GHT120

Tell that to players in the NCAA basketball tournament ... schools may manage to create a paper trail that satisfies academic requirements, but it is about as real as a $3 bill.

VERY DUMB ... the players lose their amateur/NCAA status because of "proximity contact" ... while another player could (theoretically, ignoring any contract restrictions) make millions playing in the NFL but return to school in the spring and play baseball if they have any eligibility left.

This is IMO an outdated remnant of the NCAA pretending that their sports are an "amateur" endeavour ... especially in light of the fact that, for many years now, a player can be "professional" in one sport but still play in the NCAA in another ... or ... that a NHL drafted player who does not sign a contract and goes to an NCAA school to play hockey can sign a promotional deal for whatever amount they can get under the recent Name, Image & Likeness policy (wonder whether the Coyotes could sign Logan Cooley to a NIL promotional contract?). Despite not having signed a contract or getting paid to participate, even skating on the same ice surface with professional players in a training camp costs players their NCAA eligibility ... a CHL player accepting the minimal stipend provided by teams makes them ineligible for the NCAA in hockey, even though it is likely FAR less than the value of tuition, room and board scholarships provide ... the NCAA is a scam (IMO) ... but "thems is the rules" at the moment.

Why he was selected is a fair question but who else was interviewed is something I doubt the team would address, unless it was PERHAPS to confirm or deny someone's claim that they were interviewed.

My fear is that Baron will be rushed into the lineup because of need on the right side ... I was not so impressed last year that I think he is ready for 2nd pairing minutes, or even game-in/game-out regular minutes ... but until HuGo manage to clear some salary to sign Dach and add a veteran defenceman ("bodies" not legit top 6 D) it is the hand they are dealt.

And in the free Agent Dog Days:

Since Dach is undoubtedly pencilled for the NHL roster next season, HuGo may be waiting to clear some cap space ... while the Habs can go over the ceiling during the summer, they may prefer not to do so until necessary. Primeau may be using the Montembeault contract (one-way, $1M, 2 yrs) as his standard ... Habs undoubtedly want to keep Primeau's contract buriable ($1.125M is the 22/23 limit, $1.15M for 23/24 through 25/26). IMO neither Dach nor Primeau are likely to receive offer sheets ... in Dach's case if a team tried to KK them (i.e., make a ridiculous one year offer with an understanding for a longer-term extension "signed, sealed and delivered" in the player/agent's pocket) the Habs would have no choice but to match unless (***perhaps***) if it was for $6,302,231 or more ... that would be 1st, 2nd and 3rd round picks as compensation, or slightly more than they gave Chicago for Dach.

But Maxwell may have convinced Morehouse that MTL is the place to go.

Hockey Operations Personnel includes Claudine Crépin (Director, Team Services and Hockey Administration) and (Susan Cryans (Executive Assistant to the EVP and General Manager) ... and Marie-Philip Poulin is a Player Development Consultant ... whether they are all "white folks with penis's" depends on how the boxes are drawn on the org-chart ... but THAT said, more needs to be done.

HOPEFULLY, that function will be filled by a veteran coach joining the organization to consult with/support MSL ... IMO there is a better chance of getting a quality veteran coach if they don't have to be subordinate to an inexperienced HC, or undertake the travel demands of full-time coaching.

Agreed ... I expect it would be more "bleeps" than words if it was caught on camera.

Therrien was never a favourite of mine ... after a .476 points-percentage season the previous season, I remember thinking at the time that Therrien was the coach Bergevin had hired to fire once he felt the team was ready to win (as GMs sometimes do) ... but then Therrien knocked off .656 (5th best in the league), .610 (tied for 9th best) and .671 (2nd best in the league) seasons with the leftovers from the Gainey/Gauthier era in the first 3 of his 4.5 year second term.

I would suggest that HuGo hiring a second coach with no NHL experience (or (allowing MSL to hire one) is them doing things quite differently ... that he is French is true but with 704 of his 937 NHL games played with Dallas I would say that calling Robidas a "former Habs defenceman" is technically true but not in the spirit of the "nepotism" that teams are normally accused of when hiring former players.

A very MSL-like choice: Robidas, 45, spent last season as head coach of the Magog Cantonniers in the Quebec U18 AAA Development Hockey League. He led the team to the Jimmy Ferrari Cup and was named a finalist for Coach of the Year. Robidas was previously named an assistant coach with the QMJHL's Sherbrooke Phoenix on June 15, 2022 prior to accepting the offer from the Canadiens. Before embarking on his coaching career, the Sherbrooke, QC native successively held the positions of Assistant Director of Player Development and Director of Player Development with the Toronto Maple Leafs between 2015 and 2021. He also joined their ECHL coaching staff for part of the season. MSL-ish also in that he worked his way to the NHL. Robidas spent 3 seasons in the AHL ... he had to pay attention to detail to manage to stay in the NHL for 14 seasons.

See new thread: Rodibas hired by MSL/Habs

One would think that a lot of NHL teams would hold back players going to NHL training camps ... if I were running a team (a scary thought) I would seriously consider using August to prep my team for the 2023 WJHCs. (i.e., using more youngsters).

LW Although he did take 54 faceoffs last season.

Think he meant at some point, not now.

I thought this was the most interesting bit: “The Liiga is a conservative league,” Bobrov said that night. “It’s a very conservative league, a very defensive league. He learned how to defend in that league. And then he showed on the world stage what he can do when he can show some offence, shall we say. We haven’t talked about it yet, but he may have learned what Liiga had to teach.”

And for THIS season I am fine with that.

Agreed ... combine that with his quickly establishing a reputation for wanting offensive players to express their talent and he is a draw ... and not necessarily only for "local players" ... it will be interesting to watch how MSL evolves as a coach this season.

Good point on Huberdeau ... but Gaudreau's two best seasons were with Tkachuk on the team ... which of the two is the chicken and which is the egg?

That is a major "as long as" ... until that is known (or they flip them for assets) it is difficult to assess the trade.