Dave from Vancouver Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 (edited) Habs Nation, As I posted a little while ago, I host a radio show out here in Vancouver, and as such, I have had the opportunity to attend Habs practices, go in the dressing room, talk to the players and so forth (and yes, I know how lucky that seems, although with these current Habs, that's debatable). Since you are all such devoted fans, I would like to share some of these experiences with you, especially because what I have seen on a face-to-face basis really helps explain the on-ice performance (read on and you'll understand what I mean). First, to contextualize the situation, it helps to understand the timeframes. I first met the Habs in Montreal, during the practice before the Ottawa game (4-1 victory) that was part of CBC's Hockey Day in Canada. More recently, I met them again here in Vancouver, when they got blown out 6-2. Here's a player by player breakdown: Kovalev: Very 'cold', as expected. Didn't talk to anyone really. Didn't practice before the Ottawa game, and left practice very early in Vancouver. I figured he was going to receive treatment or something, but no, he just left, got dressed, and sat down and drank coffee. This makes you realize the special treatment star players receive, if they can choose when practice starts and ends. Told one of my reporters he wouldn't talk to her, which is fine in its own right (that's his choice), but goes along with the theme of telling off Julien, Begin, etc. One sidenote, overheard him talking to a friend on the team, in regards to his wife going back to Europe. He did this while staring at a couple figure skating together on a different rink (yeah, it was weird, like something out of a romance movie). He seemed quite upset over the situation, and perhaps this is affecting his play, who knows. This hasn't been reported, so all I ask is to take this with a grain of salt because its possible I misunderstood. Begin and Bouillon: One word: focus. They arrived to practice early, got changed immediately, and then proceeded to study the visitors practice and work on their sticks. The consummate professionals, they clearly take their role as Canadiens very seriously, which I'm sure the fans appreciate. Not a coincidence that they lead this team in heart and community involvement. Also, Begin was extremely friendly to everyone, taking his time to talk, and so on. Ribeiro and Theodore: The exact opposite of Begin and Bouillon. Instead of focus, these guys were talking on their cell phones, making sure they looked good, talking to friends, and so forth. I don't think this is a bad thing in its own right, as its just their personality to be more extroverted, but they did not carry the same professionalism or focus. To be fair, Theo was quite friendly to the media, which carries into his dealings with the community, an important part of being a Montreal Canadien. Rivet: What can I say...very passionate. He wasn't happy with some guys effort in practice, and he wasn't afraid to show it. Funny story: in the locker room, Bulis took tape off his skate/ankle and just kinda threw it on the ground. Rivet scolded him, telling him its not fair that the equipment guys have to clean up after the players, so Bulis got up and picked up the tape. A relatively small incident, but Rivet, he sure took it passionately. He clearly commands respect, as they way Bulis reacted demonstrated that he cared about Rivet's perceptions. Huet: Quiet guy, but seemingly popular with the players. After his saves, some players began a "Huet, Huet" chant, which was funny to see. Souray: Talked to him for quite a long time. If Dandenault is the French media's 'best friend', Souray is the English equivalent, as he didn't mind sticking around to gab about movies, politics, whatever. We discussed the importance of being a habs, giving back to the community, playing with pride. Of course players can say whatever they want, its the actions that count, but having talked to him in person for quite a while, he clearly values being on the team, and the CH means a lot to him. Slick dresser, but I digress... Ryder: Friendly guy, thoughtful, nothing particularity positive or negative to say. Koivu: Didn't interact with him much, but he did have an understated confidence. Although he may be a small guy, he projected an air of leadership, but was never vocal at any point. To extrapolate to the on-ice play, this team needs him to give 110% every night, because the other players, vets and rooks alike, will follow. Streit: More talkative then expected, and did actually demonstrate some leadership, trying to motivate players. He was the only player to carry his own equipment, lugging his bags, sticks out of the arena while signing autographs for the kids. Quite the sight. Others: Don't have much to say, so I won't write something just for the sake of writing. In terms of overall chemistry, I hate to say it, because as Canadian I strongly value diversity, but having so many European players did APPEAR to create cliques. I compare this to watching other teams (especially Calgary, which is almost all-Canadian), where you see more interaction between different groups of players. I mean, Kostitsyn was literally all on his own, in the locker room and walking down the hallways. Compare this to the young guys on the Canucks (Burrows, Baumgartner, Bouck) who were interacting and jostling each other. Of course there are pros and cons, as with diversity you get a wider spread of strengths and values then out of a homogeneous