The Montreal Canadiens are recognized as a worldclass organization and one of the most storied National Hockey League franchises.
But the Bell Centre faithful are also quite famous, known for their loud and proud Olé Olé Olé chants. This fanbase is diehard, and they treat current and former players with the utmost respect. So, when Tomas Plekanec was recently visiting Montreal the organization and fans let Pleky know how much they appreciated him.
As the former Canadien wrote in an Instagram post, the organization showed him incredible hospitality. They had him visit the Laval Rocket and go behind the scenes. The fans also welcomed him back into the Bell Centre and gave him the warm welcome and cheer he deserved.
Tomas Plekanec on IG:
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) November 24, 2024
“Six years had passed since I attented a Habs game at the Bell Centre. I want to thank the Montreal Canadiens organization for their incredible hospitality, and also for allowing me to see the way the Laval Rocket organization works. It was a very… pic.twitter.com/d66IXqeDmx
Plekanec was seen in tears, overcome with emotion from the ovation that he received. But he shouldn't be all that surprised, he dedicated 14 years to the organization. He became a household name, recognized for his signature turtleneck.
No. 14 was known for his strong two-way play and strength in the faceoff dot. A third-round pick in the 2001 NHL Draft, Plekanec paired his smart defensive play with solid offensive numbers, nearly eclipsing 70 points twice (69 in 81 games in 2007-08 and 70 in 82 games in 2009-10.
A native of Kladno, Czechia, Plekanec is more revered for his international success. Having never won a Stanley Cup with the organization while disappointing shouldn't tarnish his name. Thankfully it doesn't, because he was a pillar for the team through their two deep Stanley Cup playoff runs in 2009-10 and 2013-14.
What about a role with the team, Tommy?
I don't know about everybody else, but I can speak for myself and I think that Plekanec would be a nice piece for the organization to hire. With a young group of centres and more coming through the pipeline, having a veteran of 1,000 games giving tips shouldn't hurt anything. Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook have struggled to play centre - a difficult position admittedly - certainly having him as an assistant or in a player development role would go a long way.
The cliché practice makes perfect, while a cliché is accurate and with Plekanec knowledge at the position, the young centre's of the future would be in good hands. A successful rebuild will rely heavily on the success of the team on the ice, if that wasn't obvious. So why not have one of the best tutoring? Plekanec played the position for 15 seasons, surely he has some insights to help out.