Category: Dans les coulisses

Earlier this week, my colleague JB Gagné analyzed a ranking of the best goaltenders in the National Hockey League, based on a fan vote.

This ranking, based on the votes of over 355,000 fans, was unfortunately not very kind to the Montreal Canadiens’ goaltenders, placing Jake Allen 41st and Samuel Montembeault 47th.

Obviously, Samuel Montembeault should be higher on the list, but more importantly, he should first of all be ahead of his compatriot Jake Allen.

In short, this ranking, based on the votes of many fans, does not represent an infallible science.

Nevertheless, it remains interesting to observe and analyze.

The exercise was again conducted on the Twitter account of EliteProspects.com contributor and advanced stats specialist JFresh, where this time fans voted for the NHL’s top defensemen.

Once again, it’s a final ranking that doesn’t favor the Montreal Canadiens, quite the contrary.

In fact, the Bleu Blanc Rouge has just one representative in the top-100.

That’s Mike Matheson next to the first CH logo on the list at #95.

Ouch…

While once again this ranking isn’t rocket science, it does speak volumes about NHL fans’ perception of the CH’s defense.

It obviously shows that the Tricolore doesn’t have a very powerful defense at the moment, given that it’s made up of several young players who are still slowly acclimatizing to the NHL.

And so, on the whole, Mike Matheson is logically the only defenseman on the team who stands out after an excellent end to the season.

The CH’s No. 8 recorded a career-best 34 points (eight goals and 26 assists), and did so in just 48 games due to several early-season injuries.

He surpassed his 31-point total for the 2021-2022 season, which he set in 74 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Ranking 95th is therefore a bitter pill to swallow for Matheson, who has clearly established himself as a very solid defenseman for the CH.

This ranking is all the more difficult to imagine when you see the name of a certain Jeff Petry at number 87, ahead of Matheson.

The two defensemen were traded for each other last summer, and since then, it’s been pretty clear who won that deal.

The CH has loved Matheson since his arrival and sees him as its number-one defenseman for the next few years, while the Penguins already seem to have had enough of Jeff Petry, who could very well be sacrificed or bought out by the Penguins in order to obtain Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks.

In short, Matheson at least deserved to be ahead of Petry in this ranking.

In the end, the CH defenseman will just have to prove next season that he’s much better than that, and that he can be one of the NHL’s best defensemen.

What’s more, while the CH currently has just one representative in the top-100, that should change in the coming years with the development of all the youngsters, including Lane Hutson.

In Rafale

– Not to be missed today.

Hlinka Gretzky Cup Medal Game Day:

🥉 Finland 🇫🇮 🆚 USA 🇺🇸 – 11am and on TSN5

🥇 Czechia 🇨🇿 🆚 Canada 🇨🇦 – 11am and on TSN1

Also LIVE on https://t.co/BQGeAnETfN & the TSN App: https://t.co/QFNsSAMn52

– TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) August 5, 2023

– A Stars prospect to watch.

– One to watch.

– Read on.

Great story.🗞️https://t.co/WDBZqcQa4x

– Sylvain St-Laurent (@Syl_St_Laurent) August 5, 2023

– Japan is off to the Quarter-finals.

It’s no secret that Juraj Slafkovsky is very popular in Slovakia. In fact, he’s seen as a hero by many. His popularity catches the eye of companies willing to appear with an advertisement.

This time, Slafkovsky has become the face of a brand of bottled mineral water from Slovakia, Budis, which describes itself as “the most popular mineral water in Slovakia”.

I’ll let you see the ad the CH player made with this company.

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A publication shared by Budis (@budis_sk)

In the ad, we see Slaf arriving at the airport and drinking twenty bottles of Budis brand water. A pretty woman makes eyes at him, but he only has eyes for the bottles of water in the fridge behind her. We then see him enter a hotel room after his flight, and his field hockey bag is filled with bottles of water. He preferred to carry the bottles rather than his equipment.

Drinking so much water, it’s clear he must have spent a good part of his flight in the toilet.

