"It's good to be reunited with him and I think
things are going to be good with him here,'' Huberdeau told George Richards of the Miami Herald yesterday.
"I'm excited for this. He's a guy who is intense and
into the game. He keeps you up throughout the game. I think the guys are going
to react to him. He wants what is best for the players.''
The fact that Huberdeau played so well under Gallant in
junior no doubt had an impact on Florida’s decision to hire the former Sea Dogs
coach. Huberdeau, entering his third season in the NHL, had just 28 points 69
games last year after winning the Calder Trophy in 2011-12.
The Herald reports that Huberdeau hopes to attend
Gallant’s press conference tomorrow in Florida.
HABS RESPOND
The Montreal Canadiens posted the following statement
on their website following the Panthers’ hiring of Gallant.
“Obviously we are disappointed to see an individual like
Gerard Gallant leave our organisation, but on behalf of the management team and
the entire coaching staff I would like to wish Gerard the best of luck as the
new head coach of the Florida Panthers. Over the past two years, Gerard has
been a valuable asset for us and contributed to the success of our team”, said
general manager Marc Bergevin.
Defenseman PK Subban tweeted, “congrats to Gerard Gallant
on the new coaching job! Very deserving! One of the best I've had!”
HOT TAKES
Puck Daddy’s take on the Gallant hiring: “but Gallant seems to know how to get the best out of
Huberdeau. If he can do that, then this hire will be worth it.”
The Hockey News: “and as
long as they weather a storm or two with Gallant, he might just be the guy to
finally put this thing together.”
NBC’s Pro Hockey Talk: “he’ll
have his hands full in getting this green team together and trying to get back
to the playoffs.”
Panthers blog The Litter Box Cats: “it took
a while, but Panthers seemed to have done their due diligence and finally
gotten their man. It's time for the Gerard Gallant era in Sunrise to begin!”
Too Many Men on the Site: “it may be necessary
with the Panthers' financial woes, but if you have a young team, Gerard Gallant’s track
record makes him a great option.”
THE SCHEDULE
The Saint John Sea Dogs will play at the Halifax Forum
and in North Sydney this August.
The QMJHL announced the full pre-season schedule on Friday, revealing the venues for each game. Saint John will play a total of six exhibition games – three at Harbour Station and three on the road.
Saint John’s August 16 game against the Mooseheads will
take place at the Halifax Forum, the usual home for the Herd’s pre-season
games. On August 24, the Sea Dogs will face the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles at
the Emera Centre Northside in North Sydney.
The Sea Dogs’ other road pre-season contest will be
played on September 6 at Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown.
NEW DIRECTOR
The Sea Dogs announced on Friday that Tom Donovan, a
former senior manager at Bell Aliant, has been named the new executive director
of the Sea Dogs Foundation.
"We are extremely pleased that Tom has joined the
Sea Dogs Foundation," said Jane Forestell, Chair of the Saint John Sea
Dogs Foundation, in a release. "We believe his fundraising experience and
past community involvement will be real assets to our organization."
The position opened up after Barry Reid retired from the
position.
CAMPBELL OFF TO SCHOOL
Former Sea Dogs forward Colin Campbell will play at
Nipissing University in North Bay this fall.
Campbell, a ninth round pick of the Sea Dogs in the 2010
QMJHL Entry Draft, played in six games with Saint John during the 2011-12
season and registered two assists. The rest of his junior career was spent with
the MHL’s Yarmouth Mariners.
According to an MHL release, “the Bateston, Nova Scotia native heads to Ontario after leading the
Mariners in scoring this past season with 23 goals and 38 assists in 52 regular
season games. Last year capped off a successful four year MHL career for
Campbell, who posted an outstanding 245 points in 203 regular season games, all
with Yarmouth.”
I'm posting on Monday after listening to Butch Gallant's interview on Sportsnet radio. Huberdeau played the whole of last year injuried, probably come back too soon from the hip surgery and when the Panthers were scouting Huberbeau, they were talking to Gallant then, but had to wait until their coach's contract ran out. Should be a good year for Florida. But is shows Huberdeau's heart that he went to World Championships not being 100%.
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