Canadiens: Four Former Habs Now Producing in Europe

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With Charles Hudon’s time in Montreal likely finished after signing in Switzerland, here’s a look at four former Montreal Canadiens now producing in Europe.

It’s been a rocky past few seasons for Charles Hudon and the Montreal Canadiens.

The former fifth round pick of the team in 2012 went from being an afterthought for the team, to a key part of their AHL roster, to a legitimate prospect for the team, back to an afterthought.

Despite the glimpses of potential at the NHL level, and reputation as one of the AHL’s most consistent players, Hudon has finally taken his talents overseas after months of speculation and rumors regarding his future.

Following a 30-point rookie season with the Habs in a dreadful 2017-18 season overall, Hudon struggled to find a role on the Canadiens roster with a lack of offensive and defensive production. Now playing for Lausanne HC of the Swiss-A League, Hudon has got off on the right foot, recording four points in two games, playing alongside fellow former Hab Mark Barberio.

Both players are off to strong starts and are actually being coached by Cristobal Huet. The former Habs goaltender is an assistant to Craig McTavish on the team’s bench and Petr Svoboda who was a first round pick of the Canadiens way back in 1984 is working for the team as the Director of Player Personnel.

With the start to next NHL season still uncertain, Hudon and Barberio aren’t the only former Habs lighting it up overseas. With that being said, here’s a look at four former Habs currently producing in Europe.

Jiri Sekac

The Jiri Sekac experiment was an interesting part of the Canadiens 2014-15 season, though it didn’t really produce much of note. The three-year KHL veteran had been producing solid to below-average numbers prior to signing with the Canadiens in July of 2014 and produced a modest 16 points in 50 games with Montreal. Despite being named to that season’s all-rookie team, the Canadiens sent Sekac to the Anaheim Ducks at the trade deadline in exchange for bruising winger Devante Smith-Pelly. He would put up a solid 7 points in 19 games with the Ducks, before producing just 3 points in 22 games the following season.

Sekac was then traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in January of 2016 for Ryan Garbutt, before being claimed on waivers by the Arizona Coyotes a month later. Despite being given numerous opportunities, Sekac could never find his rhythm and returned to the KHL after the 2015-16 season. In the time since then, Sekac has found the scoring touch he was lacking in the NHL, producing back to back 40-point seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19, helping his team Kazan Ak-Bars to a Gargarin cup title in the process. Following an off 25-point year with CSKA Moscow, Sekac currently plays for Omsk Avangard alongside fellow former Hab Alexie Emelin.

Alexander Semin

While better known for his time as an elite scorer with the Washington Capitals, Semin did finish his NHL career in Montreal off of a tryout contract in the 2015-16 season. A first round pick of the Capitals in 2002, Semin produced eight seasons with 40 points or more in his 11 seasons in the NHL, including a career-high 84-point season in 2009-10. Despite possessing soft hands, deadly speed and a certifiably elite shot, Semin had issues with work ethic, which only continued in his much-maligned stint with the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Canadiens opted to give Semin a chance on a one-year deal worth 1.1$ million, but after posting just 3 points in 15 games had his contract terminated, subsequently returning to Russia. Despite taking the 2017-18 season off to return to school and play in the VHL, the KHL’s AHL equivalent, Semin has become a solid producer once more, playing at a near point-per game pace. Producing 41 and 38 points respectively the past two seasons, Semin helped Magnitogorsk Metallurg to a Gargarin Cup in 2015-16 following his termination. At 36 years old, he currently plays for Podolsk Vityaz.

Darren Dietz

After producing 58 points in 72 games in his final season in the WHL, Dietz was taking with the 138th pick by the Canadiens in 2011. In three seasons with the Hamilton Bulldogs and St. John’s IceCaps, Dietz struggled to find his offensive touch, settling into more of a defensive role. Despite this, the Canadiens opted to give Dietz a chance in a turbulent 2015-16 season, producing 5 points in a 13-game cup of coffee. A one-year stint with the Hershey Bears and Texas Stars did little to improve Dietz NHL prospects, prompting him to sign with Astana Barys of the KHL for the 2017-18 season.

After producing a modest 19 points in 44 games in his first season, Dietz blossomed into one of the KHL’s elite defenders in 2018-19, producing 53 points in 62 games with an impressive rating of +30. Despite slacking off slightly in the season following, Dietz still produced 32 points in 54 games, and currently has 10 points in 12 games this season, tied for first on Astana.

Nigel Dawes

I’ve mentioned Dawes previously in an article on unknown former Habs, but to not include him here would be a disservice to what Dawes has managed to do overseas. A fifth round pick of the New York Rangers in 2003, Dawes struggled to find a consistent role in the NHL, despite showcasing solid abilities as a depth scoring option, recording two 14-goal seasons in 2007-08 and 2009-10. A trade deadline acquisition by the Habs in 2011, Dawes was given a four-game cup of coffee with the team, instead serving a key role on a Hamilton Bulldogs team that made a run to the AHL’s eastern conference finals.

Wanting to take his talents overseas, Dawes, like Dietz, signed with Astana Barys, and has since become one of the best players in KHL history. In his 10 seasons in the league, Dawes has become the top all-time scorer among non-Russian players, recording 50 points or more in each of his past six seasons. He was a key part of a mostly North American led Astana Barys team alongside Dustin Boyd and Brandon Bochenski, and even received Kazakhstan citizenship to represent them in international hockey.

Next. 3 former Habs who should sign soon. dark

Currently, Dawes has his eyes set on a Gargarin Cup title in 2020-21, playing for Kazan Ak-Bars.

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