Hello dear readers. And here we go for another hockey season, my ninth as a columnist The newspaper.
As I celebrate my 46th birthday and officially cross the mountain, the Canadians have just appointed the youngest captain in their history.
No one was surprised to learn that 23-year-old Nick Suzuki would wear the ‘C’ on his jersey: he’s the logical choice. It reminds me of Saku Koivu’s appointment on September 30, 1999 when he was 24 years old. I was 23 and I was in the dressing room. I remember that Koivu was chosen by the players.
Organizations today often decide who their captain is, and it’s usually a well-considered decision that reflects the pulse of the dressing room. No one will dispute Suzuki’s choice, although a veteran like Brendan Gallagher would certainly have been very proud to wear the ‘C’.
I’m sure Gallagher understands the situation, but he’s a little late on his case. It’s slowing down and the future is Suzuki. There’s nothing stopping Gallagher from exercising his leadership, especially since he’s an assistant captain. And then, as Suzuki is already very mature, he will be able to benefit from the wisdom of veterans Gallagher, Joel Edmundson, Josh Anderson and a few others.
Much like today’s Canadians, we didn’t have a great team in 1999, but Koivu proved an excellent captain, not to mention veterans Shayne Corson and Turner Stevenson also exercised their leadership. Koivu knew how to question her, and when it came time to speak to the whites of our eyes, we told each other the real things.
It wasn’t easy for Koivu. The team was not a powerhouse, but two years after his appointment, he was diagnosed with cancer. We still had a lot of good times and qualified for the playoffs in 2002, 2004 and 2006.
Can handle pressure
Some are wondering if Suzuki will be under too much pressure in his new role. Of course it’s an additional responsibility, but I think he’s up for the challenge.
Last year (October 12, 2021) he was proclaimed Canada’s Player of the Future by being awarded an eight-year, $63 million contract, which put a lot of pressure on him.
It was difficult for him at first, but he was still one of the Canadians’ most consistent players during their difficult season. I’m sure he’s learned a lot from that time and I think he’ll handle his new situation all the better as the expectations of the team aren’t the same anymore.
We must also not forget that CH has returned from participating in the Stanley Cup finals. Today we are not talking about repeating that feat but preparing for the future with a younger team whose face Suzuki will be for several years to come.
Exciting young people
The new workforce has clearly shown the flag: We are building for the future. Without high expectations, we can expect exciting times this season with the development of Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Kirby Dach and some other players.
What I hear about Suzuki is that he’s the perfect guy both on and off the ice. He is disciplined, mature, thoughtful and respected. I think he lives up to his title. It’s already very popular with fans and it seems to be unanimous.
He will make an excellent captain; If we manage to surround him even better, perhaps one day we will speak of him as a great captain.
– Interview by Gilles Moffet
excerpts
The absence of Carey Price
As I had already told you about this, I did not expect it Carey Prize starts the season but I was surprised to learn that he probably won’t play for this season. With him it smells of the end; However, his surgery should fix his problems. The only positive is that we now know what to expect in Price’s case and therefore General Manager Kent Hughes can act accordingly.
prize succession
Young people Samuel Montembault and Cayden Primeau signed fair deals this summer. If the second seems to have the label of the Canadian’s goalkeeper of the future, we don’t know if he’ll really be number one, much less if he’ll be an elite goalkeeper. The Habs should have prioritized the goalie position in their recent drafts. It’s nice to have Nick Suzukis, Cole Caufields and Juraj Slafkovskys, but without a goaltender there is no salvation in the NHL. Hurry up. One of the reasons for the New York Rangers’ success in rebuilding is finding in Igor Shesterkin a worthy successor to the outstanding Henrik Lundqvist. In addition, they had an interesting option in Alexandar Georgiev, who was taken on as a free agent.
Sponsored Jerseys
That’s it ! What we’ve seen in Europe for years is now happening in the NHL: Canadian players will sport a sponsor logo on their jerseys this season. To be honest, I have no problem with that. The more money there is in the NHL, the better it gets for players and fans. Remember that in the 1980s the boards were white like park rinks. Also, since retiring, I’ve noticed that the NHL can do better for its former players, for example in terms of health insurance.