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Post by legaspesien on Dec 5, 2002 15:50:42 GMT -5
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Post by MPLABBE on Dec 5, 2002 15:54:37 GMT -5
Gaspesien I am surprised you haven't been signing Ward's praises more ;D your boy is doing well!
GIVE THIS KID A CHANCE! man he is only 23! Eric Cole was what? 24? 25? last year?
Ward aching to get call from healthy Habs Dec. 5, 2002. 12:38 AM Steve Milton The Hamilton Spectator
What a shame that the Montreal Canadiens are so darn healthy.
They own the top two scorers in the second-best hockey league in the world, but have no space for them on the big team's roster.
Any other year, and the usually injury-prone Habs are dipping into their minor-league roster like pot smokers into the Smarties.
"To bring a guy up, you've gotta part with one," Hamilton Bulldogs' head coach Claude Julien says in that flat tone of hockey reality.
What's good for Julien and the Bulldogs -- roster stability -- is bad for Jason Ward and Benoit Gratton, linemates who stand one-two, respectively, atop the American Hockey League scoring race. Ward, particularly, should be attractive to the Canadiens for his size and improved confidence with the puck.
"He's not being ignored, believe me," Julien says.
Nor should he be. Ward, whose status in the Canadiens' organization had dipped after a strong first pro year, has done everything he's been asked to do, and more, to put his train to the NHL back on track.
"It kind of went downhill every year instead of uphill," the 23-year-old winger conceded yesterday. "In my first year, I got 32 games in the NHL, I was really excited. My second year, I was up and down, three or four games with Montreal, seven in the minors. Three or four up, seven down. Then I got the (knee) operation, and didn't play in the NHL at all last year.
"So I went from 32 games in my first year to 12 to zero. It's not really the way I wanted to go. And I'm hoping I can start climbing again. Get some games this year, get more the next year and hopefully in one or two years be in the NHL and be a steady player."
This year, the Canadiens had plann- ed to send Ward to Hamilton immediately after they returned from spending the early portion of training camp at Vail, Colo. But he had such a strong camp and acquitted himself so well in an exhibition game, they gave him a little more time with the big club.
They knew he had added upper body muscle and had benefitted from a full year in the AHL after missing half a season with two surgeries the year before, and they knew his positive attitude would impel him to would work hard on the farm.
But they never expected him to be leading the league in scoring nearly a third of the way through the season. Nor did they expect Gratton to be second, just a point back.
"Playing with Benoit Gratton and Jani Rita who've been great, is really helping out," says Ward. "I was probably the Ontario Hockey League leading scorer after about 10 games in my second-last year of junior. But overall leading the league, I've never been close. In any league.
"It's rewarding. To be 25 games into the season and to be on top of the league, is an accomplishment for me. I'm not known as the skilled type of player. I'm more a guy who can do it all, I can hit, I can penalty kill, I can be on the power play, I can bang a couple of pucks in here and there."
And that diversity of skills is both the gift and bane of the 6-foot-3, 200 pounder. He does a lot of things well, but most players who make the NHL early in their careers tend to have one or two overwhelming assets. All-round players take some development time, and Ward is in that category.
"It's exciting for me right now, because my type doesn't usually lead the league in scoring," Ward says. "Maybe I'm adding another dimension to my game. I'm getting a little feel around the net. And even then I've missed tons of opportunities.
"I got stronger over the summer, upper-body wise. So I'm not getting pushed off the puck as much, and I'm getting the opportunity to make that play, where I didn't last year. Instead of getting the pass into the slot to Benny or one of the other guys, I was getting knocked off the puck and not passing it. This year, I've got more control over the puck."
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Post by MPLABBE on Dec 5, 2002 15:54:49 GMT -5
And, although he still passes on many occasions when he should shoot, Ward now has the pro experience and confidence to unload more often. The Canadiens' sports psychologist emphasized that he should think only about getting one or two shots per period.
"Sounds simple, but you'll get three to six shots a game that way," he says. "I find using that theory, I'm shooting more and not giving away opportunities I've given away in the past. I still pass a little bit too much, but it's definitely improved over the years."
The improvement this particular year has been a quantum leap.
The Canadiens are generally undersized up front, which is why they brought in Randy McKay in the off-season. It seems that they could use a player of Ward's size and determination, but they are so healthy up front that they had to put disenchanted winger Marius Czerkawski on waivers this week. (He cleared waivers yesterday, making him eligible for demotion to Hamilton, but don't expect that. Ever.)