The ad is pretty funny, but what’s really going to pay off for the company is the face of the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL draft.

He’s so popular in Slovakia that the Slovak people have made his Instagram account one of the 25 most popular in the entire NHL. That’s something! There are probably several Canadiens fans who also subscribe to him, but it’s really his popularity in Slovakia that makes him stand out.

But this isn’t the first ad in which Slaf has starred. He recently produced a lengthy ad in partnership with field hockey equipment company Bauer.

Slafkovsky didn’t just shoot a video ad with the Budis company. He also took photos for the company, which he posted on his Instagram account.

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A publication shared by Budis (@budis_sk)

Our Slaf looks great, but he’s missing a Habs logo somewhere!

In a gust

– The dream.

The @habscave is 🔥🔥🔥! pic.twitter.com/fMKN044d0C

– The Raw Knuckles Podcast (@RawKnucklesPod) August 5, 2023

– Bibi wants to go see Barbie.

– The Kings hit the jackpot with Fiala.

The accusations surrounding the 2018 edition of Junior Team Canada are soon coming to a real sentencing for five players. There’s yet another problem, but Hockey Canada isn’t necessarily to blame. In fact, it’s a former Team Canada Junior coach who’s being targeted: Dennis Williams.

According to information relayed by TSN’s Rick Westhead, a complaint against Williams has been filed with the U.S. Center for SafeSport regarding events that took place with the Everett Silvertips. WHL commissioner Ron Robison reportedly confirmed the news to Westhead.

WIlliams is the head coach and general manager of the Silvertips. A complaint sent to the U.S. Center for SafeSport explains that he allegedly washed in the same showers as his players and walked out in front of them with only a towel to cover him.

In this band, there were several underage players. It’s disgusting.

On top of that, the complaint explains that at the Silvertips’ 2021 training camp, a player allegedly reacted badly to the VO2 max test and passed out on the bathroom floor. Williams allegedly entered the room and took a photo of the unconscious player on the floor before leaving without offering assistance.

The player was 17 years old.

For those who don’t know, the VO2 max test is a test during which a person has to reach maximum capacity on a treadmill or stationary bike, while wearing a mask that measures air in and out of the lungs.

And there’s more. The complaint explains that fights were also organized during this same training camp.

WHL Commissioner Ron Robison also explained to TSN that a bullying complaint had already been filed with the league last January.

The WHL reopened an investigation this week into the incidents cited in the complaints.

In gusto

– Kovacevic is a good guy!

Arpon Basu on interacting with Johnny Kovacevic last season.

👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/Bjf2toZZIF

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 5, 2023

– A bomb of DLC!

Elly De La Cruz loves hitting dingers 🤯

(🎥:@MLB)pic.twitter.com/O2zOinIULg

– TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 5, 2023

– Not very bright from the league.

We sometimes tend to forget that some of our classic Canadian snacks aren’t necessarily so popular in the United States. I learned this week from a Ryan Reynolds video that all-dressed potato chips are a mystery to Americans. Yet seasoned Ruffles are part of the routine for many Canadians, including myself.

So the idea of getting Lane Hutson to try a poutine while he was in Montreal this summer was also a content opportunity to introduce him to other classics not available at home.

The Habs have therefore published a short capsule in which the Canadian hopeful tastes some of the delicacies from our neck of the woods.

In the potato chip category, Lane tried Lays with ketchup. Although Americans are generally fascinated by this logical combination (what do we put on our French fries, guys?), the young defender gave them a score of 8/10.

Hutson gave the Timbits a 10/10, although he had already tried them, considering that there are Tim Hortons in the northern United States.

The young man was not impressed by the Coffee Crisp, which received a passing grade of 6/10.

Now for the pièce de résistance. The traditional Quebec dish. Lots of pressure, and a poutine that seems to be drowned in sauce.

“10! It’s really good!”

As the host mentions that poutine is very fatty and that it’s a good thing he doesn’t go on the ice after the capsule, Lane jokes that he “could use the weight” .

He hasn’t signed his NHL entry-level contract yet, but we’re certainly looking forward to getting to know the young American better through content like this… and seeing him perform magic tricks on the ice.

