“I breathe, sleep and eat thinking about hockey. I didn’t think I could find better than the State of Hockey; I find myself back where it all began. It’s incredible. »
Posted at 12:16 p.m.
Updated at 2:29 p.m.
Quite involuntarily, Rem Pitlick will perhaps wake up factions of historians who did not believe they were called upon on this icy Saturday. If a consensus has formed around the first organized game of ice hockey, well and truly held in Montreal in 1875, a debate continues to fuel discussions on the real origins of Jack Laviolette’s favorite sport, while the first clues of what comes closest to the hockey we know would have been seen in England.
But let’s move on. What is very real is the feverishness of the new Canadiens forward. Pitlick, formerly of the Minnesota Wild, was taken off waivers a few days ago. He played his first game in his new uniform Thursday in Chicago, to the left of Christian Dvorak and Jonathan Drouin.
Minnesota, where the action of the film takes place mighty ducks, is the mecca of hockey south of the border. The harsh winters of this state bordering Manitoba and Ontario have made it a privileged place to practice this sport outdoors. Hence Pitlick’s reflection.
If he grew up in the United States, the fast skater also recalled, during a short press briefing on Saturday, that he was born in Ottawa and that he had dual citizenship.
Somehow, I’m coming home. I am super grateful!
Rem Pitlick
The average fan probably didn’t know much about the 24-year-old before CH claimed him. Third-round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2016, he has shared the last two years between the American League and the NHL, playing only ten games with the big club. The Preds put him on waivers at the end of training camp last October, hoping to trade him to the minors, but the Wild claimed him. In St. Paul, he’s done pretty well with 11 points in 20 games, but recent personnel moves cost him his job. New waivers, new start, this time to Montreal.
Unsurprisingly, Pitlick hopes to finally land a permanent position in the NHL. “I want to bring attack,” he said. I think I skate well, have a good sense of the game and can score goals. I also want to play well on 200 feet so as not to be a weight in defense. »
Less enthusiastic than his new protege, head coach Dominique Ducharme nevertheless spoke of an “intelligent” player, who “makes good plays with the puck”. “We want to give him the chance [de se faire valoir], see what you have on hand. At first glance, I liked what he did. We will work with him and see for the next matches. »
In practice on Saturday, Pitlick was still skating with Dvorak and Drouin.
Here is Anderson
It’s not just Pitlick who has a light heart. Fully recovered from an “upper body” injury sustained on December 2, Josh Anderson trained on Saturday for the first time with a regular line. He completed the first unit formed by Nick Suzuki and Mike Hoffman.
PHOTO DAVID BOILY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Despite missing the Canadiens’ last 11 games due to an upper-body injury, Josh Anderson is still the team’s leading scorer, tied with Nick Suzuki.
Without promising anything, Ducharme said he was “confident that the big winger will face the Coyotes on Monday afternoon in Arizona.
However, he said he was happy to know of his imminent return, recalling that Anderson, by “the way he skates and his physical game […] brings an energy to our team that is hard to replicate.”
He’s a guy who can do a little bit of everything, who can change the rhythm of a match into a presence.
Dominique Ducharme, about Josh Anderson
The principal concerned said he was “excited” to reconnect with the action, especially since his recovery seems to have taken place a little faster than expected – we were not expecting it for ten more days. However, he said he waited to be “100% before coming back”, especially given the robust style of play he plays.
Seeing the team suffer without being able to help them was painful, he confessed. During the 11 games he missed, the CH scored only one victory, against 10 losses, including 3 in overtime.
“At least it was encouraging to see young guys coming in with energy and heart, to see them take their chances,” Anderson said. But obviously, you hope to see your team win games. »
The Canadian flew Saturday afternoon to Phoenix, Arizona. He’ll face the Coyotes there on Monday, then head quickly to Dallas to take on the Stars there on Tuesday. Samuel Montembeault and Cayden Primeau will each get a start in this stretch.
In short
Toffoli back soon
The Canadian could soon welcome the return of another winger. Tyler Toffoli, who accompanied the team on the road, trained again on Saturday wearing a bib exempting him from contacts. His coach expects him to be able to play a game at the end of the week, maybe as early as next Thursday in Vegas or the day after in Denver. “His wound [à la main] is healing well, his fitness is coming back,” said Ducharme, who further indicated that Paul Byron, Alex Belzile, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Jesse Ylönen, all released from the COVID-19 protocol, have started skating again in Montreal. They could join CH by the end of the journey, with five games left.
Price still not skating
Carey Price’s rehabilitation continues to stall. The goaltender has still not skated, said Dominique Ducharme, while his last appearance on the ice dates back to mid-December. As we know, he has still not met his doctor, based in New York, a crucial step in his return to form after knee surgery performed last summer. However, he continues to train in the gym.