• O primeiro jogador de quarta geração da NHL, já jogou um total de 42 jogos na grande liga, com seis gols e 5 assistências durante esse período.  Ele também registrou duas assistências para os Predators ano passado nos playoffs.

• Energético com a habilidade de lidar com defesa e ataque, faz um bom uso do seu tamanho nas duas extremidades do gelo.  Tem uma forte vantagem física no seu jogo possui uma boa habilidade com o puck e uma patinação agil e com 24 anos, ele está pronto para fazer impacto como goleador também.

• Howie Morenz.
• Bernard “Boom-Boom” Geoffrion.
• …E é isso.

• Como o ultimo jogador que apareceu no artigo “Quem é esse cara?”, Rene Bourque, Geoffrion frequentou a Universidade de Wisconsin. Ele se graduou em Defesa do Consumidor.O #5 que ele usa não é coincidência.
• Ele nasceu na Flórida, mas cresceu no Tennessee e se tornou o primeiro nativo do Tennessee a assinar um contrato na NHL em 15 de Junho de 2010.
• Seu pai, Daniel, a geralmente esquecida terceira geração, também jogou para os Habs na sua carreira na NHL/WHA. Ele também jogou para o Winnipeg Jets e para os Quebec Nordiques.
• Nick, Sebastian e Brice são os três irmãos de Blake
• Geoffrion foi o vencedor do premio Hobey Baker de 2010 após ter sido o capitão dos Badgers e os liderar para o  jogo do Campeonato Nacional, registrando 50 pontos em 40 jogos pelo caminho.
• Ele compareceu no CMT Music Awards Show ano passado, levando consigo… sua mãe

 --- Temporada Regular --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2004-05 USNTDP Under-18 Team NAHL 37 7 15 22 62
2005-06 USNTDP Under-18 Team NAHL 13 6 9 15 30 -- -- -- -- --
2006-07 U. of Wisconsin WCHA 36 2 4 6 62
2007-08 U. of Wisconsin WCHA 36 10 20 30 52
2008-09 U. of Wisconsin WCHA 35 15 13 28 73
2009-10 U. of Wisconsin WCHA 40 28 22 50 56 -- -- -- -- --
2009-10 Milwaukee Admirals AHL -- -- -- -- -- 3 2 0 2 0
2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 45 11 26 37 38 1 0 2 2 2
2010-11 Nashville Predators NHL 20 6 2 8 7 12 0 2 2 4
2011-12 Nashville Predators* NHL 22 0 3 3 17
2011-12 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 20 2 7 9 8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 NHL Totals 42 6 5 11 24 12 0 2 2 4

Biografia All Habs | Informações por: czechtacular | Tradução: LouBoo | Design: Stevo | © All Habs 2012

Tuesday February 21, 2012  7:30 pm.

CURITIBA, BRAZIL — Puck the Bunny appears on AllHabs.net predicting outcomes of games from his home in the beautiful country of Brazil. Yes, an exotic prognosticating bunny! Today he picks the winner of Montreal Canadiens vs Dallas Stars.

Puck is grateful for all his Twitter followers, which are now more than 200.  You may not know that he had a bet with All Habs writer @stevofarnham . If Puck surpasses Steve in terms of followers, the human will have to eat bunny food for a week.  What Steve doesn’t know is that Puck’s favorite “food” is paper as you will see in today’s video.  Try it with a little maple syrup, Steve!

Puck was sad to see Hal Gill be traded — Hal was one of his favourites!  Puck is anxious to see Blake Geoffrion play in a Habs jersey but realizes that he may have to be patient.

Who did Puck choose today? Watch!  By the way, Puck’s record stands at an impressive 17-7-4!

Don’t forget to follow @HabsPuckBunny on Twitter.  Be sure to follow @All_Habs and @AllHabsBrasil as well!

Puck the Bunny tem um importante trabalho. Ele trabalha para o AllHabs.net a função de prever resultados de jogos — hoje ele escolherá o vencedor do jogo Montreal Canadiens vs Dallas Stars.

Quem ele irá escolher? Assista e descubra!

