The Montreal Canadiens have never been the top destination for free agents. There are many reasons for that, but a star player in the NHL just admitted one of them.
While the weather is not near the top of the list for players who have a choice of where they play. And the tax situation is worse than just about anywhere else in the National Hockey League. Some teams, like the New York Rangers, don’t have the greatest tax situation, or the best weather, but they can still attract free agents because players want to be in their market.
Other markets benefit from having players that want to play close to home. The Canadiens have never really benefited from this situation either, like the Toronto Maple Leafs who added plenty of free agent talent that is from Ontario.
Jonathan Huberdeau just admitted that Montreal isn’t the most attractive market, even for players from the area. Huberdeau, from St-Jerome, Quebec was recently traded from the Florida Panthers to the Calgary Flames. He had one year left on his contract at the time, but has since signed an eight year contract with Calgary.
Before he inked that new deal, there were plenty of rumours he could be a target of the Canadiens in free agency next summer. However, it sounds like he never would have signed this close to his hometown anyway.
Huberdeau was on the 32 Thoughts Podcast and when asked about the possibility of playing in Montreal, he said: “As much as I love Montreal, I don’t know. I think it is a tough city for a French-Canadian.”
He didn’t expand much beyond that on what he meant by “tough city” but it is pretty clear he means the media and fans that are quick to put ridiculous expectations on hometown players and then tear them apart when they don’t reach them. Just ask Jonathan Drouin.
It has long since been believed that local players are not attracted to playing in Montreal, but we haven’t seen a player come out and say it before. Well, not until Huberdeau did.
It really won’t shock any Habs fans, but obviously French-Canadian players aren’t dreaming about playing for the Montreal Canadiens these days.
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