THE TORCH

It’s not a meaningful game, it’s not a neutral site game, but at least it’s not an alumni game featuring
a depleted Habs alumni line-up (Martin Gelinas? Really?) against the local police team:

evenko is thrilled to present the NHL preseason game between the Montreal Canadiens vs. the Boston Bruins at the Halifax Metro Centre on Sunday, September 25, 2011 at 7pm.

Fans from the Halifax region will have the opportunity to attend a preseason game of the Montreal Canadiens. Their top prospects will be facing their biggest rivals, the Boston Bruins.

Come live the excitement of this historic rivalry!

Let’s hope things go better then in 2008 when the Habs got pasted 8-3 and Steve Begin got
pasted by Shawn Thornton

Should be a good draw in Halifax. Aside from the obvious fan allegiances to these two teams because of geographic proximity, there’s a number of former Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) that could appear in the game. The Habs have Alexandre Picard who played for both of Nova Scotia’s two major junior teams, the Mooseheads and the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. Picard is a cheap RFA and isn’t too bad as bottom pairing/seventh defenseman, so there’s a possibility he could be a part of next year’s edition of the Habs.

Former Lewiston Maineiac goaltender and Bedford, NS native, Peter Delmas is in the Montreal system. Delmas has played for four different teams (Wichita, Wheeling, Halifax and Hamilton) this season in four different leagues (CHL, ECHL, QMJHL and AHL). Delmas’s numbers with Wheeling have been quite good: 24 GP 2.03 GAA 0.928 SV% 15 W 8 L 3 SO. His playoff numbers (in 2 starts-both wins) have been even better: 1.81 GAA with a .935 SV%. Considering the lack of depth when it comes to goaltending prospects in the Habs system, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Delmas returns next season and plays full-time with the Bulldogs.

The Habs have current Cape Breton Screaming Eagle captain, Morgan Ellis counted among their 2010 draft picks. Ellis isn’t signed yet, and while there are certainly no indications that he won’t sign with the Habs, he still has another year of junior eligibility left. I doubt Ellis, unless he has an outstanding camp with the Habs, will play in the Halifax game in September. Great pick for the Habs in the fourth round though and I think he’ll eventually make the Canadiens roster.

Brad Marchand has always been a player that fans love to hate. In junior Marchand had the ability to single-handedly dazzle and aggravate fans. He teased with his talent. He’d slow down the tempo of a game with his dangles, bringing you to the edge of your seat and then never capitalize on the chance. He showboated and you always felt that he wasn’t finishing not because of lack of talent or opportunity, but simply because he’d want to try something a little more difficult. He was too good a player to not score.

When Marchand played against the Habs in the September 2008 exhibition tilt at the Metro Centre, it was clear that Marchand could play in the NHL and had added facets to his game that made him a more complete player. Boston management and coaches clearly took notice. And while he’s no Claude Giroux (who the Mooseheads had reportedly opted to not trade for in favour of Marchand in December of 2008), he has been a terrific 3rd round pick for the Bruins.

Marchand will undoubtedly dress for the Bruins in that Halifax game. And he will undoubtedly collide with PK Subban. Less likely to dress will be Marchand’s childhood friend and current Providence Bruin, Andrew Bodnarchuk. It would be great for Halifax fans to see its former captain on the ice again.

Finally, one-time Moosehead property, Maxime Sauve is currently the Baby B’s fourth leading scorer. There might be another chance of the Herd faithful wondering what could have been had they held on to him, instead of trading him away (and a load of picks) for Brad Marchand.