PENTICTON, BC. – This week, I thought of doing something totally different by sharing some thoughts on different topics surrounding the events of the week. If readers like it, I might use this format on a more regular basis in addition to my regular weekly articles. Don’t hesitate to post your comments as they are always welcome.

1- Hal Gill had some very nice things to say about Montreal, the fans and his stay with the Canadiens. Gill spoke about his friendship with different players on the team, his role as a mentor for PK Subban and how PK kept him young with his enthusiasm. But mostly, he opened up by talking about his kids and he was a real man by praising his wife Anne. Hat’s off Hal, you sir are a class act.

2- Blake Geoffrion seems to have appreciated the trade to Montreal from Nashville. While saying that he will be missing the boys, he stated that it is exciting for him to go where it all begun for his family… MONTREAL. It didn’t take long for Geoffrion to find his rhythm in Hamilton, contributing a goal and four assists in his first two games with the Bulldogs. As long as Habs’ fans aren’t expecting Boom-Boom, he should be fine. Expectations should be more like Bam-Bam, perhaps a new nickname for a potential third-liner with grit who can fill in on the top six from time to time.

3- Lots of talk already about the number Blake Geoffrion should wear with the Canadiens. Being related to the great Howie Morenz whose No. 7 is retired by the Canadiens, and grand-son of Bernard Geoffrion, who also has his No. 5 in the rafters, it was ironic to see that the Habs traded No. 75 Hal Gill to get his rights. Will he pick 75? 57? 55? Or will he chose a totally different number? If he keeps performing like this in the AHL, we should find out soon enough!

4- The Canadiens put on another great show, this time by honoring the late baseball legend Gary Carter prior to their game against the New Jersey Devils at the Bell Centre on Sunday. In addition to paying tribute to a man who has meant so much for the city, the highlight was, for many Expos’ fans, seeing Youppi! back with the Expos’ hat and uniform.

5- While it was touching to read about Martin Brodeur’s autographed photo with Gary Carter, there are many, myself included, who felt like Brodeur lacked a bit of respect by standing between the hash-marks during the on-ice video tribute to the Kid. He should have done like Carey Price and gone in front of his net and not in the picture… although it did make for a perfect photo op of himself.

6- It was sad to learn that Martin Brodeur’s father, long time photographer Denis Brodeur, had surgery a few days ago. The 81-year-old Brodeur had a tumour removed from his brain. Here’s hoping for a quick and full recovery.

7- The Canadiens say that they are not in a sell mode in spite of trading away Hal Gill. Yet, they still have wingers Andrei Kostitsyn, Mathieu Darche and Travis Moen, as well as defenseman Chris Campoli scheduled to become UFA’s this summer. Seeing the return the Habs received for Gill, one would think that Pierre Gauthier would be tempted to test the waters with at least some of them.

8- News came out that Travis Moen will not play this week, the last one before the February 27th trade deadline. Many seem to think that injured players cannot be traded. That is not true. The receiving team has to accept the trade without the required medical clearance. Depending on the severity of his injury, Moen would still be a good fit for a team in no hurry to get him back into the line-up. It might affect his trade value however.

9- After spending over a calendar year without scoring a goal, Scott Gomez has scored two in his last six games. Most importantly, both of his goals came on the power-play, which has been struggling this season. Also, Gomez has shown a lot more speed and determination since his first goal of the season.

10- In spite of having seen limited action in his rookie season, defenseman Alexei Emelin is 11th in the NHL in hits with 180 in 48 games. This places him fourth amongst defensemen behind Brooks Orpik, Luke Schenn and Matt Green.

11- Another rookie defenseman is making great strides this season. Few saw Rafael Diaz in their plans to start the season in Montreal but he not only spent the season with the big club, he is second amongst rookie defensemen in points, tied with Adam Larsson of New Jersey. Leafs’ Jake Gardiner is only two points ahead of Diaz and Larsson.

12- Not often have we witnessed the Canadiens not being in action on a Saturday night as it was the case this weekend, but two weekends in a row? Once again this week, the Habs play on Friday and Sunday, their last two games prior to the trade deadline.

