PHILADELPHIA | Making the leap from the varsity level to the NHL is no easy feat. So doing this without even being able to break the ice during a workout is extremely unusual.
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In addition, we quickly understood that Martin St-Louis was not enthusiastic about this idea when we asked him a few hours before the game to explain this snag in his habit.
“That’s a question for Kent [Hughes] ‘ the Canadian’s head coach hammered on the subject twice rather than once.
Since the Habs’ general manager did not show up, it was Jeff Gorton who explained the situation to the few Montreal journalists who attended the meeting.
The Vice President of Hockey Operations argued that the organization wanted to offer their recruit the opportunity to play that first game in front of family and friends.
“Do the lap of honor [en solitaire] while warming up is one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. I saw my friends cheering me on from the other side of the bay window. That was a very special moment,” Farrell said once he was back in the dressing room.
Gorton agreed that the head coach has the final say and that he understands wanting to present the same formation the day after a win. Nevertheless, he assured that there was no confrontation between St-Louis and himself.
“I liked his game,” St-Louis said of Farrell. The Flyers are not an easy team. They play hard style. I liked where he went on the ice. When he touched the puck, he had good intentions. »
A good impression
It’s unclear what the plan will be with Farrell in the final seven games of the season, but as Gorton recalled, he already has experience with the men representing the United States at the Beijing Olympics and the 2022 World Cup.
However, Farrell can already say that the game in the NHL is much more physical than in the collegiate network. Nicolas Deslauriers drew his attention to this.
“He beat me brutally. When I looked up I saw it was him. The shock was actually a little harder,” Farrell said with a grin.
The naturally shy Farrell, a nominee for the Hobey-Baker Trophy awarded to the NCAA Most Valuable Player, has nothing to be ashamed of in his first big league appearance.
Anyway, Brendan Gallagher liked what he saw of him.
“He did a good job. He quickly grasped our structure. It’s easy to learn a lot, but he did it all,” said the man, who played 668 games on the Bettman Circuit.
“For him it was a game to have fun. I hope he liked it. He has a long career ahead of him. We are happy to have him with us. We know that he was brilliant in the ranks of the university,” the veteran continued.
After the game, the Canadian sent Cayden Primeau back to the Laval Rocket.