Latest News
CANADIENS SIGN VETERAN CENTRE JEFF HALPERN
The Canadiens added depth to their centre ice/rightwing positions with the signing of 34 year old Jeff Halpern to a one-year 600-thousand dollar contract. Last season Halpern completed a four year contract at two million dollars per season. A hard worker but not a gifted scorer, Halpern is destined to be either a centre or right winger on the Canadiens third or fourth lines this season.
The Canadiens now have twenty-three players on their roster, twenty under NHL contract and three more, Lars Eller, P.K. Subban and Alexandre Picard, on two-way contracts.
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- CANADIENS SIGN VETERAN CENTRE JEFF HALPERN
- LOOKING AHEAD-The Canadiens Roster Long-Term
- BEHIND THE CAREY PRICE CONTRACT
- CAREY PRICE SIGNS- TWO-YEARS AT 2.75 MILLION PER SEASON
- CAREY PRICE THIRD AT SMITHERS B.C. RODEO-Unsubstantiated Holdout Rumours Floated
- WHEELING NAILERS BECOME CANADIENS’ ECHL AFFILIATE
- MARKOV NOW SKATING-Possible October Return To Lineup
About Ron Reusch
Ron Reusch covered sports both nationally and internationally over five decades. (1960s through 2010). Based in Montreal, Ron worked on the English language play-by-play broadcasts of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and NL’s Montreal Expos.
As a member of the CTV Television Network, Ron covered a variety of including the 1980, 1984, 1988 and 1994 Winter Olympic Games and the 1976, 1984 and 1992 Summer Olympic Games. He also did play-by-play for CTV’s coverage of the first three Canada Cup hockey tournaments (1976, 1981 and 1984) and served as color commentator to Dan Kelly’s play-by-play for the NHL’s 1984–85 and 1985–86 seasons on CTV plus the 1987 Canada Cup. Other CTV assignments included live broadcasts of the Indianapolis 500 (6 times), and the Canadian Grand Prix.
Canadiens
LOOKING AHEAD-The Canadiens Roster Long-Term
Did you know the Canadiens have seven players with no-trade clauses in their contracts including Andrei Markov and Roman Hamrlik, both of whom will be unrestricted free agents at the end of this season? The trade restrictions on the two defensemen ends on February first, 2011, meaning the Canadiens can make a deal for them at the trade deadline if they wish. At the end of the coming season, Canadiens general manager Pierre Gauthier will have to deal with five unrestricted and eight restricted free agents. He will have just over twenty-five million dollars to sign thirteen players with defensemen Markov and Josh Gorges the top priorities.
And indication of the hockey world in the salary cap era, the Canadiens presently are committed to only four contracts two years from now, Gomez, Cammalleri, Gionta and Plekanec. And they are committed to only one contract, Plekanec, in the 2014-2015 season.
BEHIND THE CAREY PRICE CONTRACT
The Canadiens will pay Carey Price 2.75 million dollars in each of the next two seasons, which represents an increase in salary over the 2.2 million, including bonuses, that he was paid last season. The contract calls for exactly the same money that another restricted free agent goaltender, Antti Niemi of the Blackhawks, was awarded through arbitration earlier in the summer. The question might be asked, ‘at 2.75 million per year, who would you rather have on your team; Price or Niemi?’
CAREY PRICE SIGNS- TWO-YEARS AT 2.75 MILLION PER SEASON
It took almost all summer but Carey Price finally settled on a two year contract with the Canadiens today. Price will be paid 2.75 million dollars per season. The signing was announced only 48 hours after rumours were floated that the restricted free agent was prepared to withhold his training camp services if he did not receive a three million dollar contract.
CAREY PRICE THIRD AT SMITHERS B.C. RODEO-Unsubstantiated Holdout Rumours Floated
While Carey Price was finishing third in the team roping competition at the Smithers B.C. Rodeo on the weekend, rumours were sufracing that Price is demanding a three million contract with the Canadiens or he was prepared to withhold his services to the team. Price is a restricted free agent without aribtration rights. The rumours are a product of the blogosphere and the sources are questionable, but that has never stopped the web gossip before. (INCLUDED IN THE REPORT-A TELEVISION FEATURE FROM CKPG TELEVISION , PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. ON PRICE APPEARANCE AT THE SMITHERS RODEO)
MARKOV NOW SKATING-Possible October Return To Lineup
The RDS television network is reporting that defenseman Andrei Markov is already on skates only three and one half months after under going surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate liagment in his right knee. At the time, doctors estimated Markov would be out of the lineup for six months with an estimated return slated for mid-November. There is now hope for an early season appearance in the lineup.