group, but we'll leave that to a later discussion... I hope you enjoyed these stories; I'll finish with some caveats. First, some details have probably been omitted, as I didn't really want to be writing all night, so completeness might be an issue. Secondly, I tried to remain unbiased, but its only natural to look for positives in your favorite players and vice versa. That being said, I stand by everything I wrote. Feel free to reply with questions. Enjoy! -Dave Edited February 1, 2006 by Dave from Vancouver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classical Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 I don't post here often, but I've been lurking in this forum for a lot longer than some of the regulars (I say that with pride, of course ), and I just had to say this: Wow, that was one hell of a post . That's the stuff we need to hear, i.e., first-hand experience of what the players are like and what goes on behind the scenes. I hope you post more of this in the future--and believe me, the more details, the better! I'm also in Vancouver so I'll have to catch your show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave from Vancouver Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 I don't post here often, but I've been lurking in this forum for a lot longer than some of the regulars (I say that with pride, of course ), and I just had to say this: Wow, that was one hell of a post . That's the stuff we need to hear, i.e., first-hand experience of what the players are like and what goes on behind the scenes. I hope you post more of this in the future--and believe me, the more details, the better! I'm also in Vancouver so I'll have to catch your show. Thank you for those kind words; truly much appreciated. As for the show, here's the details: "It's Outta Here!" Friday Mornings - 8:30-9:00 PST CJSF 90.1 FM or www.cjsf.ca Studio: 604.291.5797 Its always great to have new listeners and feel free to call in to voice your opinion (and win stuff). We're often talking Habs, and if not, we're talking hockey, and if not, we're talking sports, and if...you get the idea ;-) -Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mont Royale Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Thanks for the insights, Dave. Much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTH Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 In an interview with Kovalev he said that he always wanted to go out with with the younger Russians like Perezhogin, Kostitsyn and Markov but "they're like cats" and would rather stay home and watch TV than go anywhere. By the way, did you notice anything about Bulis (besides the Rivet thing) or about Plekanec? I know Zednik and Bulis are good friends but I'd guess that Czechs Plekanec and Bonk would join the group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chicoutimi Cucumber Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Outstanding post, Dave. (Incidentally, I live in Port Moody and will have to check out your show). Post of the year!! :king: Interesting about Rivet. That he stuck up for the equipment guys (!) shows he's a real class act - I have even more respect for him than I did before. No wonder he and Saks are pals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathieu30 Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Thanks Dave. Keep up the good work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Minister Koivu Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Thanks for the great post Dave, I really enjoyed it. Your descriptions of the players seems pretty close to what I already thought about them. It just adds even more fuel to my fire to get rid of Ribs and Theodore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch_Habs_Fan Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 I really enjoyed reading this. It's for us europeans nice to know how the players are, cuz we don't see them on tv every night. Good read, shows also about players what we already expected. Ribs&Theo, and guys like Bouillon&Begin! Thnx! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chicoutimi Cucumber Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 By the way, Dave, you mentioned that Souray was happy to talk politics - just out of curiosity, what ARE his politics?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonus Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 (edited) By the way, Dave, you mentioned that Souray was happy to talk politics - just out of curiosity, what ARE his politics?? ummm.... he's a millionaire from alberta... so I'm going to take a wild guess there... Edited February 1, 2006 by simonus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaos Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Excellent Post. Really enjoyed it. Thanks. I would suspect that Kostitsyn being seemingly alone has to do with being a bit shy, especially because of his lack of confidence in the english languish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HABZRULE Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Dave, I'm a huge fan of the rough stuff. Do you have any juice on either Ivanans or Aaron Downey? If I was to ever meet them I want to be ready to either 1) talk to them or 2) run away as fast as I can. If you dare, do you have any news on trades involving Vancouver and Montreal?? Bertuzzi for Theo straight up....sounds ok to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gohabsgo252006 Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Definitely a candidate for post of the year. Great