(Brossard) The Canadian will soon be counting on the return to play of Joel Edmundson, but the players assure that the sympathetic Manitoban has had an impact on the group even if he has still not played this season.
Posted at 4:44 p.m.
Edmundson took part in regular practice with the Montreal squad on Friday, but interim head coach Martin St-Louis was unable to confirm whether or not he would face the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
“Just to see him in practice on the same schedule as the whole team, close to a return, it’s very exciting,” said forward Josh Anderson.
“‘Edy’ has a huge impact on our team and our organization,” he added.
Edmundson hasn’t had it easy this season. He arrived at camp with a back injury and the team said his condition was being monitored daily. He kept the day-to-day label throughout the fall and winter.
Additionally, Edmundson was stricken with COVID-19 after the holidays and lost his father in January after a battle with cancer.
“I had the chance to know him socially before arriving in Montreal,” said defenseman Chris Wideman, who is a native of St. Louis, where Edmundson played his first four seasons in the NHL. He is also an excellent player who won the Stanley Cup. His impact on the team is exceptional, even if he does not play. He’s had a tough time, but he’s been with the team for a few months. He is like a brother to all players.
Guys gravitate towards him and you don’t see that with everyone.
Chris Wideman
Edmundson is notably responsible for the musical choice in the Canadian’s locker room after the victories. He was also behind the return of Fix youby Coldplay, as the song when the players arrived on the ice at the Bell Center in November, after the team started the season by changing the entrance song to Bulls on Paradefrom Rage Against the Machine.
The 28-year-old defender was also part of the group of players who started the Blues tradition of playing Laura Branigan’s ‘Gloria’ after victories in their spectacular run in 2019 that ended with a triumph in the final of the Stanley Cup.
“He’s a good guy and he’s always positive, even with the year he’s had,” center Jake Evans said. He brings this positive presence into the locker room. He is a real leader. He helps guys and gets involved. »
The Canadiens have not named a replacement for Shea Weber as captain this season. However, the new general manager of the Canadian, Kent Hughes, has said that he wants the team to have a captain in the 2022-23 season.
“He’s a guy who has a presence and he would be considered,” said St-Louis about the possibility of seeing Edmundson become captain of the Canadiens. No one would be surprised to see him chosen. »
In his case, Edmundson is probably hoping to soon have the chance to celebrate with his teammates on the ice, before starting the music in the locker room.