Category: Dans les coulisses

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Dans les coulisses

BPM Sports: Max Lalonde completes fall line-up

Max Lalonde is a radio guy who did well this summer, filling in in a few different time slots.

A number of radio stations have already started their fall season in Quebec. BLVD 102.1 FM is already on air with its regular programming in the National Capital, while other stations like CHOI Radio X will be back with their regulars.

The two stations named above will return with a schedule almost identical to last year’s.

In Montreal, the start of the radio season will once again coincide with the start of the school year, between August 21 and 28. We go on vacation first and start after the others, year after year, in 514/438…

Most stations announced their schedules last June, before the start of summer. We’ve known since June 17 that Dave Morissette will be the morning man on Rythme 105.7 FM, alongside Julie Houle.

Note that the Moose is once again scheduled to appear on TVA Sports on Saturday nights, during Canadiens games.

(Credit: Cogeco)

What about our Montreal sports radio (and Quebec sports radio, since the launch of the BPM Sports network)?

It looks like the official schedule will be announced in the next few days…

But here it is, exclusively, for station fans :

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6:00 am to 9:00 am: Paul Houde and Gilbert Delorme
9:00 am to noon: Max Lalonde
Noon to 3:00 pm: Laraque – Gonzalez
3:00 pm to 6:00 pm: Martin Lemay
6:00 pm to 6:30 pm: specialized program (in field hockey pools?)
6:30 pm to 9:00 pm: Jordan Boivin or live sports broadcast (Rocket, CF MTL and other events)

There will no longer be a bridge show between lunch and home.

And there will be no more Saturday morning network shows. In short, Paul Houde will not be replaced over the weekend.

And according to some sources, only Max Lalonde’s show will not be broadcast in Gatineau and Quebec City.

Max Lalonde is a radio guy who did well this summer, filling in in a few different time slots.

(Credit: Cogeco)

Jean-Charles Lajoie will not be returning to the airwaves, as his contract has, according to reliable sources, been bought out by the station (and his departure is said to be an official mutual decision). In real life, the reality is usually halfway between the two versions – mutual departure and dismissal in this case.

Maxime Truman will no longer be working alongside Georges Laraque following Gonzo’s return. Truman had been hired to replace Stéphane Gonzalez following his departure to Poche Bleue (lunchtime). The project only lasted one season, however, and Gonzo decided to return to his old loves.

The new BPM Sports line-up goes on air on the morning of August 28. Looking forward to it?

Extension

The media world – particularly that of traditional radio – is going through a difficult period at the moment. BPM Sports has taken refuge in a slightly older strategy, but one that could pay dividends in the short term.

For the long term, however, we’ll need to rejuvenate at some point…

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Montreal deal: Jeff and Julie Petry will come to Montreal if they have to

Jeff Petry is (for the time being) a member of the Habs. I say “for the time being” because everyone suspects that the defenseman is on the market and could leave at any moment.

My guess is that Kent Hughes is on the phone right now, chatting with some of the teams listed in Marc-Olivier Beaudoin’s tweet.

Of course, right now is probably not an easy time for him in terms of his family. After all, living with uncertainty like this isn’t exactly easy – especially with four young boys and school starting soon. I can understand that.

But in Petry’s case, I seem to think he’s the architect of his own misfortune. Why is that?

  • He (knowingly) signed a lucrative contract with the Montreal Canadiens in the midst of a pandemic.
  • He asked for a deal and within a few months, he got what he wanted – with a good club, no less.
  • He had a bad season, putting himself at risk with the new field hockey boss.
  • He didn’t put Montreal on his no-trade list – or forgot to update it.

Under these conditions, I’m thinking that the player, who is one of the reasons why the Penguins have cleaned house in recent months, isn’t as clean as snow.

If he didn’t want to come back to Montreal, he could have made it happen. It didn’t. Did he think the CH would never go after him again anyway?

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Obviously, there’s a world where Petry gets traded quickly, but there’s a world where that’s not the case. If that happens, I don’t necessarily expect Petry to apologize to the city of Montreal for his comments about Pittsburgh’s “standards”.

Anyway, if it comes to that, he’ll be grilled by journalists and his wife will be questioned on social networks.

But if Kent Hughes doesn’t manage to trade the player (which I doubt, but still) by training camp, he won’t have much choice but to show up in town – unless he wants to leave millions of dollars on the table.

And according to what Eric Engels reported yesterday on Tony Marinaro’s Sick Podcast, the player and his wife are comfortable with the idea of coming back if that’s what happens. After all, they know the field hockey business.

