Tonight is the moment Hab fans (as well as Guillaume Latendresse) have been waiting for. After tearing up the American Hockey League with 8 goals and 17 points he's hoping to make an impact in the NHL as well. "I've learned a lot in Hamilton," says Latendresse "especially how to get involved physically. If that means dropping the gloves every once in a while then I don't mind." Tomorrow night will be the 15th NHL game of the 22 year old's career.The callup is bittersweet for Bob Gainey, who lost his job as General Manager of the Canadiens not long after the controversial decision to send Latendresse back to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Latendresse had impressed in training camp as an 18 year old after being drafted and then again at the age of 19, but the General Manager felt he was still too raw to expose him to the National Hockey League. Fans an analysts across Quebec were outraged that Latendresse had to spend another year in junior when they felt he was clearly ready. Bob Gainey was not fired directly because of this incident, but it was just the beginning of a series of events that caused the fanbase to turn on him, and eventually, the new owners of the Canadiens.
Luckily for Bob, he can have a good laugh at it. "It seems to have worked out for the best, he's one of those players that needs a little more time to develop. You have to be patient with the bigger guys," says Mr. Gainey. His team is in town visiting the Habs, after which they will head out West to complete the 4 game road trip.
Game time is 7pm tomorrow, and it should be a good one. It's always a classic when the Leafs and Habs get together.
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