MONTREAL, QC. — We’ve all heard it before. Trade rumours abound at this time of year and they are just hogwash, usually made up by someone with a wild imagination or too much time on their hands. I’m not saying I have very much spare time, but I thought I would try making up some rumours at random. I scribbled down a few possible and less-than-possible people on the trading block and put all of those names in a hat. I don’t have a spinning wheel of trades and my carpentry skills aren’t the greatest, so these slips of paper will have to do.

First up: The New York Rangers trade Brandon Dubinsky for Sergei Gonchar and a fourth-round pick from Ottawa

I’m still not sure that the Rangers need to be making any major moves – they’ve had a great season and they won’t have to squeak their way into the playoffs. But, in any case, a draft pick would only help New York increase its depth.

Jonathan Bernier traded to Montreal for Travis Moen

Well, that makes no sense at all. Bernier has the talent and the desire to be a starting goaltender, and no one can take Carey Price’s crown from him, not even a homegrown talent. Moen’s injury won’t be of any immediate help to Los Angeles. This was not the Wheel of Paper Slips’ best work. Let’s try again.

James van Riemsdyk and a year’s supply of Philly cheese steaks for 4 years’ worth of second-round draft picks from Toronto

Brian Burke would probably get all hungry with all the wheeling and dealing he does, and I’ll just guess that he’s not much of a cook. Philadelphia is getting younger and more energetic, and a bigger presence at the draft would help that even more.

Columbus trades Jeff Carter for any of Los Angeles’ finest restaurants

I’ve been hearing that the Kings actually have an interest in Rick Nash, not Carter, but they wouldn’t have to give up any hockey assets, which would be a welcome change from last year’s transactions. There would probably be a very angry celebrity chef somewhere on a plane between California and Ohio, but the good people of Columbus and their stomachs surely wouldn’t miss Jeff Carter as soon as dinner was served.

Los Angeles trades Dustin Penner for Luke Schenn

The Kings gave up Schenn’s little brother to get Dustin Penner. I guess they regret that. Luckily Toronto didn’t trade any restaurants to acquire Penner, so he has his pick of any cuisine he’d like.

MONTREAL, QC. — With most NHL teams now having a little over twenty games left to play before the season’s end, I wanted to take this opportunity to see how Carey Price is currently stacking up against the rest of the goaltenders in the league so far this season. With the Montreal Canadiens currently ranked 26th in the league, it’s clear that the world is being asked of Carey Price, and in a way, you could say that those looking for the Canadiens to tank the season can blame Price for the Canadiens not wanting to fall all the way down.

Carey Price has always appeared to me as a big kid. He’s matured very much over the last couple of seasons but at heart, he’s a big kid. He likes to have fun and we saw a great demonstration of that at the NHL All Star Game where it seems fans couldn’t get enough of the “Mic’d up Carey Price”. He’s funny, pleasant and his easy-going attitude can really grow on you, but I digress.

The point is that when a team is having a difficult season, a losing season, it’s often difficult to maintain a positive attitude, a great focus, and most of all, simply enjoy the game. It seems that Carey Price has found a way to do just that.

What exactly is Carey Price doing in order to continue having fun in what seems like a situation that is anything but?  

I don’t have the answer to this question. It could be that he’s just genuinely happy in his life right now, and happiness is unique to everyone. To me, besides that, it appears that he’s really found a way to keep his focus and concentration on the task at hand. He seems to have found a way to eliminate all the distractions which can often be the doom of a player. He’s not worrying about the standings; he’s not worrying about his contract; he’s not worrying about his number of wins; he’s just playing each minute and each second of ice time he’s given as best as he can.

Let’s look at the numbers.

The first thing that comes to mind after looking at these stats is that I have to get myself an NHL TV package that covers the Central division. Hot damn, Jimmy Howard, Brian Elliot, Jaroslav Halak and Pekka Rinne all in the same division must make for some great division games.

What stands out even more is that Jonathan Quick has a 0.934 save percentage (SV%.) This almost makes no sense, if you consider that the Los Angeles Kings are third in the Pacific Division, ninth in the Western Conference, and sit 16th overall in the league. How do you explain this? Simple, the Kings can’t score goals. The Kings are the worst team in the NHL at scoring, with only 124 goals scored this season. That’s 36 less goals than the Canadiens to put it into perspective.

