the 2nd last peragraph tells me all i need to know about higgins .

When Chris Higgins was drafted in the first round of the 2002 draft, it was not the first time the Montreal Canadiens took a Higgins in the first round. Back in 1996 the Canadiens selected big strapping Matt Higgins, (who shares no relation) from the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL. Matt Higgins played 57 total NHL games and registered three points, Chris has already managed that feat this season following the Canadiens opening day loss to the Buffalo Sabres in which he recorded a goal and two assists.


Higgins has always been a capable scorer; in his last season in the NCAA he led his Yale Bulldogs team in goal scoring with 20 in 28 games before moving to yet another Bulldogs team, Hamilton of the AHL. Higgins enjoyed two successful campaigns building on his point totals each year and received the Bulldogs Player-of-the-Year award in 2003.

"Every time I have moved up in hockey there has not been much of an adjustment period" admits the Smithtown NY native. "I feel that I adapt well to the next level and playing a solid two way game helps me in that regard. I don't rely just on scoring or just on defence I try to be versatile and I think that helps make the transition easier".

Things really started to go well for Higgins in the second half of his rookie season. Off his 23 goals scored 18 came in that time frame coinciding with a promotion to the top line by then Coach Bob Gainey. Lining up with Koivu and Ryder certainly helped Higgins escape the defensive role he was type cast into prior to the coaching change and gave him an opportunity to develop his maturing offensive skills. This year the organization will look for him to be more of an impact player. Following an extensive training regime, Higgins showed up to camp in tip top shape. The chemistry he helped to generate last year did not go unnoticed which subsequently allowed Richard Zednik to walk via free agency to the Capitals and most recently Mike Ribiero was dealt to the Stars to create more offensive minutes for the second year pro.

"I want to be a dynamic player, one who makes big plays" states a confident Higgins. "However I don't think my role changed that much with the team transactions, the team still looks to me to play an all around solid game and being on the top line will require me to produce more offensively but I worked hard in the off season and hope I can meet the expectations of this team".

Too suggest that captain Koivu did not have any hand in the rapid development of Higgins would be an understatement to say the least. The Canadiens evaporated in the playoffs losing four straight after Koivu sustained an eye injury due to the careless stick of Justin Williams. The Canadiens still rely heavily on the diminutive Finnish sensation for both his on ice performance and leadership qualities. Higgins has learned through osmosis from Koivu and conducts himself with a heightened degree of class both on and off the ice.

"Saku has a great ability to make everyone feel welcome and be a valuable contributor to this hockey club no matter what your role" says Higgins. "On the ice he is always teaching, giving us little tips on where he wants us to be and where to be on the ice when he has the puck, it makes a big difference because chemistry goes a long way".

Feeling welcome is something that Higgins had to learn last season when he arrived at training camp with fellow Hamilton Bulldogs, Alexander Perezhogin, Tomas Plekanec and Mike Komisarek. The whole experience was a nervous one for the then 22 year old who tried very hard to impress the coaching staff of Claude Julien. Julien was replaced mid season briefly by Gainey before a new head coach could be hired. Enter Guy Carbonneau who helped the Canadiens win two Stanley Cups as a player and another with the Dallas Stars. Carbonneau, a 19 year pro was better known for his defensive acumen and he brings the same type of logic to the Canadiens this season. He stresses high tempo hockey with a concentrated attention to defensive detail.

"Coach Carbonneau understands that a great deal of this game is mental" says a receptive Higgins. "Positioning and discipline go a long way in his eyes, he had skills but was not a dynamic scorer however there is a reason he was successful because he understood the game and had tremendous hockey sense. He is trying to translate that to us, he understands that players have different skill sets but there is a basic understanding of the game and he is trying to teach that to us".

The Canadiens are hoping with a former player behind the bench with a proven track record of success as a player that the Canadiens can return to the Stanley Cup finals, something the team has not managed to do since winning the cup in 92-93. Since moving to the Bell Centre in 1996 the Canadiens have been marred in mediocrity as they have missed the playoffs five times and won only two playoff series in that time. It has been bittersweet in recent years as the Canadiens have been eliminated from the post season in the last two years by the eventual Stanley Champions, Tampa Bay in 2004 and Carolina in 2006. The 24 Stanley Cup banners, most in the NHL that hang proudly serve as a constant reminder to current Habitants players as to the success of this franchise. Despite being an American born player he is very familiar with their roots as his father was a huge Montreal fan growing up and Chris watched many Canadiens games as a youngster.

"My dad was a fanatical Canadiens fan. He can tell you all the rosters and leading scorers going back to the seventies" reminiscences Higgins.

Higgins is hoping to be a key cog in the rebuilding process that vaults the Canadiens to the upper echelon of the league, a position his father so vividly remembers. Higgins not only understands the pressure associated but feels honoured and privileged to wear the CH on his chest.

"The goal here every year is to win the Stanley Cup. When you play in Montreal, the fans expect to win and everyone player on this team should expect to win the Stanley Cup every year! Don't even bother to come out if you do not feel you can win the Cup!"

With a take charge attitude like that perhaps Higgins's father will have an even fonder memory of the many Stanley Cup victories he watched the Canadiens win; however this one will include his son.