Why Guillaume Latendresse won’t make the Canadiens
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Sorry to all Guillaume Latendresse fans, specifically Fracophones and the French media, but Guillaume Latendresse will definitely not be a Montreal Canadien this year.
It’s been one year since Guillaume Latendresse had a strong training camp with the Canadiens sparking talk that the Canadiens would have an 18 year old make their roster. He didn’t make it then and he won’t make it this year either.
What has happend in one year?
Other than multiple concussions, a poor Junior season and an even worse World Junior Championship going against him, this year’s team is even harder to crack.
If anything his play has decreased in quality while the competition around him gets better.
He’s a one dimensional player who would compete for a spot that is already full two times over.If a rookie does crack the team it won’t be in a power forward role and in the unlikely event it is in a scoring role, expect Andrei Kostitsyn or even Mikhail Grabovski to get a chance before Guillaume.
Guillaume Latendresse might be a very good Hab one day but it won’t be soon and rightfully so. Allow him to develop and improve.
There’s no need to rush.
Leave a Comment
September 14, 2006 at 3:59 pm
I agree, although I think Latendress has a good career ahead of him, I think it might be best to send him back to Juniors for one more season. No need to rush him. Playing only a couple of minutes a game in Montreal won’t help his development. In the Juniors he will play lots of minutes which will help him improve.
September 14, 2006 at 4:56 pm
Lafreniere the problem is not the small amount of minutes he will play with the canadiens, the problem is that Guillaume might become a great player if he proves what he has in the tank…He might not take Junior leaugue’s game too serious, he might be more concern about his upcoming career with the canadiens.
If we don’t select him this year then he might lose confidence and then [ you guys know what this will result into]. The worse thing can happen to a player is lost of confidence.
And I don’t want this to happen to him…We should give him a chance and afer all we won’t lose much placing him on fourth line and giving Murray or this other dude playing his role to another team for free or maybe for a late draft pick!
September 14, 2006 at 5:11 pm
I hate to say it but it is probably true.
September 14, 2006 at 6:08 pm
The blogster here is 100% correct. Guillaume Latendresse is definetly not ready for the big time.
He had concussion problems last year and just recently in the World Junior camp, he immaturly took his demotion last season and looked absolutly terrible. Some people are starting to think the it was Derrick Brassard that made Guillaume look good and not the other way around. He was brutal in Drummondville and looked like a train wreck in the WJT.
He needs to improve in the defensive end, needs to gain some maturity which he obviously lacks, maybe he should spend some time with Chipchura who is the future captain of the franchise, and he needs to be more consistent and show the ability to stay healthy.
I think that instead of sulking and playing terribly like he did last year after being cut, he should pull a Robbie Schremp. Go down to the QMJHL and lead the league in scoring and goals. Be the dominant force he should be and put the Habs in the same predicament the Oilers are in right now. Show Bob Gainey that your too good to be in Junior and give him no excuses to send you back down.
If that happens then the Habs will have to potential point leaders in their respective leagues and Memorial Cup contenders in Latendresse and Andrei’s little brother Sergei Kotstitsyn.
But Guillaume needs to have a dominating season this year otherwise he may never sway the opinion which I share: that he’s just another Eric Lindros.
September 14, 2006 at 6:58 pm
Ouch. If I recall correctly, Lindross, though a pantywaist whiner, WAS a dominant force his first couple years in the NHL. Then Eric proved he was no Mark Messier (“I guarentee a win”). Lantendresse can gain confidence by dominating Juniors and making the most of any opportunity he gets.
September 14, 2006 at 7:06 pm
Injuries are something you can’t control. If Guillaume had many injuries then I would say it was his badluck! What counts is the style of game he plays and Montreal needs really badly a player of his caliber.
September 14, 2006 at 7:10 pm
I just wish they give him ONE chance
September 14, 2006 at 7:37 pm
well jack its seem to me that i have heard this song and dance before.Do you know a player named jason spezza who everyone wanted him to make the team in ottawa at a young age but coach martin sent him down to the ahl for development.Now it seems to had been the best thing for him so i think him losing his confidence from not making the team is a bunch of b.s.I wouldnt even be surprised if he doesnt make it next year either.A full year in hamilton will make a big difference.
