With all the whoopla over Price not being signed and we’re in september…. well, there you have it.

He just signed a 2 year deal.

To be honest, seeing as there are still many RFAs unsigned in the league and the summer’s generally been slow with deals and signings… I don’t think there was a panic to begin with. Except for those who thought they should panic.

Details on the Price signing are here on the Canadiens website.

Camp is just around the corner…. we can now get back to our regularly scheduled programs.

This is something that’s been debated a little here and there. Do you think that all the wild trade rumors, all the crazy fan bantor where people cook up 100 different scenarios to “get rid of” or get a certain player ultimately have an impact on how players feel about playing in certain cities.

I asked myself this question a couple of times today after Tony Marino said on the Team990 that he thought it might be a possibility that people could eventually run Carey Price out of town.

Fans naturally have tons of emotion…. really, people have tons of emotion, about all kinds of stuff…. like that driver in front of you who’s driving to slow, maybe that pisses you off…. or maybe it’s the guy/gal riding your bumper.

Maybe it’s a GM who just pulled off a deal trading away your (current) favorite goaltender and you’ve just ground down all your teeth… tearing your vocal chords apart while screaming in horror.

Whatever the case may be, some people seem to be so negative. I really love following the Habs. The Montreal Canadiens have been my favorite team for as long as I can remember and I’ve never been the type of guy to jump ship.

I love listening to the Team 990 in Montreal, Marinaro, Campbell, Ross… they all do a great job. But at times when I listen to some callers…. that start with some name calling, and the continual put down of some players.. it drives me nuts. Also seeing some comments online sometimes…. it drives me nuts…. absolutely crazy.

When I try to put myself in the shoes of an NHLer, playing in a place like Montreal, I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that I would almost need to ignore most commentary on my profession. I think of Saku Koivu who played years in Montreal and had to put up with so much crap in papers…etc. How about when fans were booing Patrice Brisebois off the ice? I think of Carey Price right now…. it was mentioned on Tony’s show today that just talking about him brings up such a strong reaction…. and it does.

A new scientific study that was talked about today on CBC radio shows direct relation between performance/productivity and happiness at work.

Could you be happy working a job in a place where so much attention is given at crapping on you?

Really think expressing “passion” in such a negative sense could have a positive effect? I don’t think so. I think that if a guy is slumping or under performing, he likely already knows it. At least, that’s always been the case for me in my life. And when I’ve been struggling like that, beating me over the head with it didn’t seem to help.

Not being a bandwagon jumper…. I’ve always thought that it’s best to support the team no matter what. Because all those guys, they’re human too. Just like me, and just like you.

Let me be very clear, I’m not saying that people shouldn’t have an opinion. Of course you should. Of course you should voice it. If I’m not sure I would have pulled off a move, I can say that. But getting to the point where it’s firestorms and people feeding each other’s fires?? A bit much.

At the end of the day folks, I’ll tell you what.

NHL players, NHL coachs, NHL GMs….. they’re doing their job.

We don’t have to like the moves the GM makes but if I, if you, if we get all “road rage” about that move or players on the roster….. then it’s time to chill, step back and count to 10.

Because like it or not, it’s entertainment for you unless they’re (NHL) paying your mortgage/rent.

Support your team and (try to) enjoy the new NHL season!

Last night was Louis Leblanc’s debut with the Junior de Montréal in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. I know that this isn’t real big news. But make no mistake, all eyes will be on Leblanc as he plays with the Junior de Montréal this season.

Many people have both wondered how he’d fit, or how he’d perform in the QMJHL…. lot’s of what ifs…. etc.

But now we’ll get to see how his skill level and hockey smarts measure up against his peers in the “Q”. Also how he adjusts to the much longer season as opposed to the US College system.

Louis Leblanc finished last night’s pre-season game with 1 assist, +1, won 5 out of 8 faceoffs and had 4 shots on goal. Should also be noted that another Canadiens prospect, Philippe Lefebvre, also assisted on the play.

I always seem to have high hopes for most prospects that the Montreal Canadiens draft. While this is a pre-season game which really doesn’t mean anything….. I’m just happy to see the QMJHL kick into pre-season. Ultimately, it means the QMJHL season, NHL camps, NHL pre-season and NHL season are all around the corner.

