habsguy26

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k53MxoVsfgg&feature=youtu.be

LOL, so funny, had to share.

I'll do my part!

We will give you Blair Betts for Gill.... oh wait!

Deal!

You can have Gill for freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed defenceman Tim Gleason to a four-year contract extension. The deal will pay the 29-year-old $3.5 million next season, $4.5 million in 2013-14 and 2014-15 and $3.5 million in 2015-16. The deal also has a full no-trade clause in the first two years of his four-year deal.

Just a quick little topic after I watched the Habs-Leafs game. The best player that was on the ice for the Canadiens, was by far David Desharnais. He and Carey Price seem to be the only un-touchables at the moment.

10 Habs Questions

1) Who should the Habs bring in to be the next coach?

2) Next GM?

3) Buyers or Sellers at this year's deadline?

4) What do the Habs need to address this summer?

5) Who do you consider untouchable besides Carey Price?

6) What kind of return can Andrei Kostitsyn fetch?

7) Who will be the better defenceman.... Alex Emelin or Raphael Diaz?

8) Is P.K Subban a bust, or dealing with a sophomore slump?

9) What is Max Pacioretty's ceiling?

and.......

10) Do you need to have a good powerplay to win? (see Boston last year). The Habs currently rank 30th on the powerplay, but 2nd on the PK. Is the powerplay the heart of the problem?

Should definitely be suspended. Ference is such a dirty player.

The Habs got Mike Cammalleri's huge contract off the books on Thursday. The Habs traded Cammy, along with Karri Ramo, who is playing in the KHL, and a 5th round pick to the Calgary Flames for forward Rene Bourque, prospect Patrick Holland, and a 2nd round pick in 2013.

It is interesting to note that this trade happened a little more than 24 hours after he made critical comments about the team's losing attitude.

Before the start of the second period in Thursday nights game in Boston, Cammalleri was pulled from the game and was told to start packing. He was shipped back to the team's hotel in Boston.

I'm guessing so... Feaster just said he and Gauthier have been talking for over a month.

Holland has 57 points in 40 games for Tri City in the WHL.

I know. I'm pissed.

Cammalleri, 5th rounder, and the rights to a European goalie prospect for Rene Bourque, 2nd rounder in 2013, and prospect Patrick Holland. (CONFIRMED)

For?

Cammy to Flames for Bourque + Salary dump... most likely Sarich

Scratch that, he's going back to the Flames

Reports on twitter are saying to Columbus for Brassard and two picks.

Does Canada NOT have some sort of equal opportunity / non-discrimination hiring laws? Get with the times {not nice plural word}, and hire a guy who can do the job well.

Thats a great point. This is a classic case of discrimination. All the Frenchies think they can dish it out because they got it in the 40's and 50's, But god damn, this is 2012. Its weird.. the most racist people in the world are French, and Black.

I was offering you the Coors. Because its the most watered down beer around!

How about Bryz for a case of Molson ice?

No. Bryz for a case of Coors and Scott Gomez. Final offer.

Randy Cunneyworth doesn't buy the widespread notion that he is a lame duck who will be gone this summer when the Montreal Canadiens find a bilingual head coach.

The interim coach said Tuesday he is working on learning French and hopes that significant strides will be made by the time the decision is made on who will be behind the bench next season.

Owner Geoff Molson and general manager Pierre Gauthier have promised they will have a coach who can speak French in place for the 2012-13 campaign. That appeared to rule out the unilingual Cunneyworth, but the Toronto native doesn't see it that way.

"With any team, it can be uncertain if you don't win or accomplish the goals you set forth," he said. "I'm working hard to pick up the language as much as I can and as quickly as I can.

"Hopefully that will be the case by the time some of the decisions are made. A lot will depend on how successful this team is and that's really my priority right now. The language is secondary, but very important as well for me because I think it's an important marketplace where I'd love to be able to address everybody in both languages and talk to everybody concerning hockey."

There was an outcry among the club's many French-speaking fans when Cunneyworth was promoted to head coach after the Dec. 15 firing of Jacques Martin. He became the club's first coach in four decades who was unable to speak at least some French.

On Monday, Gauthier apologized to any fans offended by the move and reiterated that the team will have a bilingual coach next season. He did not rule out Cunneyworth, who insists he picks up at least the hockey terms and expressions just by being around the team's French-speaking employees.

"You hear people talking and you pick up on what they're saying because you know what it's related to," he said. "Hopefully over time, just being around and working at it, it would be exciting to pick up the language and learn it to a greater extent.

"It's an ongoing work in progress. I'm not ignoring it in any way. But my main focus is the hockey, for sure."