September 14, 2006 at 7:58 pm
PACTUM SERVA:
I totally agree with you! Maybe a year in Hamilton would give him more energy since he must be tired after being stuck with those Knights for about 2-3 years (I think)…He will probably show more of what he got.After all anyone that plays for the junior league after 2-3 or even 4 years must get tired and bored of tieing their laces again the next year in the changing room when all their friends are gone…(I’m not being specific..)
September 14, 2006 at 11:06 pm
Agreed. As much as the blinded/biased French media in Montreal would want otherwise, Latendresse is clearly not going to be the prospect who makes the big team this year. He will return to Drummondville (not Hamilton) for a fourth season.
JT, If as you say, he is either at risk of not taking junior hockey seriously and/or losing confidence because he doesn’t get his own way then he really shouldn’t wear the Habs uniform EVER.
Here’s hoping that GL can actually prove himself at the Junior Hockey level, but I agree with some who imply it’s not looking so good for him right now. There are many, many more prospects ahead of him that are starting to shine. Latendresse has not even got in the queue comprised of hungry prospects yet.
Don’t get me wrong. We are all rooting for him, I am sure, but he cannot just have it, he has to earn it.
September 14, 2006 at 11:12 pm
Oh, JT:
Just FYI…
The Bulldogs are the name of the Hamilton team.
Latendresse plays for the Drummondville Voltigeurs.
The Knights are an OHL team that play in London.
September 15, 2006 at 1:02 am
Rob i knew that guy would be going back to his junior team this year but i meant a year in hamiton would serve him good next year.There is no need to rush him
September 15, 2006 at 7:44 am
Therre you go ‘voltigeurs’ the name just dropped off my head! Thanks for informing me Rob!
September 15, 2006 at 10:41 am
I really don’t believe there are any spots right now for any young forwarsd to crack the big club. However the camp is a good spot to impress because there will be opportunities early in the season for these young kids to come up and play with the big boys. If there is a spot up front I think Kyle Chipchura might be a match to fill in a role on one of the Habs’ bottom two lines.
Back on D there is at least one spot to and I think the No. 1 candidate to fill that spot is Jean-Philippe Cote, who played eight games with the Canadiens last season and didn’t look out of place at all.
http://habs.fan.ca
September 15, 2006 at 11:11 am
PACTUM:
I agree with you, and was not meaning to correct anything that you had said. You are probably dead on in the point that you have made that Latendresse will neither make the Habs’ roster either this year or next. I think after his upcoming year with the Drummondville Voltigeurs, he will likely be promoted to the Hamilton Bulldogs for 2007-2008. He may even get to play a few games with the big team in 2007-2008 if he shows that he can compete in the AHL. Right now, a bunch of other guys are currently pushing him out of the queue of deserving a shot with the Canadiens (the two Kostitsyn brothers, Grabovski, Chipchura, D’Agostini, etc.) I doubt that he would even be in the top 10 prospects that have a chance of making the team this year as you have to throw a few defensemen in their too.
September 15, 2006 at 11:22 am
Thanks rob i couldnt agree more with you on that.My bet would be on kostitsyn but it would be no surprise to me if grabovski made it this kid is good and has proved he can play with men.Should be an interesting camp.Cant wait intill tuedays preseason game
September 15, 2006 at 11:29 am
While we are talking about prospects who deserve a shot at the bigs more than Latendresse. Why doesn’t the French media in Montreal take some pressure off Latendresse by talking about some of the other Quebec born prospects who are looking pretty good right now? Like Sorel’s Mathieu Aubin, a 6’2″ centre, who had 47 goals-56 assists-103 points in the QMJHL last year or Gatineau’s Mathieu Carle, a defenseman, who had 69 points in 67 games in the QMJHL. Both of these French players had more points (8 and 7 respectively) for the Habs than Latendresse (6) did in the recent prospect’s tournament held in Toronto.