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In reality, it was (mainly) the pandemic that drove the family out of town. It’s not exactly breaking news, we all agree.

We all know that.

If the family has to come back to town, it’s clearly going to be a bit awkward at first, but the Petrys will do it. I hope they do it with a good attitude, despite the comments that await them.

It would only be to be accountable for their actions.

It’s important to remember, though, that the defenseman has been important to the Habs for years. If he stays (again, I doubt it) in town for more than three days in August, he’ll have to make sure the fans remember that.

To be continued.

In a row

– To be continued.

– Indeed.

– Still.

– It was expected, as a transaction.

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“Brendan Gallagher is healthy this summer”: history repeats itself

The Habs are currently having some problems with their contracts. Carey Price, for example, is not making life easy for CH management, despite his presence on the LTIR.

But one of the biggest is undoubtedly that of Brendan Gallagher.

Because the diminutive forward isn’t on the long-term injured list like Price, the situation is different. 12 months a year (when he’s healthy, at least), he eats up $6.5 million under the salary cap.

And when he’s healthy, Gally isn’t the player he once was. The Habs’ #11, who is a crowd favorite (and rightly so) in Montreal, doesn’t roll offensively like he did in his heyday. It’s not exactly easy to manage.

What’s difficult for him is to take his stride. Just when he’s starting to feel good on the ice, another injury seems to set him back to square one, making it all the more frustrating for the man who probably just wants to play the way he used to.

And it’s not the fact that he’ll be healthy this summer that will make all the veteran’s problems go away.

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Let’s face it: for the fans, for the club and for the player and his family, it would be desirable for Gally to stay healthy. But if the past is a guarantee of the future, it’s not a sure thing.

And that’s even if the CH has made changes to try to keep the guys healthier.

Last summer, we heard the same thing. He was healthy during his off-season training, but quickly suffered an in-season injury that prevented him from being himself.

That’s been the case for a few seasons now.

(Credit: Hockey DB)

After the 2021 series, he was banged up, but last summer he was fine. The fans and the team could look forward to a great season from him, but once again, he got hurt.

There’s a lot of respect for Gally, because everyone knows that he’s given his body for the good of the Habs over the last ten years. He’s respected for that and deserves a special place in the CH’s recent history in my eyes.

But right now, it’s difficult. His big contract, as was to be expected, is a drag on the Habs, and even though Gallagher is doing everything he can to keep it that way, he’s not as young as he used to be.

I hope for the sake of everyone involved that “the fact that he’s healthy this summer” will carry over into the season. But unfortunately, I’ll believe it when I see it.

In bursts

– I like it.

– I’m going to miss this when the Yankees fire him.

– Erik Karlsson will speak to the media at 11:15am.

– He’s living his best life.

– With good reason.

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Ironic that Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson are part of the same transaction

Do you know what’s more ironic than Mike Hoffman saying he wants to be a leader in San Jose? Not much, given that he could very well have been a leader in Montreal under similar conditions.

What is more ironic is that he was traded for Erik Karlsson.

For those unfamiliar with the story, the Karlsson family had accused the Hoffman family (mainly Mike Hoffman’s better half) of harassment on the Internet. Both players were wearing Senators uniforms at the time.

When the guys left Ottawa a few months apart (partly because of this story), they went years without speaking to each other. It’s safe to say that, as of today, they have no plans to reconcile.

Uber Eats should choose other guys for the rest of the announcement between Patrick Roy and Mario Tremblay.

Anyway. All that to say, when I heard that the CH was the third club to facilitate the Erik Karlsson deal in Pittsburgh, and when I saw that Mike Hoffman was also leaving for the Penguins, I had to wonder.

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After all, it was quite unexpected.

That said, within seconds, it became clear that Mike Hoffman would ultimately have to stop in San Jose and that Pittsburgh was only a necessary stop, on paper, to make the deal work.

It made more sense that way.

Because in reality, the Penguins traded Mike Hoffman (and more) to San Jose for Erik Karlsson (and more) shortly after the CH deal. The two guys were never members of the Penguins at the same time.

We agree that if the Penguins had wanted to add an unnecessary contract and destroy the team chemistry the club is building, getting Mike Hoffman would have been the right thing to do.

But Kyle Dubas obviously didn’t. I don’t think any NHL GM would have done it, to be quite honest.

In gusts

– Unbelievable.

– MLS is growing.

– Good question.

– Should Jeff Petry apologize to CH fans? [BPM Sports]

– Can’t wait to see.

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Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand: a memorable dance (and kiss) at a wedding

In recent years, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand have represented the Boston Bruins to great effect. That wasn’t always the case for Marchand, but hey.