Makes you want to be Canadian 🤤

🎙️ https://t.co/FbEamyXzF1#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/CIVULUe7D7

– Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) August 3, 2023

En Rafale

– Speaking of Lane.

Chris Peters on Lane Hutson at the World Junior Summer Showcase.

👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/XnJD2gB1jE

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 5, 2023

– Johnny Manziel opens up…

– Not embarrassing.

The general feeling around the Montreal Canadiens is not particularly positive, as the upcoming season approaches. The team, which finished 32nd in 2022 and 28th in 2023, has been given very reserved expectations for the 2023-2024 campaign.

Quickly, it’s quite logical to think that the scenario will repeat itself. After all, Alex Newhook will be (for now) the only new player to join the edition that won 31 games last year.

Not so fast, though.

In his most recent mailbag, Arpon Basu is asked to comment on the team’s status. “Are we a bottom-5 team again this year?” the reader asks.

Basu believes that, healthy, this team could easily achieve a better fate in the coming year. He offers as an example the many games lost by a single goal or the overtime setbacks suffered following Cole Caufield’s season-ending injury. The little scorer’s presence could have changed the outcome of many of these games, and given the Habs valuable points in the standings.

Of course, froma lottery point of view, it wouldn’t have been ideal.

It’s also possible to do the same exercise with Mike Matheson, who made a big impact in the games he played.

We know that the last edition was heavily affected by injuries, but let’s put things in perspective:

• Cole Caufield missed 36 games
• Mike Matheson missed 34 games
• Kirby Dach missed 22 games
• Kaiden Guhle missed 38 games
• David Savard missed 20 games

Add to that the extended absences of Xhekaj, Slafkovsky, Gallagher and Monahan… And you have a season that could be very different if only half the injuries were prevented.

The Canadiens’ head therapist will now be Jim Ramsay, who brings with him a strong reputation from his years in New York.

Will it make a difference? Where will the Habs finish in the overall standings?

“If the Habs are considerably healthier than last year, I don’t see a scenario where they finish among the 5 worst teams, and I don’t even think they’ll finish among the 10 worst.”

-Arpon Basu

But hey. Not finishing among the 10 worst clubs could also mean finishing 21st, far from the playoffs…

In Rafale

– Young player of the year, David Reinbacher.

– Good news.

– The highest-paid player in history (until the next ridiculous contract).

As the NHL’s most historic team, the Montreal Canadiens have always been one of the most popular. On Instagram, the team is holding its own. In 2018, it ranked seventh among the circuit’s teams with the most subscribers, and in 2023, it still ranks seventh.

Four of the other five original teams are ahead of Montreal, with the Red Wings just behind in eighth.

But what about NHL players? Are Tricolore players as popular as the club?

Nhljerseyz, an Instagram account lent itself to the exercise and revealed the 25 league players with the most followers. Four CH players are among them. These four players don’t even include captain Nick Suzuki.

They are Carey Price (15th), Cole Caufield (17th), Brendan Gallagher (24th) and… Juraj Slafkovksy (25th).

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A publication shared by NHL jerseyz (@nhl_jerseyz)

Suzuki, who has 175,000 followers, is just over 100,000 followers behind his teammate and 25th on this list. He still has some crusts to eat.

Seeing Carey Price, Cole Caufield and Brendan Gallagher isn’t too surprising, though.

On the one hand, Carey Price has long been the heart and soul of the team, the franchise’s winningest goaltender, and so on. I can list reasons all evening.

Brendan Gallagher has been in the league for a long time and he too has been an important player on the team. He’s not the most active on social networks, but from time to time, we see him sharing his private life with his subscribers.

And of course, there’s Cole Caufield, a crowd favorite. I’m sure he has several girls in his subscriber base.

But for Juraj Slafkovksy, his 25th place on this list is a bit of a surprise. The Slovakian has 276,000 subscribers. I wonder how many he had before being selected by the Montreal Canadiens?