Goaltenders like Jimmy Howard and Tim Thomas on their end get more offensive support from their teams, both ranking amongst the top in the league in goals scored.

In the case of goaltenders like Henrik Lundqvist, Brian Elliott, Jaroslav Halak and Pekka Rinne, their teams provide what I would consider is a good balance between offense and defense. They don’t necessarily have the best offenses in the league, but they make up for it with good defense.

So how does Carey Price compare to these goalies, who rank at the top of these categories? 

I don’t think the situations are at all comparable. In the case of Carey Price, he’s had to deal with so much this season in different shapes and forms:

• The return of Andrei Markov that never happened.
• The growing pains of sophomore defenseman P.K. Subban.
• The growing pains of rookie defensemen Alexei Emelin and Rafael Diaz.
• The questionable defensive abilities of Chris Campoli and Tomas Kaberle.
• Injuries to just about everyone in the lineup.

So we can all stand here and point out the obvious, and that being that Carey Price is only:

• 13th in Wins with 22.
• 15th in GAA with 2.38.
• 21st in Sv% with 0.916%.

Sure, it doesn’t look that great black on white just looking at the ranks. But the reality is that Carey Price’s 2.38 GAA is better than Pekka Rinne’s 2.40 GAA, and if I recall, he’s tied for most wins in the NHL, and a 0.916 SV% last time I heard was very respectable.

If it wasn’t for Carey Price, the Canadiens wouldn’t be six points out of eighth place as we speak. They would be dead last in the Eastern Conference, where many would want them to be. Unfortunately though, if you are someone who wishes that, luck is not in your favour because Carey Price is good. He’s damn good.

But for the past two games, we haven’t posted prediction videos as Puck’s human has been ill.  Louise is a very talented member of our All Habs family, and we are happy that she will be better soon. Both she and Puck felt badly for missing two predictions, so together they put together a little project.

As Louise was recovering, her creativity continued to flow. And Puck provided the story-line.

You see, Puck has an imaginary girlfriend, Rondelle. Through the talents of Louise, we can find out what Puck’s ideal dream date would be like.

It’s a Bunny Love Story!

Don’t forget to follow @HabsPuckBunny on Twitter.  Puck is grateful for his more than 200 followers!  Be sure to follow @All_Habs and @AllHabsBrasil as well!

Puck the Bunny tem um importante trabalho. Ele trabalha para o AllHabs.net a função de prever resultados de jogos.

Les trois étoiles de la semaine

1. Darren Dietz (D)

Bien que Dietz se trouve à jouer au sein d’une formation qui a beaucoup de profondeur en défensive avec les Blades de Saskatoon, sa contribution au cours de la dernière semaine ne sombrera pas dans l’oubli de sitôt. Dietz a été blanchi sur la feuille de pointage dans un premier match contre Régina, perdu par Saskatoon au compte de 1 à 0. Sa lancée s’est toutefois amorcée avec une mention d’aide mercredi lorsque les Blades se sont inclinés 5-2 contre les Warriors de Moose Jaw. C’est dans le match de vendredi disputé contre les Broncos de Current Swift qu’il a explosé, inscrivant son nom dans les livres de records de la WHL avec quatre buts dans une victoire de 7 à 3. Cette performance lui a permis d’égaler la marque de buts comptés dans un match par un défenseur. Il a de nouveau été blanchi lors de la défaite de 8 à 3 subie aux mains des Broncos samedi soir. Ses 14 buts jusqu’ici le mettent à égalité au 4^e rang des marqueurs parmi les défenseurs de la WHL. Dietz a été repêché par le Canadien en 5^e ronde en 2011, soit au 138^e rang global.

