

To begin with, the Canadiens’ prospect started the game on his team’s 4th line.

His usual partner, Evgeny Kuznetsov, was on the first line:

The first period was fairly quiet.

Demidov spent a total of 5:14 on the ice in six appearances and fired two shots on goal. Nothing too spectacular, then.

But in the second period, things started to change.

The forward collected his 20th point of the campaign when his shot was deflected from the slot:

The rest of Demidov’s game was pretty ordinary.

He was penalized for roughing at the end of the second frame and barely touched the ice for the rest of the game.

In the end, he made 14 appearances on the ice and finished the game with 9:54 of playing time, one assist and two shots on goal. He now has 20 points in 29 KHL games this season.

I can’t wait to see if Roman Rotenberg uses him a bit more in the next SKA duel…

But it was Evgeny Kuznetsov who stole the show.

The former Capitals and Hurricanes player pulled a real rabbit out of his hat, scoring “a Michigan goal”… Direct from the enclave.

No, it’s not a prank.

And no, I didn’t think it was possible either:

Kuz then went for his classic bird-on-the-ice celebration.

The sequence couldn’t have ended any better, hehe.

On a serious note, this is definitely one of the most creative goals we’ve seen in recent years. Kuznetsov worked his magic and the result is fantastic.

We’re going to see this goal in the games of the year, and there’s no doubt about it.

In Overtime

– Kasperi Kapanen on the waivers. Should Kent Hughes claim him?

– Reminder: there are six games tonight in the National League.

– About time.

– Coming up.

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Arber Xhekaj reportedly fights Jake Paul “for $20M”

Much has been written about Mike Tyson’s fight with Jake Paul.

If there’s one thing Paul is being criticized for, it’s the fact that he fought a 58-year-old man. I won’t throw the first stone at him because I wouldn’t want to face Tyson at any age, but I understand the criticism.

The jokes about Paul, who won last Friday, are numerous. Here’s one of them.

At this morning’s practice, Anthony Martineau decided to ask Arber Xhekaj, on the heels of Friday night’s fight, this: would you say yes to a fight against Jake Paul?

And the main man said that for $20 million, he’d say yes. However, he thinks he’d be too fresh for Paul.

Remember that Mike Tyson received $20 million for his fight, even though he didn’t win. That’s a hefty sum for a fight that isn’t tied to a specific title.

Obviously, it was a fun fight .

And of course, Jake Paul isn’t going to want to fight Arber Xhekaj, who isn’t exactly Mike Tyson material. Not outside Montreal, anyway.

And above all, Xhekaj is still young…

Remember that on Saturday, the Canadiens’ Sheriff fought for the first time this (regular) season and gave a better fight than Tyson and Paul. It wasn’t the same context, but hey.

Anyway, it’s not going to happen. It’s just for fun.

Overtime

– Of note.

– Just this.

– Obviously.

– When will the captain return?

– To be continued.

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David Savard is back in practice

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Saturday night brought a surprise: David Savard didn’t play.

Yet he had taken part in the morning practice a few hours before. And even though we know that he’s more prone to injury (he’s a veteran who puts his body at the service of the team) than the others, there were no clues that night.

All we know is that his upper body was involved.

Yesterday, Savard was unable to train because of his upper-body injury, but this morning, the veteran is on the ice at the Bell Centre on the heels of the day’s practice.

This may mean he’ll be playing tonight, although nothing has yet been confirmed.

It’s worth noting that Savard isn’t the only player we’ve been keeping an eye on on the heels of practice. Guys like Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Patrik Laine, who are progressing towards a return to action, are also under the microscope.

And once again, both were on the ice this morning.

That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re at 100%, of course. But in the last few days, they’ve also been practicing. So they’re making good progress, which is good news.

Details to come…

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See Alex Newhook’s new Montreal penthouse

A hockey player established in the NHL has the means to achieve his ambitions. Alex Newhook is one of them.

The Canadiens’ forward, who is (somewhat) redeeming his difficult start to the season, is in the second year of a four-year contract that pays him $2.9 million per season.

And as Martin Jolicoeur (Journal de Montréal) reports, the Maritime-born forward has bought himself a $1.25 million penthouse within walking distance of the Bell Centre, in the Cité du Multimédia. Good thing it wasn’t DLC who first said out loud where he lives…

The condo has three floors and was initially on sale for nearly $100,000 more than the $1.25 million it went for. And when you see the pictures, it’s clear that it’s a beautiful place and probably justifies the original asking price.