September 15, 2006 at 12:46 pm
I agree with you all that Latendresse isn’t ready for the big leagues. I think by the end of last training camp he got caught up his own hype and it was a tremendous let-down for him to be shipped back.
If (and I emphasize IF…) he has another great camp, like last season, they should at least sent him to Hamilton to learn to play with the big(ger) boys.
To just fire him back to junior simply because he’s eligible could also be a mistake, possibly a step back-ward in his development.
Its all contingent on what he brings to this training camp.
Anyway, I’m with Riley, I’d like to see Chipchura…he definietly a Blue Chip prospect.
September 15, 2006 at 2:22 pm
Good comments and stats, Rob. I think Cote has the best shot at the lineup this year. I know there have been a lot of complaints about no superstar players on the roster, but I beg to differ. Markov, Samsonov, and Kovalev are big names in this league (they’re just not Canadian). However, look at the depth on all four lines and in the minors (thin on defense, though). The cup wont come to Montreal this year, but we are playoff material, and the future hasn’t looked this good in a decade or more.
Tuesday.
Bring it.
September 15, 2006 at 5:48 pm
Who this dude posting comments under my name???
WTF????
Go get your own name dude(#18)
September 15, 2006 at 6:10 pm
I guess the majority(or all) of you guys want Guillaume to stay in the minor league! And whatever you guys said makes sense! Doens’t anyone think that if we join Guillaume to our organization he will improve?
September 15, 2006 at 6:25 pm
Is there any chances he will make it? An if he can how would he? What does he has to do with this very limited time left ?
September 15, 2006 at 6:26 pm
Is there any chances he will make it? And if he can how would he? What does he has to do with this very limited time left before the season starts?*
September 16, 2006 at 12:59 pm
No, JT, there is absolutely NO WAY Latendresse will make it to either the Habs or the Bulldogs this year. He is already listed as #22 in the line-up for the 2006-2007 Drummondville Voltigeurs. Check out their website if you don’t believe me. QMJHL teams sign their players to contracts, and do not give up their players that easily. There is no panic/reason to get Latendresse into the Habs line up for this year; he is definitely not ready for the big time (period.) We wouldn’t even be having this debate if his name didn’t start with La!
September 16, 2006 at 1:31 pm
Wait JT. There is one way that GL can make the fourth line, and have Downey’s (the other guy) spot as you have said. If during an exhibition game against Boston, he squares off with Zdeno Chara and makes it look like Downey did in this video. Have a look:
http://www.thatlitevideosite.com/video/557
If he can do that, I will gladly take back all that I have said about him, and he is welcome to play for the Habs.
September 16, 2006 at 2:54 pm
NOt looking good
September 18, 2006 at 6:10 pm
It is obvious that you have no idea what you are talking about when it comes to Latendresse. Yes he had a awfull world Junior tournament and a bad beginning. He did not have a awfull season. In 55 games, he raked up 43 goals and 45 assist. Yeah, i guess thats really bad. Having over a point a game on average and playing with the critical media in Montreal and the intence emotions he whent threw at the end of last years camp and beginning of his junior season.
Anyways, i went to all the pratices in Pierrefond and during the simulated games, he was playing better than the other rookies. He scored a sniper of a goal and was raking up the checks. But i guess you think that andrei Kostitsyn, Grabovski they did not show much intensity. I like chipchura but he did not have the timing yet.
I would like to see someone that is able to hit ad score at the same time. If Latendresse cracks the team he will have the best teachers in the game. On n’a besoin de quelqu’un qui frappe pis qui est capable de se battre dans les coins. That is me quoting the Tigre.
September 26, 2006 at 4:09 am
HAHAHAHAHAHA
You english habs fans (I’ll start saying that since you started your article talking about the francophones and french media) are pitifull when it comes to judging Quebec’s hockey talent.
I personally think Latendresse was ready to play in the nhl last year and the only reason he didn’t was because he was trying to join the Habs, a long-time proven organisation that doesn’t trust young talents. Now Guillaume had a good junior season (88 points in 55 games as mentioned by another writer)and you could expect the kid to be a little shaken for not making the big team.
