Five of the six members of the Canadiens currently overseas saw action for their European teams Tuesday night amid rumours of more getting ready to head overseas as the NHL lockout nears it’s 40th day.
Three members of the Canadiens saw action Sunday in international hockey. Defenseman Alexei Emelin was part of a losing Ak-Bars Kazan effort in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk. Tomas Kaberle scored the game winning goal as Kladno beat Liberec in the Czech Extraliga.
The Plekanec line was held off the scoresheet as the Kladno winning streak comes to an end. Andrei Markov makes his KHL debut and in the Swiss National League a big night for Raphael Diaz.
The lockout financial pain for the highly leveraged Canadiens ownership is in the millions already. Insurance payments eating up whatever paycheck Canadiens players may be getting in Europe. Scott Gomes-the fan’s forgotten man. P.K. Subban in limbo. Alexei Kovalev playing in Swiss Second Division and more.
Tomas Plekanec and his linemates, Jaromir Jagr and Jiri Tlusty accounted for four goals in a 6-2 win over HC Mountfield at Budějovice Sunday.
Max Pacioretty made his Swiss League Debut a successful one and with an assist Tomas Plekanec takes over sole possession of the lead in the Czech Extraliga scoring race. Highlights of Friday’s European hockey action. Andrei Markov admits to Russian newspaper he’s considering job offers with the Kontinental Hockey League. Scott Gomez is taking part in the training camp of the Alaska Aces of the ECHL but is unlikely to play for them.
Three members of the Canadiens participated in games in Europe over the weekend. Tomas Plekanec and Yannick Weber were stars in wins in the Czech Republic and Switzerland.
Defenseman Tomas Kaberle is one of four members of the current Canadiens who rode out the 2004-05 lockout in Europe. He’s heading back to the Kladno Knights of the Czech Extraliga for another turn. He’ll join Tomas Plekanec who has already played three games for Kladno.
Seven members of the Canadiens have memories of the NHL-imposed lockout of eight years ago. Four of them rode out the dispute with European teams, the other three played in North America, two in the AHL and the other, Scott Gomez in his hometown of Anchorage Alaska.
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.