I particularly like the private rooftop terrace. The view is something else.

(Credit: Melissa Pirrera, Royal Lepage Village)
(Credit: Melissa Pirrera, Royal Lepage Village)

Since the condo was sold just prior to 2019, it’s clear that the interior is modern and up to date. The images speak volumes.

The middle floor, with the piano, is magnificent.

(Credit: Melissa Pirrera, Royal Lepage Village)
(Credit: Melissa Pirrera, Royal Lepage Village)

There seem to be lots of windows in the building, which will brighten things up. Except on winter evenings, when the sun sets very early: no windows will make a difference then.

There’s plenty of space in the house.

(Credit: Melissa Pirrera, Royal Lepage Village)
(Credit: Melissa Pirrera, Royal Lepage Village)

If Newhook bought such a penthouse, it means he’s settling in better and better in the city. Is there a link with his difficult first month, then his better performances over the last two weeks? Hard to say.

But one thing’s for sure: he’ll be settling in just fine.

Overtime

– Prime and RDS will broadcast tonight’s game.

– To be continued.

– The Montreal Grand Prix in May from 2026: will the weather be there?

– Please note.

– Will you be listening?

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A candy suspension for Ryan Reaves

A few hours ago, Ryan Reaves had to explain himself to the Department of Player Safety following his illegal check on Darnell Nurse. His sentence for his action: a five-game suspension.

For those who missed it, during last night’s match-up between the Oilers and Maple Leafs, Reaves violently hit Nurse in the head with his shoulder early in the second period.

In addition to the severe contact to the head, Nurse was cut on the play and seemed truly lost on the ice in the moments that followed. He had to be assisted by the team’s medical team.

Not a pretty sight!

On the play, the Leafs’ forward received a game misconduct and therefore did not finish the game

For his part, Nurse had to leave the ice with the help of the team’s caretakers, but on his skates, and was unable to return to the game afterwards. We have no details yet on his injury.

The Oilers recalled defenseman Josh Brown earlier today.

It seems to me that five games for this gesture is not a lot.

Especially since Ryan Reaves is a repeat offender. This is already his fourth career suspension, including one for attempted injury and one for a blow to the head.

The most recent dates back to the 2021 playoffs, when he put his knee on the neck and head of Colorado Avalanche player Ryan Graves, earning a two-game suspension for the gesture.

The year before, still in the playoffs, he gave Tyler Motte of the Vancouver Canucks a taste of his medicine with a violent blow to the head, not unlike the one he took last night.

The problem is that the National Hockey League doesn’t consider a player to be a repeat offender after an eighteen-month suspension-free period. And yet, he’s a dangerous individual who has no place in the National Line.

Hockey is a violent sport and I like it that way. A good body check or even a good fight is an integral part of hockey, and we mustn’t let that change, but Ryan Reaves isn’t a goon, he’s a bully.

He’s the kind of player whose main reason for being on the ice is to hurt his opponents, not to score goals.

Once again, we see that the NHL doesn’t protect its players, and ridiculous suspensions aren’t going to make them think twice about such actions.

Especially since, in comparison, the loss of Darnell Nurse will be much heavier for the Oilers than that of the Leafs’ fourth-line forward.

I don’t know how many games Reaves should have been suspended, ten, fifteen, twenty? What are we waiting for? For a player like Reeves to end a star player’s career before reacting?

What’s clear is that until the League puts its pants on to protect its players effectively, teams will always need a goon to do the job.

Overtime

– Fowler is not happy.

– The Lions are doing well!

– First pick to the Dallas Wings.

– Big weekend in Judo for Canada.

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Jack Campbell in the waivers: Despite the problems in front of the net, the Habs don’t even have to think about it.

The Canadiens are having trouble in front of the net.

In fact… The Canadiens find themselves at a disadvantage when it’s Cayden Primeau who’s been keeping goal all season.

Monty hasn’t been the most consistent either, making the Habs second only to the Pittsburgh Penguins in goals allowed so far this season.

Are there any solutions to this problem?

In the last week, the Canadiens could have made a move by putting James Reimer (an experienced player) up for waivers.

Kent Hughes decided to pass… just as he did a few days earlier with Dante Fabbro.

But now there’s another NHL-successful goalie in a similar situation to Reimer.

Today, it’s Jack Campbell who has been placed in the waivers. He is eligible to make his comeback after appealing to the NHL’s assistance program:

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On paper, the idea of going after a guy who’s had success in recent years makes sense.

