All Montreal Hockey has no direct affiliation to the Montreal Canadiens, NHL or NHLPA
Former Canadiens Forward Samuel Blais Finally Gets His Chance With the Maple Leafs
A few weeks after being claimed off waivers by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Samuel Blais is finally about to make his debut with his new team.
This news will surely twist the knife for Canadiens fans!
Renaud Lavoie confirmed the news this Wednesday, saying that the Quebec forward is expected to play tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Of course, I'm really happy for Blais. It's clearly a long-awaited moment.
After being released by the Canadiens at the end of training camp, the Leafs gave him a second chance in the NHL.
"Looks like Samuel Blais will play his first game with the Maple Leafs tonight."
- Renaud Lavoie
- Renaud Lavoie
His coach, Craig Berube - who previously coached him in St. Louis during their 2019 Stanley Cup run - explained why he's finally inserting him into the lineup.
"I think we've had numbers here, right? We've been getting Easton Cowan going and some of the other guys," Berube said after practice on Monday. "That's the reason; it is more of a numbers thing than anything. We had our guys here. We picked him up off waivers, which is great, but that is really what it boils down to."
"Sammy is a physical player. He likes to throw his body around on the forecheck. From the past time when I've had Sammy, he has really good hands; he is good in tight with the puck, and he can do pretty incredible things with the puck. He has a good shot, too. More than anything, he is going to go out there, finish his checks, and try to make the other team uncomfortable."
- Craig Berube
"Sammy is a physical player. He likes to throw his body around on the forecheck. From the past time when I've had Sammy, he has really good hands; he is good in tight with the puck, and he can do pretty incredible things with the puck. He has a good shot, too. More than anything, he is going to go out there, finish his checks, and try to make the other team uncomfortable."
- Craig Berube
His comments, reported in an article by Heavy.com, really show that Blais brings exactly what Toronto (and every NHL team) looks for on its fourth line.
I'll admit, I really would have liked to see him play in Montreal... It's clear to me that he would have been called up with the injuries to Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach.
Samuel Blais Hopes to Revive His Career After His Time in Montreal
The former Canadiens player hasn't played an NHL game since the 2023-2024 season, but he had an excellent year in the AHL with Abbotsford, recording 40 points in 51 games and winning the Calder Cup last year.
He's playing good hockey!
At 29 years old, opportunities to revive a career are rare, and this first game represents a great chance to prove himself.
I'm very curious to see if he'll be able to seize this new opportunity in Toronto.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 29 | 591 ANSWERS Former Canadiens Forward Samuel Blais Finally Gets His Chance With the Maple Leafs Do you think Samuel Blais will be able to revive his career in Toronto? | ||
| Yes | 202 | 34.2 % |
| No | 389 | 65.8 % |
| List of polls | ||