Yes I will do my best to get a few more retired players on the site.
I talk to Koivu, Rivet, Damphousse and Stevenson on a regular basis.
One of the best pranks was done by my friend Todd Simpson down here in Phx. He got a hold of invisible police powder they use to find finger prints and he put them into all the players gloves on the team before practice. Little did he know that when you start sweating in turns red. All our gloves, pants and jersey were dyed red after practice and had to be thrown out. The dye took days to get off our hands and body. We didn't know who did it til weeks later and he had to write a check to replace all of them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DJyellow
Bienvenue! I applaud your initiative. Maybe you can try recruiting more Habs alumni to HFBoards.
Speaking of which, are you still in touch with any former Habs players on a regular basis?
What's the locker room prank you've ever witnessed?
My trade from Montreal to Phoenix took my by surprise. I found out at 6pm on the Friday before Super Bowl weekend. We had an afternoon game Saturday and Sunday i Montreal because of the football game. I was having Koivu and Rivet over for dinner when I got the call from GM Savard. I had to pack my bag and be on our owner Gilletts private plane at the airport by 7pm. Your life turns upside down in one phone call. I was out the door in 30 mins, said goodbye to the wife and son and the boys and off to the Molson Centre to get my equipment and sticks. Met Phoenix in Detroit and flew to Columbus were I played the next day. It was very weird putting on another jersey!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by IcemanTBI
Welcome to the boards Brian! You were always my favorite hab when you were playing, and I was so mad when they traded you. Still remember the crazy Islander game where you had 6 points.
Speaking about the trade, how did it feel being traded? Some players demand for a trade, for others it comes out of the blue. It must be hard though, especially with a family and such. Sometimes we forget that players are human beings just like us and dont take into consideration how things like a trade affect players.
Thanks for taking the time to answer all these questions!
Sound good!! I'll be back in Montreal in January for some business and will let the guys know where I'll be and we can all hook up for some beers and stories.
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Originally Posted by coolasprICE
hey brian, if ever you want to hang out with me, have a beer or somethin, don't feel shy
Yes that trade hurt us for awhile. Rejean Houle was put in a tough place to have his first trade as GM the legend Patrick Roy. I don't think you would ever win a trade when you have to send Patrick somewhere. Some stories are left to be told in person!!!
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Originally Posted by walsy37
Brian -
Welcome to HF. As a fan in his 30's I vividly remember your career in Montreal with tremendous fondness. You had an interesting statement a few pages back I want to follow up on.
Can you provide any more insight on the Roy trade? In my opinion that trade (along with the whole Tremblay/Houle era) set the Habs back 2 decades.
Hey, Brian
I was just at the strip mall where "play it again sports" used to be about an hour ago...My wife and I were talking about how useless that space has been since it closed shop. Always enjoying going when I was a kid.
Yes I had 5 concussions as a player. Not fun!! Concussions were not really monitored as they are now in the league. You just went out and played if you got your bell rung. Now we have guide lines and base testing that the medical staff has to follow before the player can resume play which is great.
I think it all starts with youth hockey. We are now teaching them to keep their heads up more, learn how to give and take a check and be aware of the danger zones and positioning.
Players are bigger and stronger now. Head shot are being monitored now closer then ever. Respect for your fellow players still needs to be addressed and is getting better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by VirginiaMtlExpat
Hi Mr Savage,
I remember seeing you jogging around the McGill campus when I was in grad school during your playing days.
Here's a question that relates to one of my favorite themes:
do you think that the NHL is doing enough to prevent injuries?
Here are a few suggestions for what they might do:
i) spring-loaded boards (the wooden part, not just the plexiglass part) with some give (fund some research to find material & design that do not affect bounce of the puck);
ii) mandatory visor/half-visor and boxer-type mouthguard (not a decision of the player, who might be tempted to get rid of either based on peer pressure, and btw, concussions can happen easily by facial trauma, hence the mouthguard), as well as
iii) externally softer elbow pads and shoulder pads (make it unlikely to cause a concussion by amplifying the trauma with what is supposed to be protection);
iv) concussion prevention research program, just like the NFL.
v) (Edit) while we're at it: the rink has stayed the same size for more than a century, while players are a lot faster than they were a century ago: what is the hang-up about increasing the size of the rink? Somewhere between the current size and international size...
My opinion is that the NHL is run by old school guys who don't really care about the long-term health of the players, and even in the short-term are certainly not proactive in terms of keeping them healthy. Guys like Pat Lafontaine, Eric Lindros, Zigmund Palffy, could have played a lot longer. It can still be a contact sport while keeping the players in the game.
Brian, just wanted to ask what it was like being on the ice for the closing of the Forum? Also, do the former great Habs ever come by and give you guys advice?