2. Patrick Holland (AD)

S’il y a une chose sur laquelle ses coéquipiers des Americans de Tri-City peuvent compter, Holland sait orchestrer des jeux avec des passes parfaites. Holland a entamé la semaine avec un doublé de passes mardi soir dans une défaite de 5-4 subie devant les Giants de Vancouver. Il a inscrit une mention d’aide mercredi dans le match gagné par Portland au compte de 5 à 3. Il a repris du galon vendredi avec deux mentions d’aide dans une victoire de 5-2 contre Seattle. Mais Holland a connu sa meilleure performance samedi soir alors qu’il a contribué à tous les buts des siens dans une victoire de 3 à 2 sur Spokane. Ses huit mentions d’aide de la semaine auront permis à Holland d’atteindre les 60 en 58 matchs, égalant son total obtenu en 131 matchs avant d’entamer la saison en cours. Holland est présentement 9^e  pointeur dans la WHL. Holland a été repêché en 7^e ronde en 2011, soit au 193^e rang global et acquis par le Canadien dans la transaction ayant envoyé Michael Cammalleri aux Flames de Calgary.

 3. Brendan Gallagher (AD)

La dernière saison de Gallagher dans la WHL en sera une qui marquera les livres des records pour les Giants de Vancouver. En début de semaine, il est devenu le meilleur marqueur de l’histoire de la franchise. Gallagher a inscrit son cinquièmetruc du chapeau de la saison dans une victoire de 5-4 contre Tri-City qui s’est soldée en tirs de barrage, où il a aussi déjoué le gardien adverse. Ce truc du chapeau lui a permis de briser le record de buteur de l’équipe avec 129 buts comptés dans l’uniforme des Giants. Il a inscrit une mention d’aide mercredi soir dans une victoire de 2-1 contre Spokane. C’est vendredi que Gallagher a marqué son quatrièmebut de la semaine dans une victoire sur Edmonton au compte de 6 à 1. Il a ensuite été blanchi de la feuille de pointage pour les derniers matchs d’une semaine marathon pour les Giants qui se sont inclinés 4-3(F) contre Everett samedi et 3-1 contre Red Deer dimanche. Les 35 buts en 44 matchs de Gallagher le placent en 8^e position chez les buteurs de la WHL, tous ceux le devançant ayant joué au moins huit matchs de moins que lui. Gallagher a été repêché par le Canadien en 5^e ronde en 2010, soit au 147^e rang global.

À l’écran radar:

MONTREAL, QC — She knows what it takes.

Recently my daughter had her very first figure skating competition. It was a synchronized routine with 14 other girls.

They had been practicing for months.

No one had prepared them for the nervousness they would be feeling while waiting for their turn to go on the ice and show their stuff.

This was a good nervousness, because they knew that they had to give it their all to get a medal.

That was their goal. A lofty one at that since this was their first time competing.

The stands were teeming with people cheering on the synchro teams and when the time came for our girls to go out there, they were ready.

The words of encouragement and my “Go Get ‘Em” attitude helped.

They stepped on the ice, the music started, they grouped together and skated their routine flawlessly. In this world, not falling is a bonus!

Once the applause subsided and they got off the ice, they were told that they garned fourth place.

The girls started celebrating! A great result for a neophyte synchro team!

My daughter though, was already planning.

She was busy making mental notes on what needs to be worked on and what needs to get better so that in the next competition,  they get a medal.

That is what I call competitive hunger.

My daughter, all of 10 years old, gets it.

Her experience compelled her to completely focus on the future. The big, bright, and determined future.

This past week, the Habs traded Hal Gill to the Nashville Predators for forwards Blake Geoffrion, Robert Slaney, and a second round draft pick in 2012.

This trade,  although saddened me, shows me that right now, it is the future of the Bleu, Blanc, Rouge that is of utmost importance.

(Photo by REUTERS/Christinne Muschi)

What is the big, bright, and determined future with Montreal? Carey Price, Josh Gorges, P.K. Subban, Max Pacioretty, Lars Eller, David Desharnais, Louis Leblanc, and Blake Geoffrion.

Leblanc and Geoffrion have both tasted the allure of the big league, much like my daughter’s taste of what competition truly is.

And they are hungry.

If a playoff run is completely out of reach, then let the remainder of the season play out as a tryout for the young players to show this hunger for being in the “big league.”