read. I enjoyed the fact that you were unbiased especially when talking about THEO and RIBS, emphasizing what most of us already knew but not in an overtly negative way, but rather just an analysis. Like many of you have said before, that "incident" gives me even more respect for Rivet than I already had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Minister Koivu Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 If you dare, do you have any news on trades involving Vancouver and Montreal?? Bertuzzi for Theo straight up....sounds ok to me! LOL I'm ready to trade Theo for a warm soapy enima right now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habs rule Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Great post thank you very much. i f you ever have any other insights I am sure we would be happy to hear them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HABZRULE Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 ok then, Theo for 2 of Bertuzzi's broken sticks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoRvInA Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Definitely a candidate for post of the year. Great read. I enjoyed the fact that you were unbiased especially when talking about THEO and RIBS, emphasizing what most of us already knew but not in an overtly negative way, but rather just an analysis. Like many of you have said before, that "incident" gives me even more respect for Rivet than I already had. I second that as most here would! Dave by the way just before the game started in Vancouver I noticed as I'm sure you did while both teams had the pregame skate that a few players were rather late getting off the ice because they were trying to score on Huet: aprox 6 or 7 right in front of the crease all trying to pass the puck over huet which he very talently or (lucky) stopped it was Komi Begin Bouillon I wonder if this is a now a tradition every pre-game and how it showed in part the better connection with this Goalie unlike with Theo! somehow you wrote about that too.. I hope you ask Huet about this at some time.. And of course Ribs without his helmet (only one other than Kovalev) chatting, relaxing etc... like a superstar with his hair alla Beckham! ... No comment! Thanks again Dave great post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave from Vancouver Posted February 2, 2006 Author Share Posted February 2, 2006 Thank you all for the positive feedback, its nice to know that collecting and reporting all that information was worthwhile. One correction to note, it was Plekanec, not Streit, who carried all his sticks and bags by himself, while signing autographs for the kids. However, as stated above, it was Streit who demonstrated unexpected leadership and motivational skills. Also, I forgot to touch on Higgins/Komisarek. Eventhough Higgins was dressed and ready to go at the end of practice, he waited behind for Komisarek, and they then proceeded to head to the bus together. Lastly, since its probably not fair to group Ribeiro and Theo together as though they're one person (they're not completely identical!), I did notice a greater focus out of Ribs than from Jose, both before and during practice. To you answer the questions, post by post: - I did notice guys like Bonk, Zednik, Bulis, Plekanec enter the arena together, but I didn't see anything that demonstrated any sort of close friendship between them (although they may very well be, I just didn't see clear evidence like Higgins/Komisarek or Theodore/Ribeiro). - While Souray may very well be an ultra-conservative politically-speaking, he didn't show any real interest in politics, and he admitted that he wasn't going to vote. Same goes for Dandenault, he mentioned that he still hasn't read up on Canadian politics/issues after spending all that time in Detriot. They both said, "we'll just leave the voting decisions to the public". - I could tell that Kostitsyn's lack of comfort with English did act as a barrier to interacting with other players. Same with Zednik (very difficult to understand), and to a lesser extent, Huet (very soft-spoken). - Rough stuff? Well, neither Ivanans or Downey were with the club either time I was there, but I did talk to Garth Murray a little bit, nice guy, quite modest. In terms of sheer size, both Souray and Rivet carried quite the intimidating presence. Bonk stood out for being quite tall, but he always had this goofy grin on his face, so he wasn't very intimidating. - Bertuzzi for Theo? Won't happen, as I don't think Vancouver believes Theo is the answer to their goaltending issues, plus, Gainey et al. wouldn't quite welcome Bertuzzi with the open arms some seem to believe. That being said, you never know... - Yes, Ribeiro and Kovalev take the pre-game skate without a helmet, but Souray does as well, so I don't know if that's an indicative factor of heart and motivation. I think that covers them all, have a great evening. -Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummerman Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 Dave it was interesting but honestly I have little interest in what their personalities are off the ice and if they are chasing chicks or whatever- all I care about is what they do on the ice. I remember when Grets was young I heard a lot of rumours of his skirt chasing, but that didnt seem to affect his play- wish some of the habs had the talent to chase skirts and score on the ice as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoRvInA Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 (edited) Dave it