by Chris G, Staff Writer & Podcast Host, All Habs Hockey Magazine
LAVAL, QC. — With the Olympics ending soon, Canadiens fans and hockey fans around the world are getting psyched to welcome their favorite players back to their respective teams. The All Habs team is here to help you get ready for the playoff run and I have the pleasure of answering questions received in our mailbag this week.
Do you have a question or a topic you would like us to discuss? Okay, here’s what you can do.
Let us know:
- who you are
- where you’re from
- if you wish, send us a photo of you in your favourite Habs gear
- who’s your favorite player, present or past
- and of course, your question
You can contact us via Twitter, our Facebook page or email at info (at) allhabs (dot) net
We’ll feature you, and your question, in the All Habs Mailbag!
Here’s what you wanted to know :
Why is it Emelin in the NHL and Yemelin in Sochi?
Prior to the Canadiens announcing Alexei Emelin’s contract signing on May 17th 2011, he was always referred to as Yemelin on the team’s website to match the pronunciation of his name. The day that the contract signing was announced, the Canadiens told TSN, that the defenceman’s name appears as Emelin on his passport and that would be the spelling on his jersey. That being said, Alexei’s agent, Don Meeham, did mention that the preferred spelling is Yemelin.
You also may have noticed the following names on the Russian roster: Yevgeni Malkin, Alexander Syomin (Semin) and Nikolai Kulyomin (Kulemin.)
Do you think that NHL players will be allowed to compete in the Winter Olympics in 2018 in South Korea?
If it were up to Garth Snow, the players would definitely not be allowed to compete in South Korea. “Are the IIHF or IOC going to reimburse our season ticket holders now?” Snow asked rhetorically, according to New York’s Newsday.
“It’s a joke. They want all the benefits from NHL players in Olympics and don’t want to pay when our best player gets hurt.” Those comments were made following the announcement that John Tavares will miss the remainder of the season following an injury suffered during the Olympics.
I think that the NHLers should be allowed to play in the Olympics. The interest that hockey generated during the Sochi Olympics was incredible! Lots of exciting endings, and storylines that we wouldn’t get if the best players in the world wouldn’t participate. The exposure that the NHL received during the Olympics was priceless. I am certain that the NHL gained new fans and potentially attract new players to the league.
I do empathize with Garth Snow, but the benefits do outweigh the risks of NHL players participating.
Who will be the first Habs player traded after the Olympic roster freeze ends?
I don’t see any big moves for the Habs at the deadline, but IF there was a deal involving veterans, I am sure that Brian Gionta would be part of that trade. We will be previewing trade deadline on the March 1st edition of the Habs360 podcast. You can listen to it here.
Who do you think would be the ultimate acquisition for the Habs?
The Canadiens are more than one piece away of winning the Stanley Cup, therefore looking for a short term solution wouldn’t be optimal. If I were the General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens, my number one priority would be to acquire an established top-six forward that can put the puck in the net. If he is bigger than Brian Gionta, David Desharnais, and Daniel Brière, that is a plus!
The Habs would need to give away the farm to acquire this type of forward via trade. The opportunity would be to be acquire one via free agency. A couple of names that will be available on July 1st that would be good acquisitions are Thomas Vanek, Matt Moulson and Paul Statsny. These type of players would be a step in the right direction for the Habs to eventually contend for the Cup. What are your thoughts on these players? Any other names you want to throw out there? Leave your comments below.
Thanks everyone, I’ve enjoyed answering your questions. Please submit any question you have about the Canadiens and hockey in general. And enjoy the final stretch of the NHL season!
Follow me on Twitter @chrisg1980 .