Let it become a showcase for the up and coming talent and let it become a breeding ground for future seasons.

Let’s see more of what these young guns have to offer.

Learning, growing, and building toward a better future.

That is the aspiration.

That is big league hunger.

The Three Stars of the Week

1. D Darren Dietz

While Dietz finds himself playing on a rather deep lineup of defensive strength on the Saskatoon Blades, his impact over the past week will not soon be forgotten. Dietz would go scoreless in his first game of the week with Saskatoon in a 1-0 loss to Regina. Dietz would begin his scoring by collecting an assist on Wednesday as the Blades suffered a 5-2 loss against the Moose Jaw Warriors. Dietz’s impact was much more notable though on Friday night, as his play put him in the Western Hockey League record book and delivered a win for his team. Dietz would score four goals against the Swift Current Broncos in a 7-3 victory for Saskatoon, tying the WHL record for goals in a game by a defencemen. Dietz’s scoring would end for the week there, as the Blades suffered an 8-3 loss in a bit of revenge by Swift Current on Saturday night. Dietz’s 14 goals this season has him tied for 4^th overall in goals by a defencemen in the WHL. Dietz was drafted in the 5^th round, 138^th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2011 Entry Draft.

2. RW Patrick Holland

If there is one thing Holland has been consistent with this season for the Tri-City Americans, it is setting up his teammates with timely passes. Holland began his week notching a pair of assists on Tuesday night in an eventual 5-4 loss to the Vancouver Giants. Holland would mark a single assist on Wednesday night in a 5-3 loss to Portland. Holland’s helpful ways continued on Friday night as he would add two assists in a 5-2 victory over Seattle. Holland’s most notable performance came on Saturday night as he would assist on all three of Tri-City’s goals in a 3-2 victory over Spokane. Holland’s eight assist week raised him to 60 total on his season over 58 games, matching his career output in assists over 131 career games heading in to the 2011-12 season. Holland is currently 9^th overall in WHL scoring. Holland was drafted in the 7^th round, 193^rd overall by the Calgary Flames in the 2010 Entry Draft and was acquired by Montreal as part of the Michael Cammalleri trade.

3. RW Brendan Gallagher

Gallagher’s final season in the Western Hockey League is set to be one that will define the record book of the Vancouver Giants. The week began by Gallagher taking hold as the career franchise goal scoring leader of the Giants. Gallagher would record his 5^th hat trick of the season in a 5-4 shootout victory over Tri-City, which also saw Gallagher notch a shootout goal as part of the victory. The hat trick lifted Gallagher to sole possession of the team franchise goal record with 129 career goals. Gallagher would next mark an assist on Wednesday night as part of a 2-1 victory over Spokane. Gallagher would pick up his 4^th goal of the week on Friday as part of a 6-1 victory over Edmonton. Gallagher would miss the scoresheet for the rest of the Giant’s marathon week in a shootout loss to Everett 4-3 on Saturday and than a 3-1 loss to Red Deer on Sunday. Gallagher’s 35 goals in 44 games is good enough for 8^th in goal scoring in the WHL, with all players ahead of him playing at least 8 more games. Gallagher was drafted in the 5^th round, 147^th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2010 Entry Draft.

On The Radar:

• D Nathan Beaulieu marked two assists for his 3^rd straight 40-point season with the Saint John Sea Dogs and has ten assists in a six game point streak.
• C Philip DeSimone scored three goals and one assist with Hamilton.
• C Andreas Engqvist scored a goal and two assists for a 30-point season in Hamilton.
• Catching the Torch welcomes newcomer LW Blake Geoffrion, who scored a goal and four assists in his first two games with Hamilton.
• C Joonas Nättinen gets an honorable mention out of the bubble category this week, with a notable four goals and one assist for Hamilton. Nättinen was also named Reebok/AHL Player of the Week.
• D Jarred Tinordi celebrates his 20^th birthday today, while continuing to lead the OHL in plus/minus with a +39 rating, which is also +12 better than any of his London Knights teammates.

