Fellow newcomer Mike Johnson, however, did acquaint himself with his new NHL home. The 10-year veteran is looking forward to making the adaptation from the obscurity of Phoenix to a hockey hotbed like Montreal.

“I’m really excited to play somewhere where hockey is all that really matters,” said Johnson. “This is a young and talented team and I’m looking forward to a fresh start and a new challenge.”

One challenge that won’t be daunting for Johnson will be his settling into his new bilingual environment.

“I’ve had a few French roommates over the years and I’ve managed to pick some French up along way,” said Johnson, who bunked with the likes of Daniel Briere and Denis Gauthier while with the Coyotes. “Just as long as you guys know that you can’t talk about me behind my back thinking that I don’t understand, because I do!”