Restricted free agent Montreal Canadiens defenseman PK Subban was in town this morning promoting KidSport, a Canadian non-profit that allows more than a thousand kids the opportunity to play hockey whose families otherwise might be able to afford the sport.

The 23-year-old says he realizes how fortunate he was growing up, and now he wants to give back to the community.

“You know what i was one of those kids, my parents always found a way. To put three boys through triple A hockey and two girls through university it’s a lot of money. We made a lot of sacrifices but for some of these parents it’s a lot harder to make those kinds of sacrifices. So for this program,  I really have an understanding for what it’s going to do for these kids and these families. “

Subban is the last piece missing from the Habs puzzle, with both goalie Carey Price and defenseman Josh Gorges recently signing 6 year deals. Rumors surfaced in July that the organization had offered Subban a 2 year deal and that his agent turned it down, looking for a longer commitment from the team.

With a league-wide lockout all but certainly coming in just ten days, it’s not an ideal negotiating situation for the young defenceman. But Subban maintains he would like to be back next year.

“Hopefully something gets done in the near future. I’ve been asked these questions a lot this summer and my answer hasn’t changed. I want to be in Montreal and I want to play for the Canadiens  for the rest of my career. “

However, Subban did plant the tiniest seed that there’s a chance he could be wearing something other than the Habs crest if and when the season begins.

“No matter where I am, i’ll always be a fan of the Montreal canadiens. So there’s no question in anybody’s mind or there shouldn’t be any doubt in anybody’s mind that I want to be here, because I do.”