was interesting but honestly I have little interest in what their personalities are off the ice and if they are chasing chicks or whatever- all I care about is what they do on the ice. I remember when Grets was young I heard a lot of rumours of his skirt chasing, but that didnt seem to affect his play- wish some of the habs had the talent to chase skirts and score on the ice as well I know this was meant for Dave but just to point out something... Personally I dont care about individual player Gossip Just like I dont really care about Souray's divorce problems nor Theo's Hells Angels friends... On the other hand what Dave is doing as a Journalist is reflecting the mass inquiries of the fans! he's a medium between us and the habs... Nevertheless I do think there is a big difference between gossip and what third party observers may pick up as "attitudes" or "personalities" that may influence ON ice performances (to be accurate this was Off the ice but it was IN the Rink) If On ice is what only counts... then the NY Rangers would have bought that Cup many years ago! and several times! Something more than On ice qualities are in play! and thats a big grey area which includes off ice attitudes amog other things Edited February 2, 2006 by CoRvInA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave from Vancouver Posted February 2, 2006 Author Share Posted February 2, 2006 Dave it was interesting but honestly I have little interest in what their personalities are off the ice and if they are chasing chicks or whatever- all I care about is what they do on the ice. I remember when Grets was young I heard a lot of rumours of his skirt chasing, but that didnt seem to affect his play- wish some of the habs had the talent to chase skirts and score on the ice as well I understand your point of view; in the end, its all about the results on the ice. However, the point of this post was to examine if off-ice behaviours are a predictive indicator of on-ice results, in addition to providing devout Habs fans with insights to their favorite players. For instance, the passion Rivet displayed in the locker room (re: Bulis incident) demonstrates the leadership he shows on the ice. Also, Bouillon's focus shows the seriousness with which he takes his profession and potentially leads to improved play on the ice (remember this is a guy that no one predicted would ever play a regular shift in the NHL, so an extreme work ethic was his only road to success). That is why I purposely avoided discussing the players "skirt chasing", as you put it. -Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoZed Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 Dave it was interesting but honestly I have little interest in what their personalities are off the ice and if they are chasing chicks or whatever- all I care about is what they do on the ice. I remember when Grets was young I heard a lot of rumours of his skirt chasing, but that didnt seem to affect his play- wish some of the habs had the talent to chase skirts and score on the ice as well Hockey is like any other job, in some points. You can be a good engineer or plumber with all the potential in the world, but if your wife's threatening to leave or if you come to work without being prepared or focuses, you'll suck. I greatly appreciate Dave's input. If I've learned anything while following hockey through all these years, its that hockey players are humans like you an I, with a life outside hockey. Knowing player's personnalities and their off-ice lives greatly improves one's understanding of what they can bring to a hockey team. That's why scouts meet up prospects for interviews before the draft. Looking at them play on video tapes or in an arena is just one fraction of the overall picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 (edited) Haha I'll be the first to ask. Any CH's chasing any famous skirts? Hehe jk. What can I say I work with all women, I'm hooked on the gossip! Save me! Bar Edited February 2, 2006 by bar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummerman Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 (edited) I understand your point of view; in the end, its all about the results on the ice. However, the point of this post was to examine if off-ice behaviours are a predictive indicator of on-ice results, in addition to providing devout Habs fans with insights to their favorite players. For instance, the passion Rivet displayed in the locker room (re: Bulis incident) demonstrates the leadership he shows on the ice. Also, Bouillon's focus shows the seriousness with which he takes his profession and potentially leads to improved play on the ice (remember this is a guy that no one predicted would ever play a regular shift in the NHL, so an extreme work ethic was his only road to success). That is why I purposely avoided discussing the players "skirt chasing", as you put it. -Dave Dave it wasnt meant as a criticism- like I said i found it interesting. I remember I read the 'The Game" by Ken Dryden awhile back. He wrote that book about the Habs dynasty of the 70's. It was fun reading as to what had happened and the personalities of players like Lapointe and Lafleur etc etc. However that book was written after the dynasty after the players had produced. Unfortunately this group of Habs has been underachievers for years. So if they are great people or morons off the ice really makes no difference to me. What does is what they do on the ice. Edited February 2, 2006 by Strummerman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.