KAMLOOPS | Seattle Thunderbirds head coach Matt O’Dette never played in the NHL but almost did, at a time that captured the imagination of Montreal Canadiens fans.
Back in time: On April 25, 2002, Boston Bruins defenseman Kyle McLaren threw a vicious center ice check to Montreal Canadiens forward Richard Zednik with 1:17 left in the fourth game of the series between the both teams, which the Habs then led 3-0.
The meeting ends in tumult and the Bruins prevail, forcing a fifth game to be played in Boston. McLaren then becomes Public Enemy #1 and tension rises between the two teams.
After the game, Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien assured his team would also target the Bruins’ best elements in the next game. Those comments earned him a $30,000 fine and forced NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to serve out a warning to both teams to ensure there was no circumvention.
Recalled for revenge
Before the fifth game, the Canadiens recalled a six-foot-tall, 220-pound behemoth known for his boxing skills: Matt O’Dette. The latter was already part of the team’s entourage, he belonged to the “Black Aces”, those players who accompany the team preventively into the playoffs.
“I remember André Savard after the game [le directeur-général des Canadiens à l’époque] was in the hallway and asked, “Where’s O’Dette?” Where’s O’Dette? You’re coming to Boston with us!’” he recalls with a laugh.
“I then started training with the main group and there was a certain excitement that I would probably play as the team wanted revenge. I was really nervous! My whole family sat in front of the television. »
Eventually, O’Dette attends the warm-up but does not attend the meeting and the game proceeds without too many overflows. The Canadians ultimately won the series in six games before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in the next series. O’Dette will not play games with the team.
Transition to coaching role
O’Dette ultimately did not play any games in the NHL, and then in 2009 decided to transition to the role of player-coach with the Stockton Thunder of the East Coast League (ECHL). He will then complete his training before becoming the head coach of the Thunderbirds in 2017-2018.
DIDIER DEBUSSCISSORS/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
“It was a natural progression for me. At the end of my career I captained my teams for several years and this was the next step. I’d been preparing for this all my life. The hardest thing for a coach is to get an opportunity and as soon as it came I grabbed it. »
After participating in the Memorial Cup as an assistant with the Thunderbirds in 2017, he is now back as a team rider with the goal of walking away with the prestigious trophy unlike 2017.
DIDIER DEBUSSCISSORS/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
“I’ve been playing junior hockey for ten years and this is my second participation in this tournament. Nothing can be taken for granted. We have a chance to do something big and we want to take it. »
The Thunderbirds will play their second game of the tournament against the Quebec Remparts on Monday night.