Kent Hughes warned us last year: if it were up to him, his team would only play six preparatory games. He kept his word.
Last year, the general manager of the Canadiens inherited the preparatory schedule from his predecessor, Marc Bergevin. By the time Hughes took office, in January 2022, planning for the fall was already advanced and, above all, we can guess that the projects of a new administration being established were multiple.
Hughes also inherited a project despite himself: the holding of matches in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Bouctouche, New Brunswick, as part of the Hockeyville promotion.
Result: the 2022 preparatory schedule consisted of eight matches – the maximum allowed in the collective agreement – in five cities, spread across four provinces, requiring five flights, all in less than two weeks. With the added bonus of time zone changes.
This year, the Habs are elsewhere. “First of all, we’re not doing Kraft Hockeyville, so that will allow the team to have more training time,” Hughes recalled during his camp opening press briefing on Wednesday. As soon as the season starts it’s so difficult, you travel, you try to manage the workload of the players. »
The team will therefore play six games – the minimum required in the collective agreement – in three cities, all in the same time zone as Pawtucket. The plane will be required only once, for a Montreal-Toronto round trip on October 2.
By dividing the camp by week, starting from the first Monday, the day of the first preparatory match, the differences are appreciable.
- Week 1, 2022: four games (two in Montreal, one in Toronto, one in Ottawa)
- Week 1, 2023: four games (four in Montreal, none away)
- Week 2, 2022: four games (two in Montreal, one in Gander, one in Bouctouche)
- Week 2, 2023: two games (one in Toronto, one in Ottawa)
“Our first four games are at home,” emphasizes head coach Martin St-Louis. This will give us the chance to prepare better than last year, when it was very busy on the travel side. We’re going to try things, we’re going to use our time in the right way. »
“We will be able to work more on what we want to do. And since we will play fewer matches, the guys will have time to rest, believes Cole Caufield. But we won’t work less, the coaches will push us and that’s what we’re looking for. »
PHOTO RYAN REMIORZ, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield
Last year’s well-furnished schedule, however, did not torpedo the CH at the start of the season. After five games, the team was 3-2-0, and 5-4-0 after nine.
Like last year, the camp begins with an “LCF-esque” (an adjective that we intend to submit to the French Academy) quantity of players; 72, to be precise, including 69 in health. Carey Price, Chris Wideman and Christian Dvorak are the cripples.
“It’s good, it gives several guys the chance to see how it goes,” said Nick Suzuki. By having four teams, it gives everyone the chance to skate with NHL players, to see what it’s like. Martin [St-Louis] talking about it, he said that when he arrived, he didn’t really have the chance to compare himself to NHL players. »
Getaway to Tremblant
The Habs players will not stay at home for the entire duration of the camp, however. From October 4 to 7, they will take a trip to Tremblant, as the team did in 2008, under Guy Carbonneau.
This retirement 15 years ago turned out to be colorful. Journalists there learned that Guy Carbonneau had obtained a contract extension. It was ultimately the prelude to a season fertile in turnarounds.
“It was suggested to me,” admitted Suzuki, about this year’s trip to Tremblant. By getting out of town, we will be able to do activities to build team spirit, which we might not be able to do here. We’re going to get to know each other. »
Suzuki, like his good friend Caufield, talked about the idea of “getting out of here,” in other words, fleeing the city.
It is not a closed retreat, however, he was reminded. The training sessions will in fact be public, and the media will be there. “As long as you don’t travel with us!” “, joked Caufield.