Habs Nation,

As I posted a little while ago, I host a radio show out here in Vancouver, and as such, I have had the opportunity to attend Habs practices, go in the dressing room, talk to the players and so forth (and yes, I know how lucky that seems, although with these current Habs, that's debatable). Since you are all such devoted fans, I would like to share some of these experiences with you, especially because what I have seen on a face-to-face basis really helps explain the on-ice performance (read on and you'll understand what I mean).

First, to contextualize the situation, it helps to understand the timeframes. I first met the Habs in Montreal, during the practice before the Ottawa game (4-1 victory) that was part of CBC's Hockey Day in Canada. More recently, I met them again here in Vancouver, when they got blown out 6-2. Here's a player by player breakdown:

Kovalev:
Very 'cold', as expected. Didn't talk to anyone really. Didn't practice before the Ottawa game, and left practice very early in Vancouver. I figured he was going to receive treatment or something, but no, he just left, got dressed, and sat down and drank coffee. This makes you realize the special treatment star players receive, if they can choose when practice starts and ends. Told one of my reporters he wouldn't talk to her, which is fine in its own right (that's his choice), but goes along with the theme of telling off Julien, Begin, etc. One sidenote, overheard him talking to a friend on the team, in regards to his wife going back to Europe. He did this while staring at a couple figure skating together on a different rink (yeah, it was weird, like something out of a romance movie). He seemed quite upset over the situation, and perhaps this is affecting his play, who knows. This hasn't been reported, so all I ask is to take this with a grain of salt because its possible I misunderstood.

Begin and Bouillon:
One word: focus. They arrived to practice early, got changed immediately, and then proceeded to study the visitors practice and work on their sticks. The consummate professionals, they clearly take their role as Canadiens very seriously, which I'm sure the fans appreciate. Not a coincidence that they lead this team in heart and community involvement. Also, Begin was extremely friendly to everyone, taking his time to talk, and so on.

Ribeiro and Theodore:
The exact opposite of Begin and Bouillon. Instead of focus, these guys were talking on their cell phones, making sure they looked good, talking to friends, and so forth. I don't think this is a bad thing in its own right, as its just their personality to be more extroverted, but they did not carry the same professionalism or focus. To be fair, Theo was quite friendly to the media, which carries into his dealings with the community, an important part of being a Montreal Canadien.

Rivet:
What can I say...very passionate. He wasn't happy with some guys effort in practice, and he wasn't afraid to show it. Funny story: in the locker room, Bulis took tape off his skate/ankle and just kinda threw it on the ground. Rivet scolded him, telling him its not fair that the equipment guys have to clean up after the players, so Bulis got up and picked up the tape. A relatively small incident, but Rivet, he sure took it passionately. He clearly commands respect, as they way Bulis reacted demonstrated that he cared about Rivet's perceptions.

Huet:
Quiet guy, but seemingly popular with the players. After his saves, some players began a "Huet, Huet" chant, which was funny to see.

Souray:
Talked to him for quite a long time. If Dandenault is the French media's 'best friend', Souray is the English equivalent, as he didn't mind sticking around to gab about movies, politics, whatever. We discussed the importance of being a Hab, giving back to the community, playing with pride. Of course players can say whatever they want, its the actions that count, but having talked to him in person for quite a while, he clearly values being on the team, and the CH means a lot to him. Slick dresser, but I digress...

Ryder:
Friendly guy, thoughtful, nothing particularity positive or negative to say.

Koivu:
Didn't interact with him much, but he did have an understated confidence. Although he may be a small guy, he projected an air of leadership, but was never vocal at any point. To extrapolate to the on-ice play, this team needs him to give 110% every night, because the other players, vets and rooks alike, will follow.

Streit:
More talkative then expected, and did actually demonstrate some leadership, trying to motivate players. He was the only player to carry his own equipment, lugging his bags, sticks out of the arena while signing autographs for the kids. Quite the sight.

Others:
Don't have much to say, so I won't write something just for the sake of writing.

In terms of overall chemistry, I hate to say it, because as Canadian I strongly value diversity, but having so many European players did APPEAR to create cliques. I compare this to watching other teams (especially Calgary, which is almost all-Canadian), where you see more interaction between different groups of players. I mean, Kostitsyn was literally all on his own, in the locker room and walking down the hallways. Compare this to the young guys on the Canucks (Burrows, Baumgartner, Bouck) who were interacting and jostling each other. Of course there are pros and cons, as with diversity you get a wider spread of strengths and values then out of a homogeneous group, but we'll leave that to a later discussion...

I hope you enjoyed these stories; I'll finish with some caveats. First, some details have probably been omitted, as I didn't really want to be writing all night, so completeness might be an issue. Secondly, I tried to remain unbiased, but its only natural to look for positives in your favorite players and vice versa. That being said, I stand by everything I wrote.