Montreal And Goalies

There was some significant news out Montreal today, out of St. Louis today, and out of the University of New Brunswick today as today's article is all about Montreal and goalies including the man to the left. It's seems to be rare we have such a newsworthy day in the middle of the week in September while the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are happening and the rest of hockey isn't, but that's the world we live in at present time. However, today presented a pile of interesting news, so I'm using today's entry to break down these stories! Let's jump into news about Montreal and goalies!

We'll start with St. Louis as they swung a deal today with the Montreal Canadiens in an effort to open some salary cap space. The Blues traded goaltender Jake Allen and a 2022 seventh-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens for a 2020 third-round pick and a 2020 seventh-round pick. The third-round pick given up by Montreal was previously Washington's pick that they acquired for Ilya Kovalchuk while the seventh-round pick from Montreal originally belonged to Chicago which was netted when the Habs dealt Andrew Shaw to the Blackhawks.

Some may wonder why the Canadiens would go out and get Allen when Price is still playing incredible hockey, but it might be one of the shrewdest moves that Marc Bergevin has made. It was known that the Canadiens wanted to play Price less this season to keep him fresh for the playoffs, but he would have likely played in 60-65 games had the season not ended prematurely.

Allen will give the Canadiens that reliable backup netminder they've been desiring for so long while taking some of the workload off the shoulders of Price. In what appears to be a condensed schedule for next season, having two solid netminders will be paramount for a number of teams, and Montreal does indeed have that with Price and Allen. The Canadiens had a pile of cap space to add, so they went out and solidified a perceived weakness by upgrading the backup goalie position by adding Allen, and this may serve them well if we see a five-month schedule of 82 games.

The Blues, on the other hand, are looking to sell off pieces they feel they can do without in order to try and sign Alex Pietrangelo for the foreseeable future. Pietrangelo was a big part of their Stanley Cup-winning season one year ago, and it's expected that the Blues will try to ensure he's a part of their defensive corps until he's ready to retire. By dealing Allen's $4.35 million contract, they open up part of what they need to keep him on the blue line.

It remains to be seen if it was wise or folly, but for teams that have the cap room two experienced goalies might be the wisest choice for next year's shortened season. We'll see if this move haunts St. Louis and helps Montreal when all is said and done.

From there, we turn to another Montreal institution as the McGill University Martlets made a major announcement today by revealing that long-time head coach Peter Smith was retiring from coaching. The 67 year-old Smith retires as one of the most decorated coaches in Canadian university hockey history after serving as the Martlets' head coach for the past 21 years. Smith's Martlets have advanced to the CIS and U SPORTS National Championships in 17 of the 20 years he's been behind the bench - he was on sabbatical in 2009-10 - and they've captured the National Championship four times while bringing home silver medals five times and bronze medals five times.

"This has been an emotional time and a difficult decision for me. Coaching the Martlets these past 21 years has been an incredible journey and a huge part of my life," Smith said during a Zoom call. "I have been so fortunate to have worked with and coached so many amazing people. Winning games and championships have been exciting, but more rewarding, has been witnessing the growth and development of these young women as players, teammates, leaders and most importantly, as people. The relationships built will last a lifetime."

Smith retires as one three Canadian university women's hockey coaches to reach 500 wins, posting a career record of 534-229-33 in 796 games with a regular-season RSEQ record of 276-70-11 in 357 contests. In 20 seasons behind the bench, the Martlets only posted double-digits in losses once - an amazing feat considering the turnover at the university level from year to year.

He was named as the Quebec university Coach of the Year eight times, and has been honoured as CIS/U SPORTS Coach of the Year three times. He was also named as an assistant coach for Team Canada from 2005-10, helping Canada earn gold medals at the 2006 Turin Olympics and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He was also Canada's head coach from 2007-08, winning a gold medal at the Four Nations Cup in Sweden and a silver medal at the IIHF Women's World Championship in China.

It will be a different McGill team moving forward, but Peter Smith's legacy and his spirit will live on in the Martlets program that he built into a national powerhouse. If there was a Mount Rushmore for women's hockey coaches, Peter Smith would be on that monument. Best wishes for your retirement, Mr. Smith, and enjoy the time off!

And we'll finish in U SPORTS with a goalie story, although this one has no ties to Montreal. The goaltender to the left is Griffen Outhouse, and he's on the move to the east coast as he joins the powerhouse UNB Varsity Reds program after spending last season with ECHL's Jacksonville Icemen and the AHL's Manitoba Moose. He was reportedly set to join the Alberta Golden Bears before the Moose came calling with a contract to help shore up their goaltending situation, and Outhouse took the professional opportunity with the Moose instead of attending the University of Alberta. This season, however, he's on his way to Fredericton to join the Reds!

The 22 year-old was a star with the WHL's Victoria Royals, posting a 114-60-7 record while being named team MVP, Hardest Worker, and Fan Favourite over the course of his junior career. In his rookie season, he posted the best save percentage in the entire CHL, so the Reds are getting themselves a top-flight goaltender who has a ton of experience.

"Griffen was a top-notch goalie in the WHL and an outstanding team and community leader," said Reds head coach Gardiner MacDougall. "We've been very fortunate to have had a history of outstanding goaltending here at UNB, and he'll have a great opportunity to continue that tradition once he completes his red-shirt year."

Yes, you read that correctly - Griffen Outhouse will be red-shirting this year as the tandem of Rylan Parenteau and Sam Harvey, the reigning Atlantic University Sport playoff MVP, will play in this shortened season if everything resumes in January. By adding Outhouse, the Reds might have the best goaltending this season across the U SPORTS spectrum and likely will be at or near the top of the list for the foreseeable years with Outhouse joining the fray.

If Griffen does need something to do this winter when he's not on the ice, he can watch his sister play when she comes to town as Paige Outhouse will suit up for the UPEI Panthers! Paige was a standout center for the Northern Capitals in Prince George, and she'll look to continue her play-making success on the other coast as part of the Panthers squad!

There are you stories for today as there were some big moves and big news coming out of the hockey world! Usually we're gearing up for training camps and talking about which teams improved while others faltered in the summer, but we have to wait for that talk until the end of the month at the very earliest. Here's to more hockey stories breaking over that time!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!