Molson: 'They're building something great and it’s going to be fun for many years'

LAVAL-SUR-LE-LAC – The Habs' season kicked off with the annual Golf Tournament to benefit the Canadiens Children’s Foundation, giving the team the chance to officially come together for the first time in 2024-25.

The tournament was also an opportunity for management and players to reunite with the media and give their thoughts on what happened this offseason and on the campaign to come. Here are some highlights from their respective media availabilities:

Please note questions and answers have been modified for clarity and conciseness.

Geoff Molson on the progress of the rebuild:

The biggest thing I’ve learned is that our fans wanted this and they’re entirely behind this rebuild, because they can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was hard to make that decision, because I didn’t know how the fans were going to react. I see the excitement. We had two Prospect [Showdown] games over the weekend, and both were sold out; I don’t think that’s ever happened. That’s a sign that our fans can’t wait to see these young guys on the ice. I’d say that’s probably the biggest learning. The second is patience. [...] I need to have patience with the management team, because they are building something great and it’s going to be fun for many years for all of us.

We have a plan, we’re in year three of the plan and I’m very satisfied with the work done by everyone in management, including Jeff [Gorton], Kent [Hughes], and Martin [St-Louis], and I have no doubt it’ll continue.

Gorton on what he’s excited about this season:

The evolution of the team and where we’re going next excites me. I think the summer’s been good. We were able to take care of some players long term, who are going to be here; we were able to acquire Patrik [Laine] and do some things that I think will help. And training camp, to see how it works out with how the young players will play, and if they’re ready to help us now. There are a lot of questions, we have a lot of good young players here. I think the competition for spots should be better now that we’re increasing our talent pool.

Hughes on helping players reach their potential:

We can’t be 100% confident that every player will reach his potential. We have a certain idea of the type of environment that will allow players to reach their potential, and I think every player is different. That’s the coach’s job and for us, the management team, we have to be able to evaluate the players, to know what kinds of people they are, and what motivates them. More than anything, we have a good group of guys who want to win for their teammates, not just play for themselves.

St-Louis on hiring Roger Grillo and taking over the power play:

I helped [Alex] Burrows with the power play the last couple of years. When he stepped down, I wanted to have that continuity with the power play and I wanted to take care of it. So, I didn’t feel like I needed to bring a coach in that department when I wanted to do it, because it wouldn’t be fair for that guy coming in. So, I was looking more for someone who could be an extension of the staff; I was looking for an older person. What Roger has done throughout his coaching career and post-career, he had the experience that was very fitting for the position that I was looking for, and obviously I’ve had a relationship with him for a long time. He’s going to be an extension for all the departments and the staff so that I can do my job better, considering I will take the power play as well. I’m excited for it.

Nick Suzuki on the team being ‘in the mix’ for a postseason berth:

I know they’ve been saying that a lot recently. For us, it just means battling for a playoff spot right to the very end. As players, we want to make the playoffs this year, obviously; get back to where we used to be. It’s up to us to get those wins and get those points, and put ourselves in a position to make the playoffs at the end of the regular season.

Suzuki on St-Louis as a coach and running the power play:

He’s helped me in so many different areas. The way he sees the game is the way I like to play it. He puts us in a position to succeed every time. With the power play, I think he’s going to do a good job. Obviously, he’s had a lot of success as a player doing it – the way he sees things on the power play and where you can take advantage of other teams on the penalty kill. He’s been a big help to me and a lot of the other guys would probably say the same thing.

Cole Caufield on wearing No. 13 in honor of Johnny Gaudreau:

He was a special person in my life, and for many people around the hockey world. It’s pretty special for me, just to carry on his legacy. To see how many lives he changed, and how many people he impacted is pretty special. I’m going to try to honor him through doing things like that.

Patrik Laine on his career progression:

I don’t like to get ahead of myself too much; just live in the moment, try to get better every day, try to get better year by year. I feel like, as a player, the results haven’t always been there in the way that I would have maybe wanted them to be. I feel like I am light years ahead as a player than I was at 18 years old. You know, I’m still entering my prime, I still hopefully have a lot of years left. [...] I’m trying to get better each year, and I feel like I’ve been doing that. Hopefully the results will come as well.

Kirby Dach on returning to play after missing most of last season due to injury:

It was a long year last year, and I feel good health-wise, body-wise. I felt like I was ready to play games at the end of last year even though I wasn’t really medically cleared to. I had a good summer and now I’m just trying to come into camp, trying to almost re-prove myself and show that I can be an impact player on this team and hopefully help us win some games and get into meaningful games down the stretch.

Juraj Slafkovsky on having Dach and Laine help expand the offensive power throughout the lineup:

It’s great to have a lot of good forwards and that means more goals, and I think that means more wins. We got Pat, we got Kirby back. We will see how strong we are now when everyone is healthy.