Gauthier's decision to dump the veteran Martin and promote Cunneyworth to his first NHL head coaching job was a public relations disaster. Some politicians even weighed in by slamming the move.

It hasn't helped that the team is also mired in a three-week slump with only one win in the last eight games, including a 1-6-0 record under Cunneyworth.

The Canadiens have dropped to 13th place in the Eastern Conference standings, eight points out of a playoff position, heading into a home game against the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday night.

"Everyone can make excuses about guys being injured, but the reality is that everybody's got to be better," defenceman P.K. Subban said. "And once we start winning, you'll see, the talk's going to be a lot less about who's behind the bench."

The Canadiens are entering a make-or-break stretch in which they play 11 of the 15 games at home. If they don't use that to go on a winning run, they will likely miss the post-season for the first time since 2006-07.

The trouble is, they are 5-7-6 at the Bell Centre so far this season, to the consternation of their fans.

"We know how it is at home," added Subban. "Nobody likes to be booed and nobody likes to hear the fans not be energetic about our team.

"I take it personally out there. And I don't blame them. You want them to demand the best. It will add a little fuel to our fire."

Perhaps more importantly for Cunneyworth, the Canadiens are in an 11-day stretch in which they play only three games -- all at home -- so the new coach will finally have time to work closely with his players. He coached his first game at home and was on the road for the next six, with little time for practice.

The Canadiens have rarely been blown out. But they have blown leads or given up weak goals late in games that cost them points. Eliminating mistakes has been Cunneyworth's biggest challenge.

They hope to get a boost from the return of captain Brian Gionta, who has been out with an undisclosed injury. He skated with the team for the first time since he was hurt Dec. 8 against Vancouver.

Gionta won't play against the Jets, but hopes to be ready for Saturday's home game against Tampa Bay.

Centre Scott Gomez and winger Ryan White are back on the ice but are not ready to skate with the team. Defenceman Andrei Markov, who has yet to play this season, will not return from reconstructive knee surgery until after the all-star break.

Not a good sign when two of your best players don't like each other. Montreal is in shambles, and the gm apologizing to fans for the coach HE hired is a flat out joke. If Price wasn't holding the fort, the bleu, blanc et rouge would be looking at drafting Yakupov.

Actually, they both said it was nothing personal

Bryzgalov for Price? Make it happen Homer!

Never!

Hey everyone, just a little blog here to keep you guys updated on the World Juniors in Edmonton. Canada plays Russia tonight in the semis -- a rematch of last year's gold medal game and the infamous 3rd period collapse of Mark Visentin and Team Canada.

Today, I will be telling you people who may not be following the World Juniors, who is making a big name for themselves. I'll also throw in who is disappointing me the most. So without further ado, I'm just gonna jump right into it.

5) Scott Wedgewood - G, Team Canada

NHL Team: New Jersey Devils, Drafted in 2010 (3/84)

GP: 2, GAA: 1.00, SV%: .966

Scott has won both of his games in goal and gets the call tonight against Russia. He is a very good butterfly goalie who covers the bottom of the net well. Look for him to be in the NHL soon and take up what Martin Brodeur leaves off in New Jersey.

4) Andrei Vasilevski - G, Team Russia

NHL Team: Draft eligible in 2012

GP: 4, GAA: 1.23, SV%: .973

Vasilevski has been fantastic during his tenure with Team Russia this World Juniors. He best game came in his last one against the Czech Republic, where he made 38 saves (most in the 3rd period, and all being spectacular). He is only 17 years old, and he is already being dubbed "Emperor Vasilevski" back home in Russia, apparently. Look for him to be picked in the top 3 rounds in his draft year (maybe even the 1st round)

3) Teemu Pulkkinen - RW, Team Finland

NHL Team: Detroit Red Wings, Drafted in 2010 (4/111)

GP: 5, G: 6, A: 4, P: 10

It appears that Detroit's superior scouting system has another late draft robbery. Pulkkinen has showed flashes of excellent talent and leadership qualities and may be the next superstar in Detroit. He is so fast for a player his age, it is unbelievable. He's also been playing with men since he was 16. You may see him lace up the skates for the Wings as early as next year.

2) Mark Stone - RW, Team Canada

NHL Team: Ottawa Senators, Drafted in 2010 (6/178)

GP: 4, G: 7, A: 2, P: 9

The only reason why Mark Stone wasn't a 1st rounder in 2010 was because scouts weren't sure if he would be able to recover from a serious concussion. Well, I think its safe to say, he has. The forward has been Team Canada's go-to-guy, 5 on 5 and on the power play, even spending some time on the PK. It appears Stone is the complete package.

