While most of the Habs are getting their golf season started, Raphael Diaz and Alex Galchenyuk were both very busy this afternoon representing their native counties in the IIHF Hockey World Championships.

Diaz represented Switzerland this afternoon in the Gold medal game against host country Sweeden.
The Swiss scored first, just 5 minutes into the game, but Sweeden dominated for the last 55 minutes to evenually win 5-1.
Henrik Sedin led the offence with two goals and an assist. Goalie Jhonas Enroth was named IIHF Directorate Award winner as Best Goalie.

Sweeden is the first home team to win gold since The Soviet Union in 1986 and it is the nations 9th gold medal in the tournament. However, It's the first medal for Switzerland at the tournament in 60 years.

Meanwhile Habs rookie Alex Galchenyuk scored back to back goals in a shootout that helped lift the Americans to a 3-2 ...

Not only is Michel Therrien snubbed for finalist consideration in NHL coach of the year voting, but Habs fans may be upset---Paul MacLean IS nominated for the 2^nd straight year. 

MacLean enraged Therrien and the Habs by pinning blaim for the Lars Eller headshot on Canadiens’ teammate Raphael Diaz, not on the Senator who was suspended for the hit, Eric Gryba. 

Habs’ forward Brandon Prust called MacLean a “bug-eyed fat walrus” and Sens fans have rallied around the ‘walrus’ nickname. 

MacLean is up against 2 former Coach of the Year winners----Bruce Boudeau of Anaheim, and Chicago’s Joel Quenneville.

Bottom line: Therrien deserved finalist consideration.  It's coach of the year---this year.  Therrien's startling turnaround with the Habs taking them from 15th to 2nd place in the East was the biggest single season turnaround of the Habs modern era (when point totals are projected over an 82-game schedule.)

No NHL Coach ...

Tomas Kaberle is likely on the way out this summer and his replacement may already be signed, sealed though not delivered.

The Canadiens have yet to confirm the signing of Magnus Nygren, the Borje Salming Award-winner in the Swedish Elite League.

Former Hab turned player-agent Patrik Carnback is quoted as saying the deal is already done with Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin.  Carnback played 6 games for the Habs in '92-'93 without scoring a point.  Now he'll get the "assist" if Nygren scores in the NHL with his big shot.

Canadiens' 2011 4th Round draft pick, Magnus Nygren, is making waves from the Farjestads BK in Karlstad, Sweden.  The defenseman is coming off his fourth year as a pro in the Swedish Elite League.  In his most recent season, he posted 32 points in 51 games (13G, 19A).  Further more, he was named SEL defenseman of the year this past season. 

The Habs' most important rookie of 2013 says he has complete faith in Carey Price---"150% faith."

Now the GM's got plenty more to talk about.

Marc Bergevin has been named a finalist for the NHL GM of the Year Award.   He's up against Pittsburgh's Ray Shero and Anaheim's Bob Murray.

"I had to become a GM to get nominated for an award," Bergevin said in a question&answer session live on CJAD 800.

"That tells you about what I was like as a player...I'm flattered."

The GM all but admitted Tomas Kaberle will soon be bought out, completing the salary cap dumping that started with Scott Gomez.

Bergevin would NOT give a timeline for reopening contract talks with PK Subban: "He's under contract for another year...we're happy with his year."

Nor would the GM say if Michael Ryder has played his last game as a Hab: "nothing's guaranteed."  But Bergevin's ...

PK Subban celebrates his 24th birthday with a trip to Sweden.  It could be the gift that keeps on giving from Hockey Canada.

Subban will play for Canada for the first time since his World Junior Days, just nine months before the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

The Habs' young defenseman is a Norris Trophy candidate and becomes the third member of the Canadiens to head to Worlds since the club's Stanley Cup playoff elimination.

Tomas Plekanec is joing the Czech Republic; teen star Alex Galchenyuk will play for Team USA.