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Having the opportunity to write about the Canadiens is one of my great pleasures and pastimes, and I am grateful to @HabsEOTP for the outlet to tell my stories.
Here are some of my highlights for this past year:
Here are some of my highlights for this past year:
I started 2020 with an interview with Dean MacDonald, head of Deacon Sports & Entertainment, at a time where his efforts to bring an ECHL team seemed bleak, but not lost. https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2020/1/25/21079076/we-lost-the-ability-to-ice-a-team-next-year-the-status-of-the-bid-for-an-echl-team-in-trois-rivieres
The ECHL team in Trois-Rivières is a pet project of mine, because I always felt that the Canadiens were missing a brick in their foundation without one. For a team with deep pockets to seemingly not try to find the next David Desharnais felt incomplete. https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2020/1/29/21079628/echl-trois-rivieres-expansion-discussion-wouldnt-go-into-market-without-canadiens-dean-macdonald
We all struggled in early 2020 to adapt to the impacts of the pandemic. I was no different as focus shifted far away from writing articles.
We go to April for my next highlight article, which is a "what if?" scenario regarding the Leafs final Stanley Cup. https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2020/4/18/21221741/could-montreal-canadiens-have-beaten-toronto-maple-leafs-in-1967-stanley-cup-final
We go to April for my next highlight article, which is a "what if?" scenario regarding the Leafs final Stanley Cup. https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2020/4/18/21221741/could-montreal-canadiens-have-beaten-toronto-maple-leafs-in-1967-stanley-cup-final
In April I also wrote my first 'life after hockey' piece, focusing on David Ling's retirement after a 20+ year pro career, and last active Québec Nordiques draft pick, to his subsequent second career in financial planning. https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2020/4/24/21198006/david-ling-trades-skates-for-suits-former-nhl-player-canadiens-blue-jackets-brampton-beast-echl
Being somewhat of a hockey history buff, I dug deep exploring the obscure current history of the once great Allan Cup. https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2020/4/29/21219454/the-missing-year-of-the-allan-cup-coronavirus-pause-hockey-trophy-history-stanley-cup-queens-cup
2020 celebrated the 35th anniversary of the Calder Cup triumph of the Sherbrooke Canadiens, and I, of course, marked it accordingly.
First with an interview with team captain Brian Skrudland about the team's inaugural season being their most triumphant. https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2020/5/24/21214496/brian-skrudland-interview-sherbrooke-canadiens-35th-anniversary-ahl-calder-cup-win-captain
First with an interview with team captain Brian Skrudland about the team's inaugural season being their most triumphant. https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2020/5/24/21214496/brian-skrudland-interview-sherbrooke-canadiens-35th-anniversary-ahl-calder-cup-win-captain
I also did a meticulous game-by-game breakdown of the Sherbrooke Canadiens' entire playoff run- for the completists out there who wanted to know the entire story. https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/history/2020/5/26/21194276/recapping-1985-calder-cup-run-last-great-canadiens-generation-skrudland-richer-patrick-roy-canadiens
One of my prouder articles was exploring Willie O'Ree's brief stint within the Montreal Canadiens organization. https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2020/6/4/21124115/willie-o-ree-time-with-montreal-canadiens-nhl-first-black-player-hull-ottawa-ephl-boston-bruins-nhl
The first of two multiple-part series that I wrote in 2020 was a detailed exploration of the history of the assistant coach position for the Montreal Canadiens. Here is the first part, and you can just click through the links to read the whole series. https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/history/2020/8/23/21245466/number-two-the-story-of-montreal-canadiens-assistant-coaches-claude-ruel-macneil-assistant-associate
Another piece of obscure #Habs lore was explored, this time a look at Tricolo, the misbehaving and controversial mascot of the Sherbrooke Canadiens. https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/ahl-laval-rocket/2020/9/30/20833297/before-cosmo-there-was-tricolo-montreal-canadiens-ahl-affiliate-mascot-photo-history-racism-tsujiura
From despair to success with the ECHL team in Trois-Rivières, I interviewed newly named team president Mark Weightman about the effort required to build a new franchise. https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2020/12/12/22167594/trois-rivieres-echl-team-news-mark-weightman-interview-montreal-canadiens-third-tier-affiliate
I caught wind of Larry Carrière ending his time with the Montreal Canadiens earlier, but held off on publishing this piece until the news officially broke. I explored Carrière's decade-long tenure with the organization. https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/latest-news/2020/11/27/21721604/larry-carriere-quietly-leaves-montreal-canadiens-front-office-news-gm-bergevin-mellanby-timmins
And finally the second multi-part series I published in 2020, the recently completed accounting of the Montreal Canadiens' difficult tour of the Soviet Union to start their 1990-91 season. https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/history/2020/12/20/21549509/eurotrip-part-1-a-team-in-turmoil-montreal-canadiens-habs-history-soviet-union
I hope that you all enjoyed my work this year, and I look forward to seeing what opportunities 2021 may bring.
May you all have a Happy New Year!
May you all have a Happy New Year!
