The Hamilton Bulldogs bounced back from a 5-1 Friday night shellacking in Abbotsford to record a 3-0 shutout win against the Heat Saturday. Cedrick Desjardins stopped 24 shots for his first shutout of the season.
You can argue that the Canadiens will bring eleven defensemen into training camp capable of landing an NHL job. The core group remains but Frederic St. Denis, who was signed to a two-way contract on Thursday, joins a group of five or six with a chance to join the team to start the season.
Even those who don’t concern themselves with the Canadiens Hamilton farm team, might want to pay special attention this coming season as the organization brings in eight rookie pros from either the junior or college ranks, four of them defensemen with size and outstanding potential.
The Canadiens had four prospects among the players that took part in the Memorial Cup tournament last week more than any other NHL organization. Two of them were first round draft picks, Nathan Beaulieu (2011) and Jarred Tinordi (2010). The Canadiens acquired Michael Bournival, also a first round draft pick, from Colorado in return for
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It is often said the Canadiens farm system has dried up, that the majority of the team’s future talent is only now emerging from junior hockey and still years away. If so, how was it that through their injury plagued season the Habs were able to bring eight players into their lineup who held rookie status?
Max Pacioretty has become the go-to forward for Team USA at the World Championships. Four Canadiens prospects will square off at the Memorial Cup tournament this weekend in Shawinigan. A loophole will allow the Canadiens to turn Nathan Beaulieu pro in September. And Blake Geoffrion learns of the lunatic fringe of Canadiens fandom.
While the Canadiens need to address depth issues in their goaltending, the future of the Canadiens defense is promising. Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges are the anchors of a defense that broke in two rookies last year – Alexei Emelin and Raphael Diaz last season. P.K. Subban and Yannick Weber were in their second seasons, Behind that, a very deep farm system.
It was clear to everyone paying attention a this year’s Canadiens training camp that Jarred Tinordi had made major development strides in the year since the Canadiens took him in the first round of the 2010 NHL entry draft. He saw action in three exhibition games before he was returned to the London Knights of the
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The Canadiens drafted defenceman Jarred Tinordi 22nd overall in the June NHL entry draft. At the time he was committed to go to the University of Notre Dame this season. Today the London Knights, who had drafted Tinordi 73rd overall in the 2008 midget draft, have pursaided Tinordi to join them. The lure for the 6’6” 205 pound Tinordi was more games in the ultra-competitive Ontario Hockey League and the ability to attend the Canadiens training camp next month, something forbidden under NCAA rules.
The Canadiens knew what they wanted and when it appeared that defenceman Jarred Tinordi wasn’t going to be available when their 27th spot in the NHL Entry draft came, they traded up five spots and sacrificed their second round draft pick in order to get him.