Question Marks:

• LW Olivier Archambault is out indefinitely with a concussion.
• RW Alexander Avtsin is out with a wrist injury.
• C Gabriel Dumont is out with an undisclosed injury.
• LW Olivier Fortier is out with an undisclosed injury.
• D Brendon Nash is recovering from shoulder surgery.

Complete Statistics for the week of February 13th, 2012
Legend
Skaters: Games Played, Goals, Assists, +/-, Penalty Minutes
Goalies: Wins, Losses, Overtime Losses, Shootout Losses, Goals Against Average, Save Percentage
Teams: Wins, Losses, Overtime Losses, Shootout Losses, Ties (for NCAA teams only)
Season Stats: Season scoring prior to the past week.

The AHL Report: The Hamilton Bulldogs have been the AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens since 2002. It is the most common route for developing Montreal Canadiens prospects into full-time members of the organization. There are currently 11 members of the Hamilton Bulldogs that can be thought to have future consideration for an NHL position. The Hamilton Bulldogs have a record of 24-23-1-4, are 4^th in their Division, 12^th in their Conference, 23^rd overall in the AHL.

RW Alexander Avtsin: 20 years old, 6’2″, 199 pounds, RH shot.

C Philip DeSimone 24 years old, 6’1”, 188 pounds, LH shot.

G Peter Delmas: 21 years old, 6’2”, 188 pound, Catches Left.

C Gabriel Dumont: 21 years old, 5’10″, 189 pounds, RH shot.

C Andreas Engqvist: 23 years old, 6’4″, 191 pounds, RH shot.         

LW Blake Geoffrion: 24 years old, 6’2”, 190 pounds, LH shot.

RW Aaron Palushaj: 22 years old, 6′, 188 pounds, RH shot.

D Frédéric St-Denis: 26 years old, 5’11”, 193 pounds, LH shot.

Called up to Montreal:

RW Mike Blunden: 25 years old, 6’4”, 218 pounds, RH shot.

C Louis Leblanc: 21 years old, 6’, 180 pounds, RH shot.

Injured:

C Olivier Fortier: 22 years old, 6’, 185 pounds, LH shot.

D Brendon Nash: 23 years old, 6’3″, 210 pounds, LH shot.

ECHL:

G Peter Delmas: 21 years old, 6’2”, 188 pound, Catches Left.

The Juniors Report: The Canadiens currently feature prospects playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and the Western Hockey League (WHL). These leagues can be considered the primary conduit towards professional hockey in North America.

QMJHL:

LW Olivier Archambeault: 19 years old, 5’11”, 184 pounds. LH shot.

Junior Club: Drummondville Voltigeurs

24W, 26L, 2 OTL, 6 SOL – 12^th of 17^th overall in the QMJHL.

D Nathan Beaulieu: 19 years old, 6’3”, 191 pounds, LH shot.

Junior Club: Saint John Sea Dogs – Alternate Captain

41W, 14L, 0 OTL, 2 SOL- 2^nd of 17^th overall in the QMJHL

C Michaël Bournival: 19 years old, 6’, 187 pounds, LH shot.

Junior Club: Shawinigan Cataractes – Team Captain

39W, 12L, 3 OTL, 4 SOL – 1^st of 17^th overall in the QMJHL.

D Morgan Ellis: 19 years old, 6’2″, 204 pounds, RH shot.
Junior Club: Shawinigan Cataractes

39W, 12L, 3 OTL, 4 SOL – 1^st of 17^th overall in the QMJHL

OHL:

D Jarred Tinordi: 19 years old, 6’6″, 215 pounds, LH shot.
Junior Club: London Knights – Team Captain

42W, 12L, 0 OTL, 1 SOL – 1st of 20^th overall in the OHL

WHL:

D Darren Dietz: 18 years old, 6’1”, 195 pounds, RH shot.

Junior Club: Saskatoon Blades – Alternate Captain

35W, 24L, 0 OTL, 1 SOL – 10^th of 22^nd overall in the WHL

RW Brendan Gallagher: 19 years old, 5’8″, 175 pounds, RH shot.
Junior Club: Vancouver Giants – Team Captain

(35W, 21L, 1 OTL, 3 SOL – 7^th of 22^nd overall in the WHL)

RW Patrick Holland: 20 years old, 6’, 175 pounds, RH shot.

