Write U.S
No return ?
In NFL football, during a kick after a touchdown, at the start of a game or even after half-time, the kicker always sends the ball into the end zone, which prevents a possible return. Why is this so? Why doesn’t the league back the ball back so that the kicker can send it inside the game so that there is a possible return? It seems to me it would be more interesting, like in CFL football.
Claude Paré
Response from Miguel Bujold:
First, the Return Specialist has the option of returning the kick even if he catches the ball in his end zone, which we see regularly. But it was for the safety of the players that the NFL decided to advance the ball before kickoffs, years ago. Studies had shown that it was on kickoff returns that there were the most serious injuries and concussions, which is not surprising. Two players who run at full speed over long distances and collide is a very bad recipe if we want to avoid concussions as much as possible… There has even been talk of eliminating kickoffs altogether. game because they are so dangerous.
Hat trick
Mathieu Perreault of the Canadiens scored a hat trick on October 23. Where does the term “hat trick” come from? Thank you !
Jean-Francois Quirion
Response from Katherine Harvey-Pinard:
According to the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF), the term “hat trick” comes from cricket. When a pitcher succeeded in hitting the wicket (the wooden stake) on three consecutive pitches, he was offered a hat. The tradition then spread to North America, as local vendors began giving hats to the player or host team who had scored three goals in one hockey game. Montreal hatter Henri Henri was one of them in the 1950s. Still according to the OQLF, this feat is called a “hat trick” because the “almost magical” skill that a player must possess to achieve it is similar. that of a conjurer who pulls a rabbit out of his hat.
The Gretzky of defense?
Do we have a short memory? We have the impression of having lost the Wayne Gretzky of the defense in Phillip Danault. I would like to have the Canadiens shorthanded record and rank against the 31 clubs for the last three seasons, excluding the playoffs.
Guy Vadeboncœur
Response from Katherine Harvey-Pinard:
In 2018-19, the Canadiens finished the season with an 80.9% efficiency rate outnumbered, at 13e league rank in this regard. In 2019-2020: 78.7%, as of 19e rank. In 2020-2021: 78.5%, at 23e rank. In each of those three campaigns, Phillip Danault was the most used player in this situation – by far. In total, he spent 502 minutes on the ice shorthanded in 205 season games from 2018 to 2021. The closest to that is Artturi Lehkonen with 450 minutes. The following ? Joel Armia, 244 minutes.
This season, as of Friday, the CH has an efficiency rate of 68.9%. It is located at 29e rank of the Bettman circuit. Artturi Lehkonen is the most used forward in this situation not only with the Canadiens, but also throughout the league. All this to say that Danault may not have been Wayne Gretzky, but his shorthanded presence was essential for the Canadiens …
Danault’s role
PHOTO GARY A. VASQUEZ, USA TODAY SPORTS ARCHIVES
Phillip Danault (24), Los Angeles Kings
The departure of Phillip Danault is, in my opinion, more linked to his role in the team than to salary issues. This player had shown that he had attacking potential with two seasons around 50 points. I don’t understand why we persisted in keeping him in a strictly defensive role. It’s all well and good, wanting to pit your best defensive center against the opposing first line, but I think we were wrong in never giving it a chance. What do you think ?
Francis caron
Response from Simon-Olivier Lorange:
It is true that Phillip Danault has never been regularly employed on the power play. With the exception of the 2019-2020 season, he only played with one more man marginally. In 2019-2020, his presence on this unit was attributable to a large number of casualties in attack. And the result has been… mixed. In 111 minutes of play, he had four points, a production comparable to those of Jordan Weal, Nick Cousins and Jonathan Drouin, who however played 15 to 50 minutes less. With the Los Angeles Kings, this season, he is given more ice time on the power play (1 min 49 s on average per game), but he is only ninth among his club’s forwards at this time. chapter. Now, I don’t know if you’ve watched the Habs over the past three years from Danault to Montreal, but the Quebecer was the linchpin of one of the NHL’s best five-on-five offensive lines, even s ‘he had to carry out the most thankless defensive missions. In this regard, it is therefore incorrect to assert that he was not “given a chance” in an offensive role.
The criteria for keeping Bergevin
What were the criteria used by Geoff Molson to hire Marc Bergevin? Did he use the same to decide to keep him in office?
Normand Champoux
Response from Simon-Olivier Lorange:
When Marc Bergevin was hired in 2012, Geoff Molson publicly praised the natural leadership of his new CEO and the fact that he was “a team guy”. His CV was also that of a serious candidate. Bergevin rose through the ranks with the Chicago Blackhawks after retiring as a player. He was first a recruiter for three years, then he went down behind the bench as an assistant coach for a season. He was then appointed director of player personnel and, two years later, deputy general manager. A post of general manager was therefore the logical continuation of his career. Oh yes, and he was a francophone, a sine qua non for getting the job. As to the criteria for keeping it in place, that would have to be put to Mr. Molson directly. Note all the same that its record in terms of amateur recruitment is not bright. However, its track record in professional recruitment (transactions and signatures of free agents) is excellent. And his team made it to the Stanley Cup final last season, which is still no small feat.
The rare French-speaking university teams
I find it not normal to have only one French-speaking team in the Quebec university hockey league, namely the Patriotes de l’UQTR. Do you know why universities like Laval, Montreal, Sherbrooke or even UQAM are not members of this league which offers very good caliber of play? It seems to me that this would be a great avenue for the youth of the QMJHL.
Normand Chouinard
Response from Simon-Olivier Lorange:
I asked the question to Simon Croteau, new director of excellence sport at the University of Sherbrooke. Obviously, he can only speak for the institution he represents. He says that the establishment of a hockey program was seriously studied in the late 1990s, both on the female and male side. However, “the need for financial and human resources, as well as infrastructure, have certainly put a brake on the implementation of these programs,” he wrote in an email. In 2003, the Vert & Or turned to football, a year after the return of the Carabins from the University of Montreal.
The Canadian behind in the score
During the last playoffs, one of the Canadiens’ opponents said that the Habs were not good when they were playing in deficit. I would be curious to see the team’s record when it concedes the first goal.
Francis
Response from Simon-Olivier Lorange:
Ask and you will receive! Last season, it was not easy for the Canadian when he conceded the first goal. His 20% win rate (5 in 25 games) gave him the 24e NHL rank. In the playoffs, it was worse: only one victory in eight games (12.5%). This season, CH have already lost seven of the eight games in which they lost the first.