|
|
| NEWS: |
The Canadiens avoided salary arbitration with Ryder by giving him a big raise Sunday, signing their top goalscorer to a one-year deal worth $2.2 million. Ryder and the Canadiens had been scheduled for a Tuesday arbitration session. |
| NOTES: |
The 26-year-old Ryder had a team-high 30 goals last season while earning $1 million. He also had 25 assists in 81 games. |
|
|
| NEWS: |
The Canadiens re-signed Aebischer to a $1.9 million, one-year contract Wednesday. The 28-year-old Aebischer, who accepted his qualifying offer, played in seven games with Montreal last season after being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche on the eve of the trading deadline in exchange for goalie Jose Theodore. |
| NOTES: |
Overall, Aebischer went 29-17-2 last season with a 3.09 goals-against average. He'll battle Cristobal Huet for the starting job in 2006-07, and can become an unrestricted free agent next summer. |
|
|
| NEWS: |
Samsonov signed a two-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday. The 27-year-old free agent signed the deal roughly a month after he helped lead the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup finals. |
| NOTES: |
Samsonov, who went to Edmonton in a deadline-day trade with the Boston Bruins, had 53 points in 74 games last season for the Bruins and Oilers. For his career, he has 169 goals and 392 points in 533 games. |
|
|
| NEWS: |
Johnson was acquired by the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday for a fourth-round pick next year. The 31-year-old right wing had 16 goals and 38 assists in 80 games for the Coyotes last season and has 116 goals and 223 assists in 560 career games with Toronto, Tampa Bay and Phoenix. He has one more year left on his contract at $1.9 million. |
|
|
| NEWS: |
Montreal re-signed Cote to a one-year deal on Thursday, keeping the 24-year-old defenseman in the mix. Cote made his NHL debut last season and had four penalty minutes in eight games. |
|
|
| NEWS: |
The Canadiens re-signed Ribeiro to a one-year contract on Thursday. The 26-year-old center had 16 goals and 35 assists in 79 games with Montreal last season. The Montreal native has 50 goals and 153 points in his six-year career, spent entirely with the Canadiens. |
|
|
| NEWS: |
The Canadiens re-signed Bouillon to a three-year, $5.63 million contract Saturday. "Francis Bouillon is a key element of our defensive squad," Montreal general manager Bob Gainey said in a statement. "(He is) very well respected by his teammates and admired by our fans, he is a player who showed a great deal of perseverance since his debut in the NHL." |
| NOTES: |
Bouillon, who was an unrestricted free agent, will make $1.875 million a season after posting career highs in goals (three), assists (19) and points (22) with Montreal in 2005-06. |
|
|
| NEWS: |
Huet re-signed with the Canadiens on Monday, agreeing to a two-year contract after a season in which he helped Montreal make the playoffs and had a league-best .929 save percentage. "Cristobal Huet is a very valuable member of the Canadiens' organization who helped our team to clinch a playoff berth last season," general manager Bob Gainey said. |
| NOTES: |
Huet had an 18-11-4 record with seven shutouts in 36 regular-season games with a 2.20 goals-against average. He was acquired by Montreal from the Los Angeles Kings in 2004. |
|
|
| NEWS: |
The Montreal Canadiens re-signed Begin to a three-year contract Tuesday. The Canadiens center set career highs with 11 goals, 12 assists, 23 points and 76 games played last season. |
| NOTES: |
"We are very pleased to have Steve Begin under contract with the organization for the next three years," Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey said. "Steve proved to be one of the leaders of our club through his determination, energy and commitment." |
|
|
| NEWS: |
Koivu's eye injury is reportedly improving and the Montreal Canadiens are optimistic their captain will recover in time for training camp. Team doctor David Mulder said late Monday that Koivu's left eye -- struck with a stick during the NHL playoffs -- is healing and that Canadiens' center had been cleared to fly home to Finland. |
| NOTES: |
