Niemi: 'I felt confident' being in Montreal

MONTREAL - Antti Niemi felt right at home with the Canadiens last season, so he was hoping to return. Fortunately, things worked out for the best for the 34-year-old Finnish goaltender.

On Tuesday, Niemi inked a one-year, one-way contract with the club that claimed him off waivers last November following abbreviated stints with Pittsburgh and Florida to begin the 2017-18 campaign.
It was in Montreal that the veteran netminder found his mojo in between the pipes again, so the opportunity to continue plying his trade in familiar territory and keep those good vibes going was an ideal scenario.
"I think the biggest factor was how last season went, how I was able to bounce back and how I felt I was supported by the team and all the staff," Niemi said on Tuesday afternoon via conference call from his offseason home in Dallas. "I felt confident being there. I really didn't need to change the place I play. I feel way better coming back to Montreal, working with people I already know. I'm sure they have confidence in me, too."

As the Canadiens' brass should after watching Niemi deliver the goods numbers-wise. He posted a 7-5-4 record in 19 appearances - including 17 starts - along with a 2.46 goals-against average, .929 save percentage and one shutout.
In March, the Montreal chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association even selected him as the Canadiens' 2017-18 nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
"I feel I was able to play loose and relaxed, not think about what might happen if something happened. I just stayed in the moment and played," Niemi said, in reference to what clicked for him in Montreal after getting off to a rocky start between the Penguins and Panthers. "I just wanted to let everything go, let the expectations go and just work and play."
It remains to be seen what Niemi's workload will look like come the fall, but he insists he'll be prepared to handle whatever duties come his way.
"I'm sure I could play somewhere similar as last year. It could be way less, too. But, I'm ready to play more, so we'll see," Niemi mentioned. "I feel like I'm just going to try to do the same thing as last year and do my job as well as I can. I'm going to focus on doing the right things and not think about the results so much."

In other words, the Vantaa native and one-time Stanley Cup champ will continue going about his business with the same positive mindset that helped him get his groove back.
"Around the time I got to Montreal, I tried not to focus on anything that wasn't going to make me feel or play better," Niemi explained. "I just do my job as well as I can, and I tried to do that until the last game of the season."