Now that Bergeron has announced his retirement, we can expect Marchand to take over as captain. And in a few years, Charlie McAvoy should take over.

And just as well, since Bergeron and Marchand stole the show at McAvoy’s wedding.

As the two men danced together, all eyes at the wedding were on them. Eventually, they shared a kiss before dancing again with passion.

It was quite comical to see the two guys, who clearly have chemistry on the ice and in life, give it their all in the context of a wedding. It undoubtedly put some fun in the place. And with good reason.

I wonder if such a “handover” process took place between Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron back in the day…

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Of course, it’s interesting to see teammates (or former teammates) doing this in a context other than that of a field hockey game. That’s when you see who’s friends with whom.

Johnny Gaudreau may never have played with Brady Tkachuk (he did play with his brother in Calgary, though), but seeing them together – Gaudreau on Tkachuk’s shoulders – at Kevin Hayes’ wedding is also quite interesting.

It’s often in the summer that such scenes take place, since NHL players hardly have time to get married during the regular season. In summer, guys have a lot more time and can invite their friends from all over the NHL.

It makes for some great moments. And after all, a beak on your boy’s beak is just comical.

In a gust

– It’s been a long time coming.

– One to watch in the CH organization.

– Hard blow to Toronto.

– Is Jeff Petry hated for the right reasons?[JdeM]

– What do you think?

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Anaheim Ducks prospect caught on camera booing Gary Bettman

What’s the best tradition in field hockey?

The playoff beard? No !

National anthems before games? Nope!

Handshakes after the end of a series? So not!

For me, the best tradition in field hockey is booing Gary Bettman every time he takes the microphone. In fact, in my opinion, Golden Knights fans dodged a bullet when they won the Stanley Cup final. Yes, their favorites had won, but they had a job to do and they failed. They had to boo Gary Bettman, as tradition dictates, and they didn’t do it.

Leo Carlsson, on the other hand, didn’t even wait until he was officially an NHL player to put this tasty tradition into practice.

The second overall pick in the last draft didn’t have to wait long in the stands to hear his name called. But even so, that didn’t stop him from getting caught on camera and getting his feet wet. Take a look for yourself:

@wjcrankings True story guys #fyp #fy #foryoupage #hockey #hockeytiktoks #hockeytok #worldjuniors #nhl #nhlhockey #nhldraft2023 #edit #hockeyedit #funny #comedy #joke #prank #2024 #anaheimducks #ducks #leocarlsson #carlsson #örebro #örebrohockey #sweden #sverige ♬ original sound – WJCrankings

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Let’s go Leo! Huer Bettman, me, I love him even more all of a sudden.

I’d also like to point out that it was reported that he avoided the handshake with the commissioner when he climbed on stage to receive his new team jersey and cap. This is not true, however, as they can be seen hand in hand in numerous photos.

In the video presented by WJC Rankings, we wonder if Carlsson hates Bettman. Honestly, I don’t think he does. He’s just a kid having fun and doing things the traditional way. Who can blame him?

I certainly don’t!

Besides, he should be really good.

In bursts

– Stéphane Waite also believes Petry is just passing through.

– What do you think of Nathan Légaré?

– Here’s Johnny… but a little different.

– As for Charlie McAvoy’s wedding, it was Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand who stole the show.

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World Junior Championship: Canadian delegation likely to be very thin

Guy Boucher, now an assistant with the Maple Leafs, often says that fans see a team’s prospects as their new Christmas presents. We’re so eager to see them land quickly with the big club, that we’re generally prepared to let them skip stages in their development.

I’ll admit it, I’m one of those people. I love hopefuls and I’m always extremely anxious to see them land in the NHL.

In Montreal, I think there are at least two or three of us with this disease.

In a rebuilding process like the one the CH is going through, it’s only natural to pay special attention to the prospects, since they are the ones who bring hope to the fans. As a result, the World Junior Hockey Championship will once again be eagerly awaited by fans this year.

Unfortunately, the Canadiens’ delegation is likely to be a little thin during the holiday season in Gothenburg, Sweden, where this eagerly-awaited competition will take place.

Not being an expert on the subject myself, I’ll turn to those at The Athletic. They have just given us their assessment of the ” 2023 World Junior Summer Showcase “, which just ended in Plymouth, Michigan, with three countries taking part: the USA, Sweden and Finland. Today, the experts at The Athletic offer us their assessment of the youngsters who should populate the rosters of the four major powers (they include Canada, even though it wasn’t at the showcase) in place.

