A Montreal Canadiens fan blog
Posts tagged The Gazette
Saku Koivu returns to Montreal
Jan 22nd
Tonight is the big game. Well, in one sense it is. In fact if you’ve been a fan of the Montreal Canadiens anytime in the last decade then you’re familiar with longtime captain Saku Koivu.
Koivu, during his tenure in Montreal, was one of my all time favorite players. In fact, back when Saku officially became a free agent, I wrote an article with my personal goodbye to him titled “To Saku Koivu“.
I can tell you that I’ve cheered the former Habs captain on for so many years that it will be hard not to cheer him on against the very team he once lead. Koivu had been an inspiration on many levels. Coming back from a few major injuries, a battle with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and a certain disrespect that I don’t believe he deserved as long time captain of the team. I know some might argue otherwise but I could never understand the hounding he took from certain media outlets because he couldn’t speak french.
I thought I’d share some info sent to me by Matthew Ross, host of Game Points on the Team990 (which happens to be one of my favorite sports channels… that’s my plug! haha) on some recent polling going on for Saku Koivu’s return to Montreal:
Will Saku Koivu (ANA) score a goal?
Yes +325 ( or 13/4)
No -450 ( or 2/9)
Will Saku Koivu (ANA) record a point?
Yes +140 (or 7/5)
No -170 (or 10/17)
Will Saku Koivu (ANA) be the first star of the Game?
Yes -150 (or 2/3)
No +110 (or 11/10)
There’s been quite a bit of stuff written about Koivu’s return to Montreal. I really enjoyed this article by Dave Stubbs of the Gazette titled “Emotional return for Captain K“.
I’m really hoping that Koivu gets a warm response from the crowd. Through his long tenure as captain he was the source of much emotion, but inspirational like coming back from his battle with cancer, or battling back from a near career ending eye injury…. or from his critics that continued to pound at him in papers and radio/TV talk shows that he should speak french.
Saku, I truly hope you get an incredible welcome tonight. You deserve it.
Off season rumblings have begun
May 29th
Lot’s of talk already just days after the Canadiens playoff run ended.
I know that for some of you the interest in your favorite NHL team doesn’t end. For me, it certainly does not.
While the Habs were on their playoff run I tried to focus on their games. Current line ups, their performance etc…. while trying to leave the impending UFAs, RFAs, salary cap and that question that will keep lingering of which goaltender stays in Montreal??? Or IF they can somehow keep both.
Now that it’s the off-season (ok, not for you Hawks/Flyers fans) I’m starting to think about this stuff a little bit and am reading what other bloggers have to say as well as the media.
Certainly some interesting articles out there. Here are just a few.
More >