Personally, I was one hoping that he would make the jump over to the “Q” and I’m quite happy that he made that decision. It should be much easier for the Canadiens organization to monitor Leblanc’s progress as well as having him in a league where many of the Canadiens fan base can also catch a glimpse of him.

I can’t wait to catch some of these QMJHL games.

With camps just around the corner and pre-season around the next corner…. my eyes and brain are becoming more and more fixed on what the Habs season will bring. The reading, (internet) surfing and video viewing has begun to get a picture of the new Montreal Canadiens season that is before us.

Here’s a nice little feature on Dustin Boyd.

As the new season’s camps are just around the corner I’m starting to get in hockey mode. They’re (the players) about to start working again… and I just started a new job.

In fact, I think I’ll be wearing some Habs gear in a photo shoot for my new job.

Anyway…. here’s a short clip of Scott Gomez and Mike Cammalleri on Price. (Courtesy of Sportsnet)

According to Sportsnet Jarred Tinordi, the Habs 22nd overall pick in the 2010 NHL draft will be playing for the London Knights in the OHL. They report an official announcement should come within days.

Although there is currently some debate on which road is better suited for a young player’s development, Major Junior vs NCAA, I believe having Tinordi in a situation where he plays many more games will only be good for his development.

I was happy to hear about Louis Leblanc playing in the “Q”… which means I’ll likely skip out to watch him play. I’m equally happy to hear that Jarred will be playing in the OHL under Dale Hunter. Will be easier for some of us to catch a glimpse of him and keep track of his developmental years.

I’m quite pleased at this announcement. Should be noted that Dale Hunter played with Jarred’s father and has been a family friend for years. So Tinordi will have familiarity with his new coach.

EDIT:
Check out the Sportsnet article here

I’m very happy that the NHL is doing a second outdoor game this year between 2 canadien teams. Of course the fact that the Habs are playing in it certainly helps boost my enthusiasm for the game… but regardless what other canadian teams would be in the mix I think it’s a good thing.

It will surely be a fun event. The game is scheduled to be played in Calgary on February 20th.

Here’s a short video clip on the upcoming game courtesy of Sportsnet.

Andrei Markov, one of the best defensmen in the NHL and a defenseman who we’ve had for the last 10 years in Montreal, will become a Canadian citizen on Friday July 16th 2010.

I’ve always been a huge Markov fan and he’s almost been a forgotten star in the NHL because he seems to do everything so quietly…. like ranking among the top offensive defensemen in the league.

Andrei, congrats on becoming a Canadian citizen.

@yarfangor on twitter wondered if that meant Markov could now play for Team Canada…..

Canadiens GM Pierre Gauthier announced the signing of prospect Alexander Avstin to a 3 year deal.

I’ve been anxious to see much more of Avtsin since he was drafted. The 19 year old just finished this year’s development camp last week.

The scouting reports said this guy had an physical game and lot’s of offensive skill. There was talk of Alexander possibly playing with the Juniors de Montréal or Hamilton. Now it’s official that we’ll see him in North America.

I would guess that Avtsin will spend the season in Hamilton. I’m sure we’ll see a glimpse of him at camp!!

Check out the official release:
http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=534383

RDS reports that the Habs have re-signed David Desharnais to a 1 year, 2 way deal.

Desharnais’s agent mentions in the article that David preferred to avoid arbitration and wants to prove his worth on the ice. In this age of big business in sports…. and all the big money…. it’s completely respectable to me that Desharnais made that choice.

In fact, another player (not a Habs player) who settled for a smaller contract just last year (I believe it was last season) was Manny Malhotra. He pretty much went in and worked really hard…. put his focus on playing hockey as best he could and this year he signed a 3 year 2.5 million dollar deal.

Not sure that Desharnais will follow that exact path but I think he’s got a shot at sneaking in and taking some ice time this season. Seeing him play last year I can’t help but think a bit about Gionta and Martin St Louis. Not just because Desharnais is 5′7, I mean yeah that’s part of the comparison but the other part is that Desharnais was all hustle.

I look forward to seeing him a little more this year.