Junior Club: Tri-City Americans

(40W, 15L, 1 OTL, 2 SOL – 2^nd of 22^nd overall in the WHL)

US College Hockey (NCAA) Report: The Canadiens have drafted a number of college players in recent years, these are generally ‘project players’ who benefit from additional years in lower level hockey to develop their skills.

D Mac Bennett: 20 years old,  6′, 180 pounds, LH shot.
NCAA Team: University of Michigan Wolverines

(20W, 10L, 4T)

D Scott Kishel: 22 years old, 6’, 190 pounds, LH shot.

NCAA Team: University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs

(20W, 7L, 5T)

RW Danny Kristo: 21 years old, 5’11”, 188 pounds, RH shot.
NCAA Team: University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux

(17W, 11L, 3T)

C Mark MacMillan: 19 years old, 6’, 170 pounds, LH shot.

NCAA Team: University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux

(17W, 11L, 3T)

D Greg Pateryn: 21 years old, 6’3”, 222 pounds, RH shot.

NCAA Team: University of Michigan Wolverines

(20W, 10L, 4T)

LW Steve Quailer: 22 years old, 6’4”, 200 pounds, LH shot.

NCAA Team: Northeastern University Huskies

(11W, 14L, 5T)

C Dustin Walsh: 20 years old, 6’3”, 190 pounds, LH shot.

NCAA Team: Dartmouth College Big Green

(10W, 13L, 4T)

Czech Extraliga Report: The Extraliga is the top professional league in the Czech Republic. The First League is the league that plays under it.

C Daniel Pribyl: 18 years old, 6’3”, 190 pounds, RH shot.

Extraliga Team: HC Sparta Praha

34W, 7L, 9 OTL – 1^st of 14^th overall in the league

Czech First League Team: HC Berountsi Medovi

(20W, 27L, 3 OTL – 13^th of 14^th overall in the League)

Elitserien Report: The Swedish Elite League is the top professional league of Sweden. The Allsvenskan league plays under it.

D Magnus Nygren: 21 years old, 6’1”, 191 pounds, RH shot.

Elitserien Team: Farjestads BK

(23W, 15L, 10 OTL – 9^th of 12 overall in the League)

Allsvenskan Team: Bofors IK Karlskoga

(31W, 15L, 1 OTL – 3^rd of 14^th overall in the League)

SPRINGFIELD, MA – The American Hockey League announced today that Hamilton Bulldogs center Joonas Nättinen has been selected as the Reebok/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday, February 19^th, 2012.

Nättinen, 21, recorded four goals and one assist to help the Bulldogs to three consecutive victories this past week.

After scoring two goals in his first 36 games of the season, Nättinen quickly matched that total against the St. John’s IceCaps on Friday, February 17^th, 2012, scoring twice in the first 4:22 of the game and adding an assist later in the first period as Hamilton defeated the league-leading IceCaps, 4-3. Nättinen scored again the next night as the Bulldogs rallied for a 5-2 win over the Rockford IceHogs, and his goal against the Rochester Americans on Sunday, February 19^th, 2012 gave Hamilton the lead for good in what would be a 7-3 victory.

The native of Jamsa, Finland now has 13 points (6 goals, 7 assists) in 39 games for the Bulldogs this season, his first campaign in North America. Nattinen was drafted in the third-round (65^th overall) by the Montreal Canadiens in 2009, and has represented Finland at the 2009 and 2010 World Junior Championships.

In recognition of his achievement, Nättinen will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Bulldogs home game.

The Bulldogs’ next game will take place on Wednesday, February 22^nd, 2012, when they face the Grand Rapids Griffins at 7 p.m. at Van Andel Arena. The ‘Dogs will then travel to Montreal to take on the St. John’s IceCaps in a home game at the Bell Centre on Friday, February 24^th, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. All Hamilton Bulldogs games can be heard live on AM 820 CHAM or on hamiltonbulldogs.com, or seen live on ahllive.com beginning with the Pioneer Pre-Game Show 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start time.