Flowers for Michael Hage, pot for Caleb Desnoyers

Maxime Truman
Flowers for Michael Hage, pot for Caleb Desnoyers
Credit: x.com

It's December 16th. In exactly 10 days' time, Canada will be playing its first World Junior Championship match (against the Czechs).

The Canadiens are slowly but surely beginning to prepare in earnest for this first game, which will be played in Minnesota.

This morning, Dale Hunter concocted some new trios and pairs. Here they are:

As a québécois supporter of the Canadiens, there are two things in particular that stand out.

1. Michael Hage is at center on the first line with Gavin McKenna and Brady Martin alongside him. I know it's only a mid-December practice, but it's still encouraging to see Hage have the coach's confidence and train in such a spot. Especially since over the past few weeks, many have questioned Hage's ability to play center.

It's worth noting that Michael Misa could be called upon to squeeze Hage onto the first line when he (presumably) joins the team. He is expected to play before the end of practice camp, as he is nursing a minor injury in San Jose.

2. Caleb Desnoyers, the only Québécois player still with Team Canada, has lost his place at center on the third line; he now practices on the left wing on the fourth.

Desnoyers is described as a responsible center in both directions of the rink. Seeing him transferred to the wing on the fourth line is clearly not a good sign for Desnoyers.

At least he's being used alongside Jett Luchanko, a player who already has eight games of NHL experience under his belt.

When Misa and possibly Berkly Catton join the Canadiens, what role will Desnoyers be able to play? Good question…

Note that Desnoyers' line is identified as the third according to other sources.

Oh yes… remember that Sam Dickinson could also be loaned to ECJ by the Sharks. To be continued.

In front of the net
Carter George and Jack Ivankovic seem to be battling it out. Who will get the starter's chair? We'll see.

George and Ivankovic were both there last year; George took part in four games and Ivankovic in just one. Ivankovic is a year younger than George.

While researching Ivankovic this morning, I came across an article in La Presse in which the young goalie's father is accused of defrauding Molson Coors out of millions of dollars.

It's a good thing Ivankovic isn't a Canadiens prospect; we'd be seeing some strange father-son trips in a few years' time.

Where are the Québécois?
Caleb Desnoyers is the only Québécois currently with the Canadiens junior team. Justin Carbonneau and Sacha Boisvert are not.

What's more, we're likely to be rooting for a Canadian team that won't have any québécois players on it at the next Olympics. And Samuel Montembeault was the only québécois player at the Four Nations!

First, we're going to have to put an end to the anti-Québécois racism that exists in English Canada, and second, Québécois hockey is going to have to take a good hard look in the mirror: what are we doing wrong to produce so few top-level players? The best Québécois in the NHL are all pretty old!

But that's another matter…


Overtime

– One text, two different headlines: Dobes deserves to stay in Montreal in the Journal de Montréal and The future of the Habs is a Fowler-Montembeault duo on TVA Sports.

– Another Canadiens ménage à trois?

– Stuart Skinner will face the Oilers.

– Joseph Woll returns to the game.

– Happy listening!

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