Of course, Slaf has an entire country behind him. Of all the Slovaks drafted in the NHL, he was drafted the earliest and made history in his own way. And as the first overall pick in a draft, it’s only natural that you gain a few subscribers afterwards.

With 1,670,376 subscribers, Alex Ovehckin is at the top of this ranking. In addition to being an excellent player, he is very active on social media and his political history (with Vladimir Putin, in particular) attracts a lot of attention.

Connor McDavid (1,107,025) and Auston Matthews (803,094) complete the podium. Only two NHL players have over a million subscribers, so… It’s a different story from the NFL and NBA, anyway…

In Brief

– An all-star dinner.

– We wish him the best of luck.

– Excellent news.

On July 7, Brendan Gallagher got down on one knee to propose to his Quebec girlfriend.

Almost a month later, Rem Pitlick got another lucky break. He and his girlfriend are officially engaged.

We learned the news via the Instagram account of his future wife, Kayla.

See this post on Instagram

A publication shared by Kayla (@evenkeelkayla)

The two lovebirds were on a trip to Wayzata Beach in Minnesota and during a paddleboard ride , Pitlick gave her a ring. Good thing he has good balance.

As Kayla notes on her post, the moment wasn’t captured by photo or video (unlike the Gallaghers), but to make a long story short, she said “yes”, obviously.

Congratulations to the newly engaged couple. Let’s hope this will give the forward some juice for next season, as he’s just had an average season. Pitlick collected 15 points in 46 games in Montreal and 22 points in 18 games in Laval.

In the 2022-2023 season, he will complete the final year of a two-year contract signed on July 16, 2022. Will he finish the season in Montreal, though? My colleague, Charles-Alexis Brisebois, discussed the possibility of seeing him on the ballot a few days ago.

In Montreal, we can’t say it often enough, but there’s congestion up front. Pitlick is clearly one striker too many. At 26, he’s not necessarily part of the club’s medium- to long-term plans.

In gusto

– Canada in the final.

– Anthony Davis breaks the bank in LA.

– Sad news.

– Good news for racing fans.

The project has taken a major turn👍🏎️https://t.co/rACxEwrtcQ

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) August 4, 2023

– NFL suspends one of Saints’ best players.

The Canadiens made David Reinbacher their first overall pick of the 2023 auction. Since then, he’s won the hearts of Montreal fans. Not all, but most.

We’ve seen him in action a few times, and the organization has every reason to be proud of its acquisition. Three days ago, defenseman Noah Delémont and Simon Knak were named finalists for the Swiss Player of the Year award.

Today, we learn that it’s the protégé who has won the award.

David Reinbacher is voted young player of the year in the Swiss ice hockey federation! 😎👏 pic.twitter.com/9wrv5zBqaE

– RDS (@RDSca) August 4, 2023

In 46 games, Reinbacher collected 22 points. He was only 18 years old. The other two finalists also had good seasons, but they were 21 years old.

Delémont had collected 13 points in 50 games, far less impressive than their Austrian opponents. Simon Knak, on the other hand, who is well known from his name and his appearances at the World Junior Championships, collected 23 points in 50 games. Unlike the other two finalists, this one is a striker.

For Reinbacher, let’s hope this award will give him some juice for training camp. He knows his options are Montreal and Europe. With defensive congestion, Switzerland remains the most logical option for him. Still, he could cause a surprise. After all, Jesperi Kotkaniemi caused one the season after he was drafted.

In bursts

– Mathieu Joseph gave no one a chance.

– A big duel between the Alouettes and the Tiger Cats. [JDM]

– We hope he’s feeling better.

– Mike Tyson endorses Francis Ngannou. [JDM]

Trevor Zegras leaves no one indifferent. His flamboyant style of play and his character make him unique.

He’s still without a contract for next season, and he’s not shy about revealing how he sees things.

He told the NHL website that if he didn’t have a contract, he wasn’t going to show up in California for the team’s training camp.

“I’d obviously like to get back out there along with my teammates, but it’s out of my control(…)” – Trevor Zegras

The Ducks player, now settled in Connecticut, says he has everything he needs to prepare for next season. He also says he misses California and his teammates.