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On the Maple Leaf side, there’s only one Canadian representative, and that’s Owen Beck. According to Corey Pronman, he’s expected to pilot the team’s fourth trio. South of the border, it’s much better with Lane Hutson and Jacob Fowler. Hutson could even be named captain, as my colleague Félix Forget mentioned two weeks ago. As for Fowler, he’ll be trying to steal the number-one goaltender title from Trey Augustine. No mean feat.

And that’s it.

Three players in total, none with Finland and Sweden.

Among the teams with a chance of winning gold, it’s very slim indeed. In fact, the only top prospect of the lot will be Lane Hutson.

The question is, is this because the source is drying up, or is it because the best hopefuls are graduating to the pros?

Of course, this list only takes into account the four major powers of the tournament, but the Canadians will have other representatives such as David Reinbacher with Austria, and Filip Mesar and Juraj Slafkovsky for Slovakia. But even with these two names, we’re still not talking about a very impressive delegation.

Two teams seem to be lining up to have a more massive delegation, and they are the Buffalo Sabres and the Chicago Blackhawks, with five players each. You’re going to tell me that five isn’t too far off from three. Theoretically, you’re right. But in reality, the importance of the players in their respective national organizations makes all the difference.

This difference is particularly striking when you look at the Sabres, who should have Sweden’s first center in Noah Ostlund, as well as Canada’s two first-team wingers in Zach Benson and Matthew Savoie.

In any case, I can’t wait to get there and see how the CH hopefuls fare. How about you?

In gusto

– Kyle Dubas has his hopes up right now.

– Yes, dear, Jeff Petry does have a no-trade clause.

– Oops!

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Mike Hoffman wants to assume a leadership role with the Sharks

For several months now, the idea of trading Mike Hoffman has seemed rather unlikely in Montreal. Even if he was too much and the team wanted to get rid of him, his on-ice performances made you wonder who would dare go after a $4.5 million player who is pretty ordinary.

I have nothing against the person, that said, but I’ve never been a big fan of the field hockey player. For a one-dimensional scorer, he didn’t produce enough to be of positive value to the CH, and even the main player himself admitted that he could have given more.

On the other hand, Kent Hughes found a way to get rid of him by taking advantage of the Erik Karlsson transaction to send his forward to the San Jose side. And he did it without even withholding a salary.

Hoffman will now try to revive his career with the Sharks, but beyond trying to produce by scoring goals, the forward also wants to assume a leadership role.

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He wants to be a role model for the guys off the ice, but also on it.

I confess I don’t know him personally, so I can’t particularly comment on his leadership skills off the ice. I don’t think he was loved or hated in Montreal, but I don’t know.

What I do know is that, on the ice, Hoffman isn’t exactly the kind of role model I’d like to have for my young forwards if I were a general manager. Sure, he’s got a blistering shot, but we’re talking about a guy who doesn’t necessarily have great vision, who plays mostly on the periphery and, above all, who isn’t exactly a model defensively.

Again, nothing against the person, but if I had a role model to choose from, I’d prefer a guy who gets involved a little more and isn’t afraid to try to help his club in the defensive zone. Not necessarily a Selke Trophy winner, but at least a guy who’s not just a passenger.

I really hope for the Sharks’ sake that Hoffman will be able to be a positive presence on the team, and I really hope that the forward will be able to revive his career in California. But above all, if he wants to take on a leadership role there, I hope he’ll be a better one on the ice in San Jose than he was in Montreal, let’s say.

Breaking news

– News from new Coyotes member Matt Dumba.

– Gilbert Delorme is not against the idea of keeping Jeff Petry in Montreal to start next season. [BPM Sports]

– Great read on Kyle Dubas.

– It’s likely, indeed.

– The question comes up every year.

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Casey DeSmith: Kent Hughes hasn’t even spoken to him yet

Since yesterday’s news that the Habs have acquired Jeff Petry, Casey DeSmith, Nathan Légaré and a second-round pick as a third team in the Erik Karlsson trade, we suspect that Kent Hughes hasn’t finished his work yet. The trade may seem like a first step (to get rid of Mike Hoffman), but the CH DG still has his work cut out for him.

Naturally, Jeff Petry’s name is often mentioned. We suspect that the defenseman doesn’t necessarily want to play in Montreal, given that he requested a trade for the 2021-22 season, and this looks like a move to trade him again soon.

And with no press conference scheduled, it doesn’t help silence the rumours that he’s headed elsewhere.

That said, while there’s a lot of talk about Petry, there’s also another big unknown in Casey DeSmith. With Jake Allen and Samuel Montembeault already in town (and Cayden Primeau having to go through the ballot), that’s starting to add up to quite a few goalies, and the idea of a trio of goalies in front of the net is questionable.

