A Winning Habit
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Montreal Canadiens Development Camp: Day 1

By Lissa Albert

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Fans of the Montreal Canadiens know no off-season. It was a Sunday morning, July 5th,  and I found myself at the Brossard training facility where the Habs practice during the season.

This week,  it is the home of draftees, prospects, and invited players for the annual Habs Development Camp, a 5-day run of on- and off-ice practice sessions, scrimmages, and culminating in a three-period, intra-squad game.

There are 43 players who will take part in the camp activities, some familiar faces, many new arrivals. It is here that fans, trainers, and media will get their first look at newcomers to the Habs fold.

This is not the first time I have attended. I first came to this event right after a young player named Alex Galchenyuk was drafted. It was quite a sight to see him amidst other draftees; there was no question that Galchenyuk owned the ice. His confidence, even in 2012, was well honed and his skills magnificent to observe.

I’ve watched a newly-arrived Michael McCarron, Nikita Scherbak, Sven Andrighetto and Jacob De la Rose on these two sheets of ice. And this week, added to those names – from this year’s draft – are Noah Juulsen, , Lukas Vejdemo, Matthew Bradley, Simon Bourque, and Jeremiah Addison.

As it was a Summer Sunday morning, there were many people who gathered here. This city’s heart lives on the ice, even in the heat of July. Perhaps, given the too-long break from the Habs, especially in July.

As the trainers skated out onto both sheets of ice (there are two, and both were being used), the crowd gathered at the windows surrounding the rinks below. “The Fishbowl”, as this facility is known to be called, was a busy place.

Some players were easily recognizable by their numbers; for instance, Nikita Scherbak’s #38 was prominent last year, and many excitedly pointed as he entered the rink.

Michael McCarron – a noticeable 6’6″ now, skating on the ice across the way from Scherbak’s squad, was also a fan favorite. Zach Fucale – a recent World Juniors champ – got a warm welcome too.

Skills were tested, from skating forward on only one foot, using the other leg to propel the skater, to doing the same drill backward. There were puck-handling drills, passing drills, shooting drills, and every kind of skill-testing exercise you might have seen even at the youngest level of amateur hockey.

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It was when they opened up, their skating unleashed, that we were able to see the speed of these players. And while there were no scrimmages (those are later in the week), it was apparent that this young group contains a ton of talent.

Development camp won’t yield a tremendous amount of evaluation other than to the trainers on the ice. But it’s a great way to spend a couple of hours, watching how they begin training for the pros. Watching the hopefuls enjoy showcasing their skills. And sporting the coveted “CH” on their jerseys seems to be a pride each takes seriously, even those who are not drafted but invitees of the team.

I’ll be attending more sessions, and will report back as I do.

Some quotes from players after the practice:

Nikita Scherbak:

"I’ll try my best. I’ll compete hard on and off the ice.It’s a little bit different. I’m older and I don’t feel the same pressure as last year when I stepped on the ice and my hands were shaking, I was really nervous. There were all those people watching me in practice and that never happened before in my life. This year, I feel more comfortable."

No doubt, having fans standing 2- and 3-deep atop a windows-surrounded practice ice must have been unnerving for an 18-year-old from Russia. Now a year older, he seems more prepared for one of the elements of what being a member of the Montreal Canadiens means: fans.

McCarron also had some comments and one of them stands out for we here at A Winning Habit (emphasis mine):

"This team has been trying to get a winning habit and we have a bunch of winners here,” said McCarron, who also mentioned he was super-excited to be turning pro."

He’s ready to step into whatever place he’s given on the Canadiens. McCarron can play wing or center, and made mention of his versatility when asked:

"It’s always good if you can play different positions,” he said. “I’m going to do whatever the team wants and I’ll be ready when they call me."

After the on-ice training, which was open to the public, the Canadiens offered a different kind of training to these young men:

This is something I’d never known was offered to prospects, and it is truly a great initiative.

All in all, it looks like there are some promising players waiting for their chance to hit the pro level; and Habs fans have much to look forward to in the future.

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