montreal canadiens news has split into two distinct conversations this week: a long-running draft what-if that asks whether Anze Kopitar would have changed the team’s fortunes, and a sharper debate over fan behaviour after a high-profile international loss. Both threads are grounded in concrete claims about players, awards and specific events, and both are reshaping how supporters and commentators frame the club’s recent chapter.
What If Montreal Canadiens News Had Drafted Kopitar Instead of Price?
A recent column laid out an alternate draft universe in which the Canadiens might have selected Anze Kopitar rather than picking Carey Price fifth overall in the 2005 draft. The column notes that Kopitar, taken 11th overall, is retiring after the season and that Saturday night’s meeting in Los Angeles may be his final appearance against the team that could have drafted him.
The column emphasizes Kopitar’s sustained production and durability: 1, 500 NHL games, 446 goals, 857 assists for 1, 303 points, and two Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014 — seasons in which he led the post-season in points. It highlights his defensive credentials with two Selke Trophies and his sportsmanship with three Lady Byng awards. The piece also argued Kopitar was overlooked for the Hart Trophy in 2017-18 in favour of another forward, and recalled his near-championship leadership for Team Europe at the World Cup of Hockey when a late goal by Brad Marchand settled the final.
That column frames Bob Gainey’s 2005 decision to build from the goalie position — selecting Carey Price fifth overall — as the pivotal organizational choice. Yet it stops short of declaring the draft a mistake in hockey terms, noting there are competing interpretations of what a franchise needed then and what it has needed since.
What Happens When Fan Culture Enters the Equation?
A separate letters column has placed fan behaviour and national rivalry at the centre of another debate. A letter argued that anthem‑booing by what the writer called the “Elbows Up Brigade” at a prior 4 Nations Face‑Off helped motivate Team USA ahead of a larger international final. The writer said Canada had won that earlier tournament but that the boos focused and motivated the Americans for the subsequent, higher‑stakes meeting.
The letter also referenced Olympic record claims, noting Canada has won nine Olympic men’s hockey gold medals since 1920, while the United States has three, including a recent victory and previous wins in 1960 and 1980. The writer suggested roster availability affected the final’s outcome, noting the Canadian captain was sidelined by injury and arguing that Sidney Crosby’s presence might have altered the result. The piece used the loss to urge humility and to critique public displays that can escalate rivalries off the ice.
What Comes Next for the Club and Its Narrative?
These two storylines — a draft counterfactual focused on Kopitar and an emotive response to international rivalry and fan conduct — are both factual in their building blocks and speculative in their implications. The Kopitar-Price what-if anchors itself in verifiable career totals, draft positions and championship results; the fan‑behaviour debate rests on specific events and asserted causal links between crowd actions and opponent motivation.
For readers tracking the team, the immediate items to watch are concrete: Kopitar’s pending retirement and his appearances against the Canadiens, and how conversations about fan conduct persist in public letters and commentary. Both narratives influence how the franchise’s recent choices and identity are interpreted, but neither provides a single, definitive explanation for on-ice outcomes.
Expect more of the same: columns that test alternate histories using the career milestones of players like Anze Kopitar and Carey Price, and letters that treat fan culture as part of the competitive ecosystem. That combination will keep montreal canadiens news