Koivu was examined on Friday and the eye had shown "further improvement" Mulder said. Koivu had 17 goals and 45 assists last season for Montreal. |
|
|
| NEWS: |
Koivu, the Montreal captain, has had surgery to repair a torn retina in his left eye. He suffered the injury when he took an accidental stick from Carolina's Justin Williams during Game 3 of Montreal's first-round playoff loss to the Hurricanes. |
| NOTES: |
Doctors believe Koivu will completely regain his vision, but his recovery will take several weeks. |
|
|
| NEWS: |
Koivu, the Canadiens' captain since 1999 and their second-leading scorer during the regular season, is out indefinitely. He was hit with a stick near his left eye Wednesday during the second period of Montreal's 2-1 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series. |
| NOTES: |
No penalty was called on the play, in which Koivu was clipped by the stick of Justin Williams near Carolina's net. Koivu was taken off the ice as blood dripped down the left side of his face. Koivu had 17 goals and 45 assists in his 10th season with Montreal in 2005-06. He has two assists so far in the playoffs. |
|
|
| NEWS: |
Jancevski was recalled by the Stars on Tuesday to play in the team's regular-season finale. Dallas already has clinched the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, but will be without defensemen Philippe Boucher (lower body injury) and Willie Mitchell (upper body injury) for Tuesday's game at Columbus. |
| NOTES: |
Jancevski made his NHL debut and played his only game this season against St. Louis on Feb. 4, when he was held off the scoresheet in a 4-3 overtime loss. The 24-year-old defenseman had 38 points in 77 games for Iowa. |
|
|
| NEWS: |
Ribeiro had a goal and two assists in the Canadiens' 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. The victory extended Montreal's winning streak to eight games and tied it with New Jersey for sixth in the Eastern Conference. |
| NOTES: |
Ribeiro's big night is a good sign for the Canadiens as they make a late-season run for the playoffs. The 26-year-old center, who entered with a 10-game goal-scoring drought, has 15 goals and 33 assists in 2005-06, one year after he had a career-best 20 tallies and 45 helpers in 81 contests. |
|
|
| NEWS: |
Samsonov had a goal and two helpers in the Oilers' 7-1 win over the Phoenix Coyotes on Monday. The victory kept Edmonton three points ahead of the ninth-seeded San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference. |
| NOTES: |
Samsonov has played well since being acquired from Boston on March 9, registering five goals and 10 assists in 13 games, including four goals and seven assists in his last eight contests. Overall, the 27-year-old winger has 169 goals and 391 points in 527 career games. |
|
|
| NEWS: |
Koivu scored his first goal in more than two months and added an assist in the Canadiens' 3-2 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday. The Montreal captain hadn't tallied since Jan. 28 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a span of 24 games. |
| NOTES: |
Koivu went a while without lighting the lamp, but did register 15 assists in those games before Thursday's effort. For the season, the 31-year-old has 15 goals and 40 assists in 63 games, including one goal and seven assists during a five-game point streak. |
|
|
| NEWS: |
Huet made 36 saves for his sixth shutout of the season in the Canadiens' 2-0 win over the New York Islanders on Tuesday. The 30-year-old Montreal goaltender has recorded all of his shutouts since taking over for Jose Theodore on Feb. 2. |
| NOTES: |
Huet improved to 15-8-4 with a 2.14 goals-against average in 30 games this season. His six shutouts are tied with Detroit's Manny Legace for second in the league behind Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff, who has eight. Over his last eight starts, Huet is 6-2-0 with a 1.26 GAA. |
|
|
| NEWS: |
Huet had 34 saves in the Canadiens' 5-1 win over the Maple Leafs on Thursday. |
|
|
| NEWS: |
Markov is day-to-day and could return for Montreal on Monday after a three-game absence because of back spasms. |
|
|
| NEWS: |
Montreal defenseman Bouillon left Saturday's game on a stretcher after crashing hard into the boards. X-rays were negative, but he did suffer a bruise. |