Habs News: NHL, Montreal Canadiens, Sean Monahan, Jake Evans, Paul Byron, Nick Suzuki, Dominique Ducharme, Jeff Petry
ROCKET SPORTS MEDIA | LAVAL, QC. — On Saturday, Montreal’s newest acquisition Sean Monahan visited the Bell Centre for the first time as a member of the organization. The forward wore the Canadiens red jersey with number 91 on the back as he visited the facilities and met fans at Tricolore Sports.
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In his introductory videoconference, Monahan said that he used to drive Paul Byron around during his time in Calgary, and that he trains with Jake Evans during the off-season.
“I’ve been in his workout group for the past three summers. We see each other at the gym every day for at least a couple of hours, and we skate together quite a bit, too. Sean is a great guy. He’s just fun to be around, and he’s a really good player with a lot of experience in the League,” Evans told the Canadiens website.
“I remember at our first training session after the trade, we just laughed when we walked up to each other because we couldn’t really believe that it happened. I’m used to not seeing him for like six or seven months at a time, and now we’ll be together all season. I know he’s really excited to head to Montreal and enjoy the city. It’s nice to have a close friend join the team, too,” added Evans.
Monahan, Evans along with Nick Suzuki, Christian Dvorak, and Kirby Dach are the five centers currently on the roster. Once Monahan is cleared to play following his most recent surgery, Martin St. Louis will need to move one of the five centers to the wing.
No Regrets for Ducharme
On Thursday, Dominique Ducharme visited the studios of 98.5 FM Sports in Montreal, and spoke about his time as coach of the Canadiens. Ducharme was relieved of his duties after the team’s 8-30-7 record through 45 games.
“We see it in other organizations even outside the world of sports, when there’s new leaders that join, they want to turn the page and put things their way. When [new management] came in, it was just a matter of time before I was let go,” Ducharme said.
Ducharme’s tenure as the bench boss lasted under a year. On February 24, 2021, he was promoted to interim head coach when Claude Julien was fired, and he was let go on February 9, 2022.
His biggest disappointment of his tenure was that he was not able to establish himself, and create a big network in the NHL. With most of the league’s events taking place virtually while he was the coach, Ducharme said that he had limited opportunities to connect with others.
“I have no regrets, because I gave it my all. At the same time, when we finished the playoffs last year, everything was positive. We had been in the Stanley Cup Final. But even then, you always look back to see what you could change or improve. It’s the very nature of being a coach.”
Bad Start
Ducharme felt his team was not fully recovered from the short summer following the Stanley Cup Final appearance.
“We finished playing on July 7th. It’s been the shortest summer a hockey team has ever had. When the players arrived at camp, they were already mentally tired. And physically, they haven’t had the training they usually have. It certainly had an impact on the number of injuries we had.” Ducharme offered no explanation for the success of the Tampa Bay Lightning with the same short off-season as the Canadiens.
Ducharme felt that the players did not give up on him, and worked hard. The injuries made it difficult for chemistry to be created with forward lines and defensive pairings.
Jeff Petry publicly voiced his frustration with the Ducharme’s system last season, but Ducharme insists that he had a good relationship with the defenceman, and that the COVID measures in Quebec were difficult for him and his family.
“It wasn’t an easy situation for him, and felt a lot of pressure. Sometimes when you’re under pressure we act differently than how we would want.”
Next Captain
Kent Hughes has repeated that the Canadiens will have a captain for the upcoming season. The captain slot has been vacant since Shea Weber was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in June for forward Evgenii Dadonov.
Nick Suzuki‘s name is often mentioned as a potential candidate. “I’ll let [the organization] make the decision, but eventually he’s going to make a good captain,” answered Ducharme.
One of the reasons that some observers and fans question whether Suzuki should wear the ‘C’ this season is his age. “It’s a double-edged sword, but he’s a guy who thrives on challenges. When we got to the playoffs, he upped his game. He’s a guy with character,” Ducharme said about giving the title to the 23-year old.
The former Habs coach added the names of Brendan Gallagher and Joel Edmundson to the mix of potential good candidates.
Right Opportunity
Ducharme mentioned that he’s had discussions for another role but he is waiting for the right opportunity. With two more seasons remaining on the contract that was awarded to him by Marc Bergevin, the 49-year-old can be patient.
Ducharme is open to return behind the bench of a NHL team as an assistant. Europe is also an option for Ducharme if he feels that it’s a good opportunity to grow as a coach. With his experience in the QMJHL and Hockey Canada, Ducharme says that he does not feel like he has anything more to learn from junior hockey.
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By Chris G., Senior Writer
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