Yes it was a great store and perfect place for parents to get quality equipment for their kids as they grow quickly when they are young. When my brother passed away, we had to shut it down.
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Originally Posted by robsenz
Hey, Brian
I was just at the strip mall where "play it again sports" used to be about an hour ago...My wife and I were talking about how useless that space has been since it closed shop. Always enjoying going when I was a kid.
Yes that was a special night. All the ex captain of the Habs on the ice at the same time. Former players were always around the rink and giving us examples of their time wearing the uniform. I remember a picture I took with Guy Lafleur, my childhood idle, and Maurice Richard a month before his passing. 2 legends of the game. Sometimes when you watch those old games on TV, it brings back great memories of my time in Montreal and the great players and friends I met.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JaymzB
Brian, just wanted to ask what it was like being on the ice for the closing of the Forum? Also, do the former great Habs ever come by and give you guys advice?
Just want to welcome you to the HF boards Brian,I always remember your play as a Hab.For those that didn't see you play,Savage was a heart and soul type of player.The kind of player that gave 100% every shift of every game I seen him play.When the going got tough he played harder than anyone else and usually scored or set up the score through a dogged pursuit of the puck and never giving up an inch.
No doubt about it , it was my first flight in the NHL. It was against the helmet less Craig Mactavish who was playing for the FLYERS at the time. I believe it was my 3rd game in the league after the lockout in 95. He ran Patrick Roy in the third period and I dropped my gloves not really knowing who it was. I had the Gordie Howe hat trick that game with a goal, assist and a fight and was named first start. It was Super Bowl Sunday and we had a party at Patricks later on that evening. I had both my eyes shut!!! The boys were proud of their young rookie that night!!! You can find it on you tube I believe.. I did ok for the first 10 seconds then got pumped!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by IHaveNoCreativity
Brian, not sure if this has been asked but, who was your toughest fight ?
Yes I had 5 concussions as a player. Not fun!! Concussions were not really monitored as they are now in the league. You just went out and played if you got your bell rung. Now we have guide lines and base testing that the medical staff has to follow before the player can resume play which is great.
I think it all starts with youth hockey. We are now teaching them to keep their heads up more, learn how to give and take a check and be aware of the danger zones and positioning.
Players are bigger and stronger now. Head shot are being monitored now closer then ever. Respect for your fellow players still needs to be addressed and is getting better.
I hope that ex-players such as yourself can get the league to do more. As I said, the NHL is run by old school hockey guys, complemented by lawyers, which is to say they have no one upstairs who can think both critically and creatively to actively prevent these injuries (as opposed to hope for a solution).
With my suggestions in place, I feel that your concussions were preventable. I hope that you stay informed on health issues and stay healthy as you age. Warm wishes, VME.
Wait until the season begins. This is nothing compared to when the Habs are actually playing hockey. You'll probably be surprised by how busy it gets here and how many crazy hockey fans we have.
Hey Brian. Tremendous honor to speak with you. I am a Leaf fan, but you were always one player who I had a tremendous amount of respect for. For how hard you worked on the ice. I still remember being in shock when you were dealt to the Coyotes. Which team did you feel the most weird about joining? How was the St. Louis trade broken to you and how did you come about to signing with the Flyers? Thanks Brian, Fans really appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to answer some questions.
The trade to St. Louis was the weirdest. I was in LA and it was trade deadline day. I was on the ice with the Coyotes for pre game skate when I was pulled off the ice and they said I was traded to the BLUES. Got changed and headed back to the hotel to gather my stuff and talk to Blues GM about the trade. I flew back to PHX grabbed some suits and flew out to St. Louis that night. I sort of knew that it was a loaner deal meaning I would be sent back to PHX at the end of the season. It was great to have the chance to play in the playoffs again but got beat out by San Jose in first round. I signed with the Flyers after the lockout because I thought they had a good chance of going deep in the playoffs with the roster they had. It was one of my the best years in hockey. Hitchcock was the coach and we had great players like Forsberg, Gagne, Hatcher and a found Richards and Carter. My role was different with them as they wanted me to be a checking forward against top lines. We had a super year but we lost out to the Sabres in the first round.
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Originally Posted by Stephen23
Hey Brian. Tremendous honor to speak with you. I am a Leaf fan, but you were always one player who I had a tremendous amount of respect for. For how hard you worked on the ice. I still remember being in shock when you were dealt to the Coyotes. Which team did you feel the most weird about joining? How was the St. Louis trade broken to you and how did you come about to signing with the Flyers? Thanks Brian, Fans really appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to answer some questions.
Maybe you can try recruiting more Habs alumni to HFBoards.
