Hickey on hockey: Canadiens facilitated the exit of Kotkaniemi

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I felt a little sorry for Jesperi Kotkaniemi when he stepped onto the ice at the Bell Center Thursday night and was greeted with boos and an obscene chant.

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I was happy for Kotkaniemi when she took a shot from Sebastian Aho for her first goal as Carolina Hurricane, even if it provoked the loudest boos of the night. The goal gave Carolina a 3-1 lead and some breathing room en route to a 4-1 victory.

The boo was to be expected. When players leave a team, fans feel betrayed and, with ticket prices reaching astronomical levels, they need a way to vent their frustration after one of the worst starts to the season for the Canadiens.

But if you look at the circumstances of Kotkaniemi’s departure, you’ll see that the 21-year-old Finn is not the villain in this saga. This is not a greedy, ungrateful player who turns his back on Montreal and goes after the money. The Canadiens made it easy for Kotkaniemi to switch allegiance.

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Kotkaniemi’s development in Montreal did not go as planned. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 draft had ups and downs and finished his second professional season in the AHL. He didn’t live up to his high draft status and there were questions about whether he could meet the demands of an NHL center.

Head coach Dominique Ducharme kicked off Kotkaniemi’s departure when he had Kotkaniemi in the press box for the opening of this year’s playoffs. He was inserted into the lineup for Game 2 against the Leafs and scored a crucial overtime goal to force Game 7 of that series.

Kotkaniemi had a good playoff streak. He was tied for fifth in team scoring with five goals and three assists in 19 games, was just under 50 percent in the head-to-head circle, and had the second-best shooting percentage among players with 10 or more. shooting.

But he wasn’t dressed for the last two games. His rating of minus 5 influenced the decision to bench him, but Cole Caufield and Corey Perry were also minus 5, while Tyler Toffoli and Nick Suzuki were minus 6.

We can assume that Kotkaniemi was not happy with the way the season ended. And we can also assume that he was unhappy with the way his contract negotiations with general manager Marc Bergevin were going. If you thought enough of a player to select him third overall and plan to have him as your No. 2 center, you will lock him up before he’s available for an offer sheet.

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Bergevin has made some crafty trades and some good free-agent signings, but the only Canadiens’ first-round pick playing for the team is Caufield. And Kotkaniemi joins Phillip Danault, Andrei Markov and Alexander Radulov on the list of valuable players whose negotiations were mishandled.

The Hurricanes overpaid for Kotkaniemi, but they seem committed to taking him slowly and helping him reach his potential. Meanwhile, their appearance in Montreal gave them another opportunity to attack the Canadiens on their Twitter account.

They posted a photo of Sebastian Aho, who received an offer sheet from Montreal two years ago, with the question: Did the Canadiens lose again? YES.

Officials on the way: It’s only a matter of time before women officiate NHL games. The AHL, which serves as the testing ground for NHL rules and procedures, has hired 10 female referees and linesmen this season.

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The inaugural group includes Elizabeth Mantha de Longueuil, who has hockey in her blood. His grandfather, André Pronovost, was on four Stanley Cup teams with the Canadiens and his brother, Anthony, is a forward for the Washington Capitals.

Mantha, who umpired at the women’s world championship this year in Edmonton, played in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League after a college career that included a national championship with the Université de Montréal Carabins.

Remove the old block: America’s college season is underway and one player who has been causing a sensation is Carson Brière, who is the country’s top scorer with seven goals and one assist in four games. The Mercyhurst College sophomore is the son of Daniel Brière, who played one season with the Canadiens late in his career.

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