Remember that Zegras is a restricted free agent.

He mentioned the above while at Shoulder Check, an event benefiting the H40 Foundation, which aims to bring together and include everyone in the world of field hockey.

It was the organization’s first event, and several players (current and former) took part, including Zegras and Chris Kreider.

Former players included current CH head coach Martin St-Louis, who lives in the region.

St-Louis had fun testing the flexibility of Zegras’ stick in the arena’s locker room.

Ducks coach Greg Conin went to meet Zegras recently to find out his intentions for the coming weeks. The player agreed that his new coach is passionate and that the adjustments he seems to want to make to his game are interesting. Zegras says he’s ready to learn, but with a contract in his pocket.

Negotiations will continue, but this could become a hot topic in Anaheim if things don’t change.

In bursts

– An excellent question.

– Not the best contracts.

– Excellent performance.

– It’s true.

August marks (sadly, some would say) the start of the autumn school year. I know, we’re in the middle of summer, literally, but we’re already starting to buy school supplies, make plans for the return to “normal” life , accept that the days are starting to get shorter and shorter, and so on.

And we’re starting to wonder what we can expect from Canadian 2023-24.

Make the playoffs? Forget it! With the Maple Leafs, Lightning and Panthers likely to occupy the top three spots in the Atlantic Division, and the Bruins, Red Wings and Senators clearly ahead of the CH right now, we won’t be holding our breath.

The team went from 32nd to 28th last year. If all goes well – and the infirmary doesn’t fill up as much as it did in the previous two campaigns – we can hope to see the Tricolore finish 24th or 25th next season. In short… not to make the playoffs, but not to draft very high after two years of talking in the top five.

Coverage of the Canadiens will also change somewhat this fall.

Jean-Charles Lajoie will not be back on BPM Sports. Whether due to dismissal or mutual decision, we have to admit that his low ratings, the fact that his show was repeated on radio and TV, or his occasional on-air antics (dig a little and you’ll find out), the result remains the same: Paul Houde and Gilbert Delorme will host the morning show on RNC Média’s sports network.

Stéphane Gonzalez will replace my colleague and friend Maxime Truman alongside Georges Laraque at lunchtime, while Martin Lemay will be back in his usual spot: le retour.

Who will complete the BPM Sports line-up? Max Lalonde has just added @BPMSports to his Twitter bio. Could BPM have a new Max on the air this fall? #MaxVanHoutte #MaxTruman #MaxLalonde

With Gonzo’ s return to BPM Sports, a void has been created at La Poche Bleue. Who will host the daily lunchtime show at the flagship of Guillaume Latendresse and Maxim Lapierre?

From what I’ve been told over the past few hours, Stéphane Gonzalez will not be replaced. The show, which straddles the web and traditional TV broadcast, wasn’t working, and LPB executives apparently decided not to put any more time and effort into such a difficult niche. Especially when you’re up against Martin Lemay’s Georges Laraque at the same time!

I guess the food and soccer podcast Le Snack won’t be back since Gonzo is leaving the daily lunchtime slot, but that’s pure speculation on my part for now.

No one at La Poche Bleue would confirm or deny the news.

The weekly edition of the original podcast will be back, and with some big news. From Maxim Lapierre…

Aren’t you ready for what’s new on the La Poche Bleue podcast every Wednesday from September! 🤩🤩🤩#backtothefuture

– Maxim Lapierre (@Lappy14) August 4, 2023

Some of the more marginal podcasts could disappear and others, appear. We’re not afraid to test things at LPB.

And unlike some people, we don’t get bent out of shape when a project doesn’t get off the ground.

I’m already looking forward to the Canadiens Children’s Foundation golf tournament and the opening of training camp.

Is It October September Yet?

Extension

It’s not just Stéphane Gonzalez who will be less present on TVA Sports this fall. Several people won’t be back, or will be in a diminished role.

The good news is that TVA Sports increased its market share last season.

The bad news is that revenues didn’t keep pace, maintaining or worsening the company’s net loss.