The Montreal Canadiens entered the 2023 NHL Draft with the 5th overall pick. There was plenty of intrigue as to whether they would keep the pick or make a trade, but they chose to hang onto the draft pick and make a selection.
There were four centers taken ahead of the Habs pick with Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson, Adam Fantilli and Will Smith going with the first four picks. That left the Canadiens with a choice of going for another center who was ranked a bit lower like Nate Danielson and Dalibor Dvorsky or looking at another position.
A lot of anticipation with the Canadiens pick circled around Russian winger Matvei Michkov. Would the Canadiens take a chance on the skilled kid who is signed for three more seasons in Russia?
The team stepped to the podium and general manager Kent Hughes announced that former fifth overall pick Carey Price would be announcing the Habs selection. Price, usually as sure-footed as can be on the ice, stepped to the podium and announced….. well, he wasn’t sure what to announce.
Carey Price forgot the Canadiens’ first round pick’s name (David Reinbacher) 😳
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 28, 2023
“David…”
*awkward pause*
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Price remembered the first name “David” but then had a bit of a brain cramp and couldn’t recall the last name of the pick he was supposed to announce. It was a bit of an awkward silence, and then Hughes had to step in and announce that David Reinbacher was the pick of the Canadiens.
It was a bit of an awkward moment for sure, but nothing we haven’t seen before. When Bobby Clarke was announcing the Philadelphia Flyers pick of Claude Giroux he completely forgot the name of the player and had to turn around and ask his management team who they were selecting.
Things turned out pretty well for Giroux, who continues to play at a high level 16 years after being drafted, eventually, by the Flyers. Hopefully things work out just as well for Reinbacher in Montreal.
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