Jack Campbell’s numbers aren’t bad, after all:

  • 17-3-2 record, 2.15 goals-against average and .921 save percentage (20-21)
  • 31-9-6 record, 2.62 goals-against average and .914 save percentage (21-22)
  • 21-9-4 record, 3.41 goals-against average and .888 save percentage (22-23)

Of course, it’s easy to notice one thing in particular: since his blossoming in Toronto, he’s never been the same goalie.

He even spent most of last season in the AHL in Bakersfield, before seeing his contract bought out by the Wings…

Which brings me to my next thought: even if the Habs are in trouble at the goaltending position, Jack Campbell shouldn’t be an option.

Because if that happens, the Canadiens will be sending a clear message to the rest of the NHL that they’re in trouble.

That wouldn’t be ideal… for anyone.

Overtime

– Both clubs have been good since the start of the season.

– Wow!

– Ouain…

–

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Rumor mill: David Jiricek gets “benched” while waiting to be traded

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Almost a quarter of the way through the 2024-2025 season, the various teams in the National Hockey League are starting to get a good idea of what the rest of the season is likely to look like.

Some teams are condemned to the bottom of the standings, while others aspire to the Stanley Cup. All this creates different objectives and needs for each of these teams.

And where there’s a need, there’s a need, and that’s what’s driving rumors across the NHL.

One of these rumours concerns the Montreal Canadiens’ most recent opponent, the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Blue Jackets have a very important file on the table: that of young defenseman David Jiricek.

The 20-year-old Czech defenseman has done very well in the AHL over the past two years, but when he does play in the NHL, he never really gets a chance in terms of playing time.

Jiricek complained about this several months ago.

And right now, this season, the Czech defenseman is being overlooked more often than not, as was the case again last night. The defenseman hasn’t played since November 9… And he’s only played five games so far this season.

So it’s a very hot issue that Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell wants to settle in the next few days.

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At just 20 years of age, it’s pretty bizarre that the Blue Jackets aren’t giving Jiricek more chances to develop in the NHL, and it’s hurting his career to be the seventh defenseman in the NHL.

The Blue Jackets even put Jordan Harris ahead of Jiricek.

There’s clearly a problem and a conflict between Jiricek and the team, and so we could very well see a possible transaction in this matter.

Jiricek is a very high-level prospect, having been drafted 6ᵉ overall in 2022, Juraj Slafkovsky’s year.

He still has very nice potential, and so I sincerely believe Kent Hughes should take an interest.

It would be a solid bet to take that wouldn’t cost too much, and would solidify the team’s future on the right side of defense.

It would also potentially allow Kaiden Guhle to play and develop on his strong side, the left.

In short, all this remains to be seen.

Barry Trotz wants to improve his club

Turning now to Nashville, well, as everyone knows, the Preds are off to a horrible start to the season that was clearly not expected.

As a result, Barry Trotz needs to adjust and help his team.

According to recent rumors, the Preds are looking for a center and a defenseman.

Could Jiricek be traded to Nashville?

(Credit: Getty Images)

If not, we know that Trotz really wants to add a center to his team.

Is Kent Hughes on the case? #Dvorak

The Preds want to improve and are trying to salvage their terrible start to the season, but it will be difficult given their 5-10-3 record.

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Bruins also looking for reinforcements

Boston is off to an average start, while the Bruins are playing for .500.

The acquisitions of Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm haven’t had the desired effect so far… and the Bruins’ lack of success also comes on the heels of Jeremy Swayman’s big contract signing.

You know, when things are going well!

So we’re looking for an electroshock to propel the team above this average, which won’t be good enough in the long term.

The Bruins are intensely exploring the transaction market in search of a solution that would contribute to the team’s success right now.

That said, the club needs depth on forward… and defense.

What will Don Sweeney’s priority be?

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Taylor Hall’s situation in Chicago is the talk of the town

The Hawks were in Vancouver last night to take on the Canucks.

And Luke Richardson made an interesting decision to leave Taylor Hall out, even though the forward is healthy.

Hall, who is known as an offensive player, has collected just six points in 17 games this season.

He missed almost the entirety of last season due to injury, and is known to be wizened.

But in his tweet, Elliotte Friedman seems to wonder if the Hawks can find a solution to accommodate him.

The club isn’t winning and the player isn’t producing. Why not send him elsewhere for a chance to bounce back and add a draft pick or prospect in the process?

The problem is his $6 million salary… even though his contract expires at the end of this season.

(Credit: Getty Images)

Overtime

– Wow. So he’s the real star in Toronto?

– Of note.

– Read more.

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