On December 29th in the Czech Republic, Tomas Plekanec twisted his torso the wrong way and suffered a painful rib muscle injury. He was able to finally participate in full practice Wednesday at Canadiens training camp working on a line with Brian Gionta and rookie Alexander Galchenyuk.
The NHL and the players association met Tuesday to discuss the situation being forced upon the Canadiens Scott Gomez and the Rangers defenceman Wade Redden. Together they came up with a solution that will allow the pair to continue their hockeyt careers this season.
Scott Gomez has been, in effect “fired” by the Canadiens. He has been asked to stay home this season. The Canadiens will pay his salary this season and exercise their contract buy out rights in June.
While the NHL and it’s player’s association continue to do their dance in New Jersey and European hockey takes it’s annual ten day December schedule break, life goes on in the nether regions of North American hockey.
With seven Canadiens regulars on the ten day December breauesk in their European leagues, attention shifted to the East Coast Hockey League where future Canadiens teammates Scott Gomez and Colby Armstrong faced each other in Anchorage Alaska. Armstrong was making his debut with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies.
All seven members of the locked-out Canadiens currently in Europe are now off for ten days as the leagues take their rraditional ten day December break. Tomas Plekanec notched another assist in a losing effort against Sparta Prague on Sunday.
Only two of the seven Canadiens playing in Europe, Lars Eller and Yannick Weber saw action on Saturday. Eller was in Kuopiu Finland while in Switzerland Weber and Geneva played host to Lugano. And in North America Alex Galchenyuk had his biggest night of the season in the OHL.
Tomas Plekanec and his linemates continue to ride a hot scoring streak in the Czech Extraliga. Plekanec scored a goal and assist Thursday in Kladno’s 3-0 win over Karlovy Vary Thursday.
Scott Gomez rebounded from his MVP year in the East Coast Hockey League to have his biggest NHL season. He’s back in the ECHL and hoping for a confidence build that might re-ignite his career with the Canadiens.
A busy weekend for locked out members of the Canadiens, most of them in Europe as well as some of the Habs Junior prospects. Lars Eller played his second game with Jyväskylä of Finland’s SM-Liiga. Others to see action were Raphael Diaz and Yannick Weber.
