Dale Weise happy, but thinks Canadiens could have won Cup had Carey Price not been kreiderated.

Dale Weise was interviewed by RDS after signing his new two-year deal.  Here are translated excerpts from the interview (translations mine).

« Je suis fou de joie, a-t-il exprimé dans une entrevue à RDS mardi. Le simple fait de revenir à Montréal ferait mon bonheur, mais d’obtenir un contrat de deux ans, c’est encore mieux. Je viens de passer à travers quatre saisons avec autant d'ententes d’un an, alors cette nouvelle stabilité est bien appréciée! J’ai déjà hâte de recommencer, je suis prêt. »

Translated: "I'm overjoyed.  Simply returning to Montréal would have been plenty, but getting a two-year deal, that's even better.  I just played four seasons on one-year deals, so this new stability is much appreciated!  I can't wait to get back at it, I'm ready."

« Les séries à Montréal, c’était malade. Tous ces drapeaux sur les voitures... Ma femme et moi ne pouvions pas faire deux mètres sur le trottoir sans se faire arrêter sur la rue. Chaque match au Centre Bell était débile. C’est indescriptible, un rêve devenu réalité. »

"The playoffs in Montréal are crazy.  All the flags on the cars...  My wife and I couldn't take two steps on the sidewalk without getting stopped.  Every game at the Bell Centre was wild.  It's indescribable, a dream come true."

« Si Carey ne s’était pas blessé, il aurait facilement été le joueur par excellence des séries et on pourrait être en train de célébrer une conquête de la coupe Stanley au lieu d’un nouveau contrat. Je crois que ce parcours en séries aura un énorme impact sur l’avenir de cette équipe. C’est une expérience qui ne peut être que bénéfique. »

"If Carey hadn't been injured, he easily would have been the MVP in the playoffs and we could be celebrating a Stanley Cup win instead of a new contract.  I think this playoff run will have an enormous impact on the team's future.  It's an experience that can only be beneficial."


So very positive news for Habs fans.  A lot of pundits think Montréal is not a likely destination for players if they have to choose, since they'd rather avoid the 'fishbowl' that it is, the constant scrutiny from the media and fans.  We all remember Carey Price's 'hobbit in a hole' comments from last season.

Dale Weise, however, has a different take.  He loves the attention, the pressure, the noise at the New Forum.  He's played in New York and Vancouver, and could be forgiven for wanting a lower profile in his next port of call.  Instead, he thrives on the adulation, and wants more.

Something that's important to consider is that his father is a rabid Canadiens fan, always was, much before Dale ever slipped on the bleu-blanc-rouge.  Dale grew up wishing, wanting to be a Canadien.

I often mention that it's important to have homegrown players, partly because they'll tend to have this emotional attachment to the Habs.  Now, some players can be overwhelmed by the pressure of playing for their childhood favourite team, in front of family and friends.  Stéphane Richer struggled with it.  Benoit Pouliot may not have had the right personality to deal with it.  Guillaume Latendresse went the other way, and maybe enjoyed the attention and perks a little too much.  Generally though, instead of importing mercenaries who only care about getting paid on time, who don't feel passionate about the Canadiens, let's get homeboys who do care about this team.  Or Manitoba boys, same thing.

The other point is that I'm not the only crazy out there who thinks the Canadiens got jobbed when they lost Carey Price.  Or rather, when he was taken from us.  I'd be foaming at the mouth when TSN and HNIC were constructing this 'team of destiny' narrative for the Rangers, how it was a team that pulled together in the face of tragedy, how they had a nonpareil goalie who would take them to the next level.  I'd scream at my TV that the results were queered, there was no destiny, no excellence there.

If Travis Moen had kypreosed Henrik Lundqvist's ACL in Game 1, and the Canadiens had coasted to a four or five game series win, none of this stuff they were spouting would have applied, would have been dreamed up.  Now the Canadiens would have been the team of destiny, the little engine that could.  The narrative would have been about the Cinderella teams in Habs history, in '71, '86, '93.  How when the Canadiens were on a roll, when the Ghosts were about, nothing you would do could stop it.

So yeah, thanks Dalesy, glad to know I'm not the only one.