Written by Steven Ellis, AllHabs.net
TORONTO, ON — First and foremost, Happy New Year! 2011 was full of excitement and tragedies, with the Canadiens playing in their second outdoor game, and with the death of way too many hockey players during the summer. Since the year is coming to a close, or already has if your reading this in 2012, here is a look back at the year 2011 and all the major events involving the Montreal Canadiens. Let’s hope for a better 2012!
January – It didn’t take long, but after a season ending injury to Andrei Markov, General Manager Pierre Gauthier announced on January 6th that Josh Gorges would undergo knee surgery that will result in him missing the remainder of the season. With Markov out already with a knee injury, Gorges was asked to play more minutes and have a bigger role on the team, so the knee injury definitely was a blow to the team. P.K. Subban and Hal Gill became the top two defenseman on the Canadiens, and a lengthy injury to former Canadien Jaroslav Spacek forced the Habs to make some moves to help full the void.
For the second year in a row, it was in heartbreaking fashion that Canada’s national junior team finished on the losing end in the Gold Medal Game. Current Habs’ forward Louis Leblanc was on the team, totalling three goals and seven points in seven games, including an assist in the final against Russia.
February – On February 9 2011, the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens played a game to remember, with a total of 14 goals and 192 penalty minutes between the two teams. We say Carey Price vs Tim Thomas, Benoit Pouliot vs David Krejci, Travis Moen vs Andrew Ference, Roman Hamrlik vs Shawn Thornton, Tom Pyatt vs Gregory Campbell and Jaroslav Spacek vs Johnny Boychuk. The Habs were on the losing end, but the game was still great to watch, and you don’t see goalie fights every day. On the 17th of the month, Montreal re-acquired Paul Mara from the Anaheim Ducks in return for a fifth round pick in 2012, previously acquired from the Ducks in the trade that sent Maxim Lapierre to Anaheim on December 31st, 2010. It was no doubt a great trade for Montreal, as Mara (6’4’’ 207 lbs) provided depth on an injury filled blue line, and brought much needed strength to the impish Canadiens.
The big event of the year had to be the outdoor game McMahon Stadium in Calgary. The game didn’t have as much hype as the outdoor New Years Winter Classic, and with NASCAR’s Daytona 500 on the same day, it definitely wasn’t the top event in most places in the world on this Sunday afternoon. The Canadiens, who played in the first Heritage Classic in 2003 against the Edmonton Oilers, were unable to get a single goal, losing 4-0.
Montreal made a few minor trades, as February 28th was the NHL trade deadline. As usual, there were many rumors surrounding the team involving big names, but Gauthier wasn’t able to do anything major. A few days before the deadline, the team acquired defenseman Brent Sopel and forward Nigel Dawes from the Atlanta Thrashers, in return for forward Ben Maxwell and a fourth round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Sopel would provide depth for the rest of the season, but would join the KHL once the season was done. Nigel Dawes provided offense in the minors, while Ben Maxwell would see time on the Thrashers fourth line. On deadline day, the team acquired goaltender Drew MacIntyre from the Atlanta Thrashers, in return for Brett Festerling, who was acquired from the Ducks for Maxim Lapierre. There were a total of zero games played for the Habs between Festerling and MacIntyre, but both contributed to their minor league affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs.
March- This month was an emotional one for everyone involved with the Canadiens, as Max Pacioretty was rammed straight into the stanchion by none other then Mr. Zdeno Chara. Pacioretty would be finished for the year, and Chara would not be suspended. Major sponsors did not agree with the NHL’s ruling on the play, and threatened to pull out. With the playoffs nearing, this was a big loss for the team.
This was part one of the Montreal Canadiens Year in review. Check back for the next rest of the review.
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Happy holidays!