1) Petr Mrazek - G, Czech Republic

NHL Team: Detroit Red Wings, Drafted in 2010 (5/141)

GP: 5, GAA: 2.59, SV%: .927

Another gem for Detroit late in the draft. His stats aren't as pretty as Wedgewood's or Vasilevski's, but Mrazek has easily provided MVP goaltending for this mediocre at best Czech Republic team, and keeps them in every single game. Look for him in the NHL soon. Very soon.

Good blog I'd love to see Roy be the coach or GM of my Habs... maybe even both.

The Montreal Canadiens' whacky season got a little weirder Monday.

The team's general manager took the unusual step of issuing a qualified apology, barely two weeks into the reign of new coach Randy Cunneyworth.

The Dec. 17 hiring of Cunneyworth, on an interim basis for the rest of the season, touched off a language controversy. He is the team's first coach in decades unable to speak French.

"I'm sorry if we upset people. Because that certainly wasn't our intention," Pierre Gauthier told reporters Monday.

It was a far cry from the defiant response Gauthier offered last month, when a reporter asked about Cunneyworth's inability to communicate with francophone fans in their language. At the time, his testy reply was that languages could always be learned.

On Monday, he stressed that Cunneyworth's hiring was not necessarily permanent and he said his status would be re-examined after the season.

"What will happen in the future, at the end of the season, is that we will re-evaluate the whole file," Gauthier said.

"As (owner Geoff) Molson said in his communique a week ago, it's very important to us that our head coach be bilingual.

"So that will be part of our decision at that point."

The Cunneyworth hiring touched off a language flap given that the Habs, for their entire century-long history, have always marketed themselves as French Canada's team. It's been 40 years since the team last hired a coach who couldn't speak French.

That controversy has merely been fuelled by the team's poor play; under Cunneyworth, the Habs have won only one of seven games.

Our on-ice struggles also continue, as we have dropped dropped seven of our last eight games and currently sit 13th in the Eastern Conference.

Habs owner, President and CEO Geoff Molson has been quite concerned with his club's performance this season, which prompted to the firing of head coach Jacques Martin on Dec. 17.

On Dec. 7, TFP first reported that Molson and the Canadiens' top management brass were considering a major shakeup, which let to Martin's dismissal, and could soon result in the firing of GM Pierre Gauthier.

Gauthier has been widely criticized for his moves recently, including his latest acquisition of veteran defenseman Tomas Kaberle, who has two-years left on his contract beyond this season at a cap hit of $4.25 million.

According to two separate sources close to the organization, Gauthier will not be back with the club next season and could be let go once the 2011-12 campaign is over, while interim head coach Randy Cunneyworth could share the same fate.

Gauthier, however, said on Monday that he isn't concerned by any rumors related to his job and that the concern remains on the ice.

With the trade deadline looming, the Canadiens could be a significantly seller if they fail to make any ground on a playoff spot or their season continues to dwindle down the standings.

Gauthier hinted that the team's upcoming homestand -- eight of their next 11 games are at home -- will determine what moves he'll make.

However, with Gauthier presumably in limbo, it's believed all major decisions will need to be approved by Molson, who is reportedly being anchored by former Habs GM Bob Gainey, who named Gauthier his replacement and remains within the organization in an advisory role.

Yesterday, the Habs locked up stay-at-home blueliner Josh Gorges, an important piece to their roster, to a six-year, $23.4 million contract. Montreal's internal focus will shift to goaltender Carey Price and young star P.K. Subban, both of whom can become restricted free agents this summer.

"In due time, we'll address those contracts," Gauthier said during his mid-season address to the media.

Meanwhile, any major trade could prove to be difficult, as the likes of Brian Gionta and Michael Cammalleri possess no-trade clauses and could have to approve any deal the team tries to make.

Their salaries, however, pose another concern; they do not reflect the offensive output either player has failed to produce this season.

"We need to focus on turning this team around," Gauthier said. "We'll be in a good position (this summer). We'll have all the resources to keep all the young players we want to keep."

If the Canadiens remain a bottom-feeder team in the East leading up to the Feb. 27 trade deadline, management could entertain offers for impending unrestricted free agents Andrei Kostitsyn, Hal Gill and Travis Moen.

The new year got off to a bang for the struggling Montreal Canadiens as defenceman P.K. Subban and centre Tomas Plekanec exchanged punches during practice on Monday.

The two clashed during a one-on-one drill. Both dropped their gloves and threw punches until Josh Gorges and other teammates stepped in to stop it.

No big punches landed, neither player was hurt, and both players stayed on the ice as practice resumed. The Canadiens (14-18-7) went 1-5-0 on a road trip that ended with a 3-2 loss in Florida on Saturday. They have one win in their last nine games. Their next game is Wednesday at home against Winnipeg.