Some wonder if it’s Allen who will be traded, but the idea of seeing DeSmith leave quickly can’t be ruled out either. And with Simon-Olivier Lorange reporting tonight that Kent Hughes still hasn’t spoken to DeSmith formally since the deal, it lends credence to the rumour that DeSmith is just passing through town.

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The journalist slips a word in a (very solid) text on the transaction.

In my opinion, the only “untouchable” in front of the net right now is Samuel Montembeault. The Quebecer loves Montreal, he’s played good field hockey under difficult conditions for the past two years, and he deserves the chance to be the club’s #1 goaltender this year.

Especially as, at 26 (soon to be 27), he still has plenty of field hockey left in him. All that’s left is for him to sign a contract extension with the Habs for the 2024-25 season (and beyond?), which he really seems to want to do.

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So, it’s likely to come down to Allen and DeSmith. While the former is established in town and still has two years left on his contract (at $3.85 million a year), the latter has just arrived and only has one year left on his contract (at $1.8 million).

I don’t think it’s ridiculous to say that other clubs will be more interested in DeSmith than Allen.

In an ideal world, getting rid of Allen’s contract wouldn’t be a bad thing for the Tricolore. On the other hand, we know that he’s a veteran and a respected leader in Montreal, and that he accepts his role in mentoring the organization’s youngsters.

This leads me to believe that DeSmith is clearly the most logical candidate to leave. His contract is less imposing, his stats are better than Allen’s and one wonders if the CH feels uneasy with his past.

Add to all this that Hughes hasn’t even spoken to DeSmith yet and I really feel like we’d be better off waiting a while before buying a CH jersey with the former Penguins goalie’s name on the back.

Like Jeff Petry, then, we can expect to see DeSmith leave rather quickly. The next few days and weeks may well bring a few surprises.

In bursts

– Let’s hope he doesn’t predict too many Penguin victories over the CH.

– Absurd.

– A boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Jean Pascal could be in the works. [HF]

– Young Quebecers impress at Canadian basketball championships. My text on the subject.

– That’s right.

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David Savard admits that Jeff Petry’s return really surprised him

Yesterday morning, Kent Hughes and the Habs surprised just about every field hockey fan in Montreal by announcing that the club had acquired Jeff Petry in connection with the Erik Karlsson deal in Pittsburgh.

His (second) stay in town is likely to be much shorter than the first, but in the meantime, he’s back in Montreal.

The surprise with the announcement comes mainly from the fact that just over a year ago, Petry had asked the Habs to trade him. With the COVID-19 measures in place, it made things rather complicated for his family, and he was envious of returning close to home in the United States.

That’s why a lot of people fell off their chairs yesterday when they heard the news, and obviously it wasn’t just the fans who were surprised: David Savard also admitted that he hadn’t expected Petry to come to town.

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He told TVA Sports in an interview.

Although Savard knew that Kent Hughes was considering the idea of trading Mike Hoffman, he clearly didn’t expect to be reunited with his former teammate, whom he played alongside in Montreal in 2021-22.

Still, he’s happy to see a veteran like Petry back. He doesn’t know if his GM has finished moving (though, let’s just say we suspect he hasn’t), but if Petry were to start the season in town, Savard would be happy to see him back and mentoring the youngsters, especially considering that Joel Edmundson is no longer in town.

Again, I don’t think we’ll see Petry in a CH uniform this year, but as long as he’s in town, it’s a possibility.

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Pierre-Olivier Joseph was on BPM Sports today, and took the opportunity to talk about his experience with Petry in Pittsburgh. He admits he loved working with the Tricolore’s former/new defenseman, and had nothing but good things to say about him.

Even so, I remain convinced that it’s only a matter of time before Petry is traded. To me, the idea of sending him to the Red Wings makes the most sense: Petry is a Michigan guy, the Wings have money to spend, they seem ready to be competitive considering the club’s big acquisitions this summer (like Alex DeBrincat) and Petry would be a nice insurance policy behind Moritz Seider.

Justin Holl is there too, but Petry is even better than he is. With Petry on a second pair and Holl on a third, the Red Wings would have a nice hierarchy on the right side.

In short, we’ll be keeping an eye on everything over the coming days and weeks. I doubt Savard will get the chance to reunite with his old teammate, but we’ll see what happens next.

In gusts

– Nice to see.

– Indeed.

– Impressive.

– The battle between Jose Ramirez and Tim Anderson continues to be the talk of the town, and it’s borderline tasteless. My text on the subject.

– I kind of doubt it, personally.