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MONTREAL – A phone call. A life turned upside down. Boxes to prepare. A new city to adapt to.

It’s hard to imagine turning around on a dime, packing up your life’s possessions, and moving nearly 2,000 km away from everything you’ve built over almost 10 years.

That, however, is one of the hazards of the occupation of a professional athlete.

And, for Alexandre Carrier, who spent all four years of Junior in Gatineau before joining the Nashville Predators for the next eight seasons, the initial shock of such a sudden change was greatly softened when he learned his next destination would be Montreal.

“Initially, I was a bit shocked. But, when I found out I was going to Montreal, I was really excited. There were a lot of emotions, honestly. It’s still chaotic to be traded during the season and to move all your things,” explained Carrier. “You don’t really know what’s going to happen, you’re meeting new people... it was a lot. But I’m really, really happy to be here.”

Making the NHL is the dream of thousands of young hockey players. And while some have a clear path to get there, Carrier had to prove his worth throughout his career in order to get where he is today.

"I had a bit of a different journey compared to a lot of guys. I played four years in the AHL. In my first year there, I was called up for the first time and I played my first NHL game,” recounted Carrier, who made his NHL debut in January 2017 in Vancouver. “After that, it took me three years before I got back to the NHL. There was a lot of questioning, of perseverance, of highs and lows.”

So, when the opportunity to carve out a permanent spot in the League came up during a period of time full of disruptions due to COVID-19, he didn’t pass it up.

"I seized the opportunity because I told myself, ‘I’m not going back to the AHL. Either it’s happening now, or it’s over,’” said Carrier.

His efforts were rewarded. In 2021-22, Carrier played his first full season with Nashville, recording 30 points including 27 assists, to go along with a plus-28 differential, in 77 games. Reliable and consistent, the blue-liner had the third-highest average ice time (20:08) on the Preds this season before he left. His ice time has been roughly the same since joining the Canadiens in December.

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If this chapter in his career brings some familiarity – having grown up in Varennes, not far from the city – the 28-year-old rearguard is still facing a completely different system, as well as moving from a team where he was among the youngest on the roster to one where he’s playing more of a veteran role. He hopes his experience will help him act as a leader on a younger Habs team.

“I’m at a place in my career where I’m more comfortable with who I am, with what kind of leader I want to be, and with a bit of a younger group, it maybe gives me the opportunity to do a bit more,” shared Carrier, who’s approaching the 300-game mark in the NHL. “I learned so much in the last few years with some of the older guys, guys who won Cups and who have playoff experience. Coming into a locker room where the core is younger, it gives you more chances to develop that side of yourself.”

Turning to the future, what does Carrier see?

Individually, he wants to continue progressing and developing his game at both ends of the rink.

In terms of his young teammates, Carrier would like to serve as a guide, showing the way with his calm and with the experience he’s racked up over the years.

Thinking of the bigger team picture, he’d obviously like to win.

And when it comes to the big show of love he’s gotten since his arrival in the mecca of hockey, “Let’s hope it continues,” he added with a laugh.