Now you wrote your comment on september 14th without giving the player a chance to prove his ambitions on his second try-out.
Just for that, I think your comment shows a great lack of unprofessionalism added to a hint of racism.
Yes the french Québécois are strongly hoping to see one of theirs becoming a great player for the team because they need a bond like Patrick Roy was. Why should the english Québécois or other english fans be angry or unhappy about it?
That’s just so disapointing and gives me another reason to cheer for Latendresse and hope to see the kid prove all of you how wrong you are and how unpleasant it is to read your awful mis-judged comments.
September 26, 2006 at 4:18 am
One more thing,
I’m pretty much convinced that wathever Latendresse does to win a spot with the habs, you’ll never admit you were wrong.
You’ll find any other racist reason to avoid facing the fact that you should stop writing about young french Québec players since the language and culture barrier blinds you.
September 26, 2006 at 9:49 am
No one is angry or unhappy.
I’d like nothing more than Latendresse to make the team. As long as he deserves it and not cause he’s pressured by the media and then becomes a flop.
He’s got potential to be a very good player.
If his name was ‘Mike Smith’ do you think any of the french media or 99% of 110% would talk about him relentlessly? Would you have even posted this?
Why don’t I see you commenting about Mike Johnson or Sergei Samsonov? Are you racist against Russians and Canadians?
Disagree all you want, I welcome that.
But
If you really wanna get into ‘racism and unprofessionalism’ open Le Journal or watch 110%. Last time I watched Jean Perron called the Canadiens ‘faggots’ for not hurting Justin Williams after Koivu’s eye injury.
But I guess beleiving Latendresse can still develop more is much worse than that!
September 29, 2006 at 11:30 am
Wow, were you ever dead wrong.
September 29, 2006 at 5:56 pm
Yes TheGreatNate!
I’ll back that up by saying : Wrong from the first word to the last one.
Oh, before I forget, nothing personal but i’ll rewrite your first paragraph to update it.
Sorry to all (ANTI-)Guillaume Latendresse fans, specifically (English) Fracophones and the (English Media) French media, but Guillaume Latendresse will definitely … BE a Montreal Canadien this year.
Keep it up!
And good season to all the Habs fans!!!
Gui gui gui gui gui gui gui gui gui gui gui gui gui gui gui gui!!!!!!!!
January 17, 2007 at 9:03 am
There is last nights lost to Vancouver is the sole reason why Guimauve latender should of been sharpening skates for the players on the Canadiens farm team instead of signing him to a $850,000 US a year contract. They should of given him a few games not a full fledged contract and to play on the first line to boot which he is barely good enough a third or fourth line. Then they have the gall to put the blame on Garth Murray yet he is one one the hardest workers on the team now they put him on waivers.
Yes it is all about finding a French superstar since they haven’t had one in donkey’s ages it’s been so loang I can’t remember who the last one was. If only the Canadians would stop wasting their energy looking for the next Beliveau and consentrate on finding the best players wheither it’s French, German even Iraqi
That’s why the French Media goes gaga over the Martin Brodeur’s, the media puts so much pressure on the Canadiens it not funny anymore. When they win games the French media treats the players like gods watch out though if they lose because the players especially the English ones are lazy scumbags and should be traded for a French player.
if anything it’s Latender that should be benched now we will see if he will be next game I hope Carbono saw how bad latender was. When you make a pass it should be on the stick not in the players skate or behind the player this has been one of latender major faults he doesn’t know how to make a pass.
July 20, 2008 at 6:39 pm
I had the fortunate opportunity to sharpen G.T’s skates a couple of weeks ago and if all the Habs skates are in the same condition no wonder his performance is suffering. His right skate was heel pithched 3 32′s of an inch and the profile was 13′ the cut was 3/8′s of an inch. and out of square by 4/10ths
the left one was even worse. I don’t care how good, or how much potential a player has, this kind of thing can break any player. Good luck GT have a great season and keep it up “Guy if you are reading this you have a problem here!”