Canadiens Hockey: The Centennial Season this Fall

O'BYRNE SIGNS THREE-YEAR DEAL WITH HABS

Montreal Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey announced today the signing of defenseman Ryan O’Byrne to a three-year contract (2008-09 to 2010-11). As per club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“Ryan acquired a great deal of NHL experience last season. He is part of our young core of defencemen and certainly has the potential of becoming a very good NHL player. He is big, intense and his physical play are important assets for our team,’’ said Bob Gainey.

O’Byrne, who will turn 24 on July 19, will begin his second season in the NHL this fall. In 2007-08, he scored seven points (1 goal, 6 assists) and served 45 minutes of penalty in 33 games with the Canadiens, averaging 13:23 minutes of ice time per game. The 6’5’’, 228 lbs defenceman also played 20 games with the Hamilton Bulldogs, posting eight points (2-6-8), a plus-4 differential and 49 penalty minutes. He was named to the Canadian AHL All-Star Team.

A native of Victoria, British Columbia, O’Byrne was selected in the third round by the Canadiens, 79^th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He played three seasons with the ECAC Cornell University Big Red from 2003 to 2006.

Shawn Belle under contract

The Canadiens also announced today the signing of defenseman Shawn Belle to a one-year, two-way contract (2008-09). Belle, 23, was acquired from the Minnesota Wild on July 11 in return for forward Corey Locke.

NHL CONFIRMS ENTRY DRAFT DATES FOR MONTREAL FOR 2009

The NHL has confirmed Friday, June 26th and Saturday, June 27th as the dates for the NHL Entry draft, which will be held in Montreal next season at the Bell Centre. It's part of the Canadiens' centennial celebrations, which will also include the NHL all-star game.

Meanwhile, the Canadiens say the newest Hab, Georges Laraque, will wear number 17: a number he shares with CJAD's own Murray Wilson.  Laraque wore number 27 in Pittsburgh and Edmonton, but that number, in Montreal, belongs to Alex Kovalev.

HABS DEAL LOCKE FOR WILD PROSPECT BELLE

The Canadiens have acquired defenceman Shawn Belle from the Minnesota Wild, in exchange for forward Corey Locke.

The 23-year-old Belle played in the American Hockey League the past three seasons. In 2007-08, he had 1 goal and 2 assists along with 74 penalty minutes in 63 games with the Houston Aeros.

The 6-2, 232 lbs defenceman played nine games for the Wild during the 2006-07 season, scoring an assist (0-1-1).

The Edmonton, Alberta native Belle was the St. Louis Blues’ first round selection, 30th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. His rights were traded to Dallas for Jason Bacashihua on June 25, 2004. The Wild acquired him on March 9, 2006 with Martin Skoula, in return for Willie Mitchell and a second round pick in 2007.

Carey Price's teammate with the WHL Tri-City Americans from 2003 to 2005, Belle was named to the Canadian national team four times during his junior career. He earned a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2005 World Junior Championships.

Corey Locke was selected by the Canadiens in the fourth round, 113th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He spent the past four seasons with the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs and played his first NHL game with the Canadiens on January 8 against Chicago.

The NHL's free agent free for all opens at high noon Canada Day and Mats Sundin's agent, J.P. Barry, says his client will not be signing with any club at that time. Sundin says he needs a few days, maybe even a few weeks to decide if he wants to even play next season.

The Canadiens own his exclusive negotiating rights until noon on July 1st, but do not count on the New York Rangers getting the 37-year-old Maple Leafs captain to sign on the dotted line any time soon either.

The Blueshirts have turned their attention back to signing forward Jaromir Jagr, who has a 3-year $35 million dollar US offer on the table from Omsk of the Russian Super League. The 2 parties are still far apart with Jagr in search of a 2-year contract, while New York has offered just a 1-year deal.

Could Montreal General Manager, Bob Gainey, make a pitch for Jagr, forward Marian Hossa or forward Brian Rolston ?

CJAD's and Sports Illustrated's Michael Farber said on CJAD's "Dave World" this Canada Day, that Jagr would not be a good fit in the Canadiens dressing room and that Hossa's a complementary player that will interest many teams. Farber added that Rolston would cost (US) $4 (m) million to $4.5 (m) million dollars a season.

Gainey tried to acquire Hossa from Atlanta at the trade deadline, but the asking price was too high, so Pittsburgh acquired him for its run to the Stanley Cup Final.

The exclusive negotiating rights for Rolston's services belong to Tampa Bay until noon on Canada Day after the Lightning traded for that right with Minnesota.

Meantime, Canadiens defenceman/forward Mark Streit becomes an unrestricted free agent and it does not look like Gainey will make him an offer.

Negotiations between Gainey and forward Andrei Kostitsyn, who becomes a restricted free agent, continue. The Belarusian winger racked up 26 goals and 53 points in 78 games last season.

The Canadiens have acquired forward Alex Tanguay from the Calgary Flames in exchange for their 1st round pick, 25th overall, at the NHL Entry Draft in Ottawa and a 2nd round pick in 2009. The Habs also receive the Flames 5th round pick on Saturday.

Tanguay, a Ste-Justine native, has spent 8 seasons in the league. He was the Colorado Avalanche's 1st round selection, 12th overall in 1998. The 28 year-old played 6 seasons in Denver where he won the Stanley Cup in 2001.
The Avalanche traded him to Calgary 2 years ago for defenceman Jordan Leopold and 2 draft picks.

Tanguay's best season was 2006-07 when he racked up 81 points, including 22 goals for the Flames. Last season, he had just 58 points with only 18 goals -- his lowest output since his 3rd season in the league when he netted a mere 13 goals.

The 6 foot-1, 191 pound Tanguay, could play on a line with captain Saku Koivu and Sergei Kostitsyn.
The Alex Kovalev, Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn would likely stay intact unless GM Bob Gainey succeeds in convincing Mats Sundin to come to Montreal.

Canadiens General Manager, Bob Gainey, received permission from the Maple Leafs to speak with the Toronto captain and his agent J.P. Barry on Thursday night. Sundin becomes an unrestricted free agent on Canada Day and Barry says a deal is far from done and that at this point Mats still hasn't decided if he wants to play, let alone where. Barry adds that obviously the Leafs are trying to facilitate a decision.

Ray Getliffe, who was the oldest living former Montreal Canadiens player and the second-oldest NHL alumnus, died in London, Ont. He was 94.

Elmer Lach, 90, is now the oldest living Canadien, while former New York Ranger and Chicago Blackhawk Clint Smith, born Dec. 12, 1913, is reported to be the oldest living NHL alumnus.

Getliffe played with the Boston Bruins and the Canadiens during a 10-year NHL career that began in 1935-36, winning a Stanley Cup with each team.

But his claim to fame might be as the man behind Maurice Richard's nickname.

Getliffe, in a Where Are They Now? feature written by Ian MacDonald, that appeared in The Gazette in April 2004, recalled the first time he saw the rookie Richard on the ice in 1942.

"Reporters stood behind the bench at practice," Getliffe recalled.

"Elmer Lach threw a puck over to this new kid who flew in from the blue line. I said: 'Look at that, he's like a rocket.' Dink Carroll (a Montreal sports columnist at the time) heard me and the next day it was in The Gazette. That's how Richard became Rocket."