Price Negotiation Affected By Soft Goaltender Market?
When it comes to goaltenders the NHL marketplace has shifted to the buyer. Only 15 of the 39 free agent goaltenders on team negotiation lists have received 2010-2011 contracts. Still waiting for job offers and facing major cuts in pay are Jose Theodore, Vesa Toskala and Ray Emery. Some teams are second guessing long term contracts currently in effect. In the end, the lack of a vigourous goaltending marketplace may be affecting the on-going Carey Price negotiation.
Hockey-General News
WHEELING NAILERS BECOME CANADIENS’ ECHL AFFILIATE The Canadiens ended their affiliation with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the East Coast Hockey League last month. Monday they announce they and the Hamilton Bulldogs will supply players to the league’s Wheeling Nailers. The Canadiens have used ECHL affiliates to develop late blooming players such as David Desharnais plus goaltenders Cedrick Desjardins and Robert Mayer.
THE RFA DEBATE-Carey Price/Bobby Ryan/Marc Staal There are a number of restricted NHL free agents unsigned for the coming season. The most prominent of those are Canadiens goaltender Carey Price, Anaheim forward Bobby Ryan and Rangers defenseman Marc Staal, all of whom were high first-round choices in the 2005 entry draft. Each is involved in tense salary negotiations with training camp starting up in less than three weeks.
Former Hab Cristobal Huet Headed For Switzerland Former Canadiens goaltender Cristobal Huet will be joining Glen Metropolit in the Swiss Hockey League this season. The Chicago Black Hawks and Fribourg-Totteron have reached agreement on Huet’s transfer to Switzerland. The Black Hawks are still responsible for the remaining two years of his contract at 5.65 million per season, but it will not be charged to their salary cap.
OVECHKIN SPEAKS OUT ABOUT THE PLAYOFF LOSS TO MONTREAL Alexander Ovechkin appeared on Russia’s Radio Sport on Friday. He talked about many things,including the current state of the KHL, his critics and the opening round loss to the Canadiens in the 2010 playofffs. In the interview Ovechkin blamed his inability to score in the series (1 goal) and bad luck for the loss after Washington had take a 3-1 series lead.
CAREY PRICE WINS TWO B.C. RODEO ROPING EVENTS Carey Price had to get permission from the Canadiens to compete in off-season rodeo events. The agreement was Price would involve himself only in team calf roping events. This weekend past Carey and his partner won a sanctioned B.C. Rodeo Association event at Nemiah Valley near Williams Lake. The victory brought him a $300.30 check. So far this season, Price has earned just over 900 dollars on the B.C. circuit and ranks 6th in the association’s rookie-of-the-year standings.
TINORDI SIGNS WITH OHL LONDON KNIGHTS The Canadiens drafted defenceman Jarred Tinordi 22nd overall in the June NHL entry draft. At the time he was committed to go to the University of Notre Dame this season. Today the London Knights, who had drafted Tinordi 73rd overall in the 2008 midget draft, have pursaided Tinordi to join them. The lure for the 6’6” 205 pound Tinordi was more games in the ultra-competitive Ontario Hockey League and the ability to attend the Canadiens training camp next month, something forbidden under NCAA rules.
METROPOLIT RETURNS TO EUROPE-SIGNS WITH ZUG OF THE SWISS LEAGUE EV Zug of the Swiss Hockey League has signed former Canadiens centre Glen Metropolit to a one year contract with an option for a second season.
Metropolit played 85 games with the Canadiens over one-plus seasons scoring 31 points. He played with HC Lugano of the Swiss league in the 2005-06 season and won the league scoring championship.
CANADIENS ADD DEPTH TO HAMILTON DEFENCEThe Canadiens have signed 25 year old defenceman Alexandre Picard to a one year two-way contract. The overall Canadiens organization defence was depleted in the off-season by free agent departures. Gone from the organization are Paul Mara and Marc-Andre Bergeron from the main team plus Andre Benoit and the illusive Michael Busto from their minor league teams. If the Canadiens elect to carry a seventh defenceman while Andrei Markjov continues to rehabilitate off-season knee surgery, the likely options would be either Yannick Weber or Mathieu Carle from the Hamilton roster. Picard joins veteran Alex Henry as recent free agent signings.
The Canadiens have fourteen defensemen under contract, seven on the NHL club (Markov, Subban, Gill, Gorges, Hamrlik, Spacek and O’Byrne) and with the addition of the veterans Henry and Picard, seven with two-way contracts including Picard, Henry,Weber and Carle olus Brendan Nash, Kyle Klubertanz and Frederic St. Denis.
