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Caufield’s Big On Canadiens’ Fans And Market
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- Caufield’s Big On Canadiens’ Fans And Market
Once upon a time, many thought playing under the magnifying glass of the Montreal Canadiens ' market might be too much pressure for many players. Nowadays, it seems to be quite the opposite. Habs sniper Cole Caufield recently appeared on NHL First Shift on NHL Network , and he spoke about the Habs' fanbase:
"It's really a feeling like no other. I tell everybody to try to experience it once, if they can, and to be a part of that city during that time; it makes you really want to get back to that moment and definitely pushes our group a lot to get back there. There's no better feeling than seeing the fans so passionate, and they deserve to see a winning team."
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If Kent Hughes ever needs to sell the Montreal market to another player, Caufield could be his best option. Clearly, the diminutive winger relished the frenzy that took Montreal by storm in the last playoffs and soaked up every minute of it. He was also glad to reach the 50-goal milestone in front of the dedicated fans:
It was for sure stressful a little bit, but I think just playing in Montreal, you get that kind of pressure. It's a good thing because they know kind of more things than I guess most fans do. But you know, I just wanted to get it done for them and kind of for my teammates to stop worrying about it or stop passing me the puck. It was obviously a cool feeling, and it was really special to do it at the Bell Centre and at home in front of the fans; that was a pretty surreal moment. And you know, I got to have my dad there too, which was cool.
More than just the fans and the market, though, Caufield is also grateful for the Canadiens' current core:
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It's pretty special times in Montreal right now. With the guys that we have locked up for the next couple of years, it's pretty special, and you can just tell those guys want to be there and really push each other every day to be better, and it's just a really contagious feeling in Montreal right now."
Hearing that part of the interview about the players really wanting to be there right now, it's hard not to think about the fact that the Detroit Red Wings are often scouting the Canadiens (assistant GM Kris Draper has taken in a lot of Habs hockey lately) in the hope that Dylan Larkin changes his mind and puts Montreal on his list of approved teams. If he did, though, would that change the vibe? After all, he'd be almost forced to go there to get out of Detroit; it's doubtful he could look his new teammates in the eye and say he really wanted to come and win in Montreal. For Caufield, though, it's not just about the electric ambiance in Montreal; wherever the Canadiens go, the fans seem to follow. On Sunday in his post-game interview after the Heritage Classic, he made an interesting claim that did create some controversy:
Best fans in the league, I think; they obviously travel well. You know, we might be Canada's favourite team.
Fans of other Canadian teams would probably disagree, but there's no denying that wherever the Canadiens play in Canada, or even in the USA, they always have a lot of support. Plenty of red jerseys fill the stands, and "Go Habs Go!" chants echo through the arena. At a time when so many American players want to head back home, the Canadiens' 15th overall pick at the 2019 draft is happy to stay right where he is.
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