Headlines: Habs Sign Petry, Bournival Negotiating, Bulldog Steps Down, Coaching Changes

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All Habs Headlines: Wednesday June 3, 2015
On this day in hockey history… 1958 – Toronto Maple Leafs drafted goalie Johnny Bower. Bower went on to play 12 years with the Maple Leafs before being elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. 1993 – Eric scored one of the most iconic goals in Canadiens history. His third goal of the game at :51 of OT gave Montreal a 3-2 win over the Kings in Game 2 of the Finals. It was the Canadiens 8th straight overtime win. 1981 – Bob Berry was named new head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, replacing Claude Ruel.
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(Photo by Getty Images)

► Petry locked up

  • Marc Bergevin has made his first major splash of the 2015 off-season signing defenceman Jeff Petry to a six-year contract with an average annual value of $5.5M.
  • Petry seemed very excited when interviewed right after he signed his contract “My wife and I made a decision we strongly wanted to come back. We’re happy a deal could be made rather quickly.”
  • Petry was acquired in exchange for a second round pick in 2015 and a fourth round pick in 2015 from the Edmonton Oilers this past trade deadline. Petry’s exit was inevitable as the Oilers tried on multiple occasions to get the 27-year old under contract, but to no avail.
  • Petry came into his own almost instantaneously after stepping on to the ice donning the red, white and blue. Although he finished this past season with a pitiful minus-28, he was only minus-3 during his time with the Habs. His plus-minus ranking wasn’t an oddity playing for an Edmonton Oilers team that probably had one of the poorest defensive cores, on paper in the NHL, lacking a veteran presence on the right side.
  • In 2006, the American was drafted in the second round by the Edmonton Oilers and five picks after him the Boston Bruins selected Milan Lucic.
  • The Ann Arbor, Michigan product started out his career in the USHL for the Des Moines Buccaneers where he put up incredible stats especially in his second year tallying 18 goals and 45 points in 55 games in his final season in the USHL.
  • The next year he committed to his hometown Michigan State Trojans picking up 24 points in 42 games during his first season. In his final year of college hockey he picked up a career-high 29 points in 38 games finishing his collegiate career with 47 points in 118 games.
  • In his first full year of professional hockey, the former 45th overall pick recorded 24 points in 41 games for the Oklahoma City Barons who were in their first year in the AHL.
  • Like so many prospect that have come through the Oilers system, Petry spent all of one season developing in the AHL before making the jump to the big club. What followed was a painful term of learning on-the-fly. Petry has, thus far, only had one season in which his plus-minus has been on the positive side, the 2012-13 lockout shortened season.
  • The 5-year NHL veteran has shown flashes of brilliance playing for the Oilers but carrying the unstable defensive core has no doubt had an effect on his development. This past year Petry said, after about a month of being a Hab, that his offensive game was a side of him that he neglected in Edmonton. Clearly Petry has shown that he is more than capable of putting up offensive numbers at the NHL level.  As a Canadien, Petry has scored three regular season goals to go along with four assists in 19 games. In the playoffs the 196-pounder scored two goals and one assist in 12 games. As the second pairing defenceman playing behind P.K. Subban, Petry has, and will continue to flourish.
  • The other thing this deal does is that it takes so potential draft eligible defenceman off the Canadiens’ board. The likes of Nicolas Meloche and Brandon Carlo are no longer needed since they play the right side which is set for the next 6+ seasons with P.K. Subban and Petry. Only the third spot on the right side remains, which will likely be taken up by Greg Pateryn.

► Bulldog steps down

  • The Montreal Canadiens former AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs, are undergoing an organizational change as team president Stephen Ostaszewicz has stepped down from his position.
  • Ostaszewicz started off his career as the multimedia director of the Columbus Blue Jackets and was a former player agent.  Ostaszewicz has served as team president since June 5, 2012.
  • Bulldogs owner Michael Andlauer will serve as team president in the interim.
  • Owner Michael Andlauer had this to say on Ostaszewicz’ departure: “Stephen has been a leader in several successful initiatives of the team during his reign and I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.”

► Bournival negotiating

  • Michael Bournival is still searching for a contract from the Canadiens. La Presse contributor Steve Turcotte reported that the two sides had resumed talks on a contract extension.
  • Bournival had an up and down season last year bouncing up and down between Hamilton and Montreal.  He missed the later part of the season with a suspected concussion.
  • Bournival took a step back last season being passed on the depth chart by several prospects. He will come to training camp in the fall with something to prove.

► Extension for Cameron

  • The Ottawa Senators have given head coach Dave Cameron to a two year contract extension. Cameron took over for Paul Maclean after he was fired due to a rough start to the year.
  • Cameron’s taking over for Maclean coincided with the arrival of rookie sensation Andrew Hammond, who recently signed an extension with the Sens. The mix of Cameron and Hammond propelled the Senators from the Connor McDavid race to a playoff spot.
  • Cameron’s Senators played the Canadiens in the first round of this year’s playoffs where they fell 4-2 in the series.
  • The 56- year- old played two years in the NHL getting 53 points in 168 games.

► New coach for Devils

  • The New Jersey Devils have found their next head coach hiring former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins head coach John Hynes.
  • The Penguins received a third round pick in compensation for the Warwick, Rhode Island native. That is the second third round pick that the Penguins have received this offseason in exchange for a head coach, the first pick was for Dan Bylsma who was relieved of his duties by the Penguins the year before.
  • At 40, Hynes becomes the youngest head coach in the NHL this season.
  • Hynes was named the head coach of the Penguins AHL affiliate in 2010 after one season as the team’s assistant coach. Hynes started his coaching career in 2001 when he became an assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He later became an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin. Hynes he played for legendary college coach Jack Parker at Boston University.

► A post-season trade

  • The first trade of this offseason has been made between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Rangers. The Rangers acquired a 7th round pick (which was originally their own) in exchange for Blainville-Boisbriand Armada captain Daniel Walcott.
  • Teams in the playoffs are allowed to make trades during the playoffs as long as they are not roster players, Walcott is unsigned.
  • Walcott has come a long way since not being able to play in the USHL as the team that drafted his already had both of its import spots filled. Instead, Walcott played for Lindenwood University. The next year he came to the Blanville-Boisbriand Armada where he got 39 points in 67 games.  This past season Walcott wore the “C” and had a stellar season with 40 points in just 54 games.
  • The Ile-Perot native played one game for the New York Rangers minor league affiliate the Hartford Wolfpack where he didn’t pick up any points and was a minus-1.
  • Walcott was drafted in the 5th round, 140th overall by the Rangers last year, among the notable players selected after him, Habs prospect Daniel Audette and Kelowna Rockets sniper Rourke Chartier.

► New look for Coyotes

  • The Arizona Coyotes have decided that a change of jersey might be beneficial to them this upcoming season.  New home and away jerseys will be revealed at the Coyotes draft party on June 26th.
  • The new jerseys are expected to be a significant change but will feature their existing primary logo.
  • The Coyotes changed the city they went by last season from the Phoenix Coyotes to the Arizona Coyotes. The name change was unveiled last year at the draft. Their first ever pick as the Arizona Coyotes was Brendan Perlini of the Niagara Ice Dogs.

► Value of Lars Eller

► Bergevin looking for solutions

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