So, for now, a promotion for any Dog forward to the Canadiens is unlikely, but Habs' insiders say Ward will play somewhere in the NHL soon.
"I don't wish for anyone to get injured, I don't wish for them to lose every game," Ward says. "I just want an opportunity."
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Post by HabBoy on Dec 5, 2002 16:03:03 GMT -5
///Prays for an injury to one of the Habs' weak forwards\\\
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Post by legaspesien on Dec 5, 2002 16:04:01 GMT -5
Gaspesien I am surprised you haven't been signing Ward's praises more ;D your boy is doing well! Every thing the good one had been wrote on this site...just reading took all my time but HE WILL BE IN our LINE UP B4 "NOEL"
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Post by Andrew on Dec 5, 2002 16:10:52 GMT -5
Is Czerk still on the roster? I would have thought that the point of having him clear waivers was to open up a roster spot. If so, why not give Ward a shot on the first line and have Audette ride some pine.
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Post by MPLABBE on Dec 5, 2002 16:13:00 GMT -5
B4 X-mas would be nice
and yes Chow is still on the roster. They put him on waivers so Chow could see no team wanted him for free(that can hurt one's ego ;D)
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Post by Viper on Dec 5, 2002 16:23:48 GMT -5
They own the top two scorers in the second-best hockey league in the world, but have no space for them on the big team's roster. For the price of a Ticket to Colorado i can make some room on the roster. Mr louisville are you available.
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Post by zenseeker on Dec 5, 2002 16:29:13 GMT -5
hehee Excuse me Donald, do you mind replacing the urinal cakes in the dressing room. He wouldn't be that pissed at least he would have a defined role. I can't wait to see how Ward does when he gets the call.
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Post by montreal on Dec 5, 2002 17:57:05 GMT -5
Hey guys can someone help me out here? I heard that Savard said Ward and Gratton might not make in the NHL or something like that. Is this true? If so where is this written? Is there any links to this story? I personally don't have a lot of hope for Gratton, but a little more hope for Ward. I could see Ward on the 4th, if not this year, next should do it. I guess between McKay and Ward, Arron Asham did become more expendable, as we have so many RW's. I really can't believe that 2 years ago we had so many AHLers in the lineup, and now we got so much depth that we have 3 goalies, more RW's then we know what to do with, and no room for any AHLers or prospects.
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Post by MPLABBE on Dec 5, 2002 18:00:39 GMT -5
Montreal, AH said he saw it at HF? Apparently AS said the same day he bashed Ribeiro. Either way, they better at least give him A SHOT.
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Post by montreal on Dec 5, 2002 18:19:40 GMT -5
Montreal, AH said he saw it at HF? Apparently AS said the same day he bashed Ribeiro. Either way, they better at least give him A SHOT. Thanks Mac, I checked, but didn't see it. I'll check again. I like the bashing of Ribs though. I was really hoping he would do something this year, but so far he has played really bad in his own end. Maybe they should send him down, as he seems to do so good in the AHL. I like Ribs a lot, but starting off a -4 is not a good way to go about it.
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Post by GoMtl on Dec 5, 2002 18:31:49 GMT -5
with so much dead weight out there and the way the team has played i wouldn't be surprised if ward got his chance in coming weeks if the team doesn't turn it around. unless savard can pull the trigger on a deal to spark the team a call up and demotion could be a good way to do this.
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Post by habadabaddoo on Dec 5, 2002 20:18:39 GMT -5
please dont take this the wrong way but I think you guys are making a big mistake saying the habs have so much depth that we dont have room for younger players. Most of the players on the habs current are not depth but rather warm bodies, they just play a position that is filled they are by no means depth. Depth would be having forsberg, sakic, federov and morrisson playing center on your team players that are hard to replace there are not many like that on this roster. There is no reason why we cant waive a few of our warm bodies and bring up a few youngsters from the farm club. Look around we are probably the only team without a rookie in the lineup. I thought we were rebuilding? bring up younger palyers and live with their mistakes while they learn, they certainly could not do much worsed than most of the current roster. For two fourth liners playing in the second best league they are cedrtasinly doing pretty good imo.
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Post by MPLABBE on Dec 5, 2002 20:58:57 GMT -5
Yup.
It's dead wood more than depth IMO.
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