Folin: 'It's going to be loud and a lot of fun'

BROSSARD - Freshly acquired by the Canadiens on Saturday, defenseman Christian Folin got his first taste of the Montreal media hordes on Monday following practice at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard.

"There are a lot more media for me than usual," he observed with a laugh.
The defenseman, traded to the Habs alongside forward Dale Weise, said he was excited about the new path on which his hockey career had landed.
"I'm really happy. It's a good opportunity for me to join a good team who's in the race for the playoffs," shared Folin. "I'm excited to play in front of the fans. I've already played in this arena so I know it's going to be loud and a lot of fun. I've heard so many good things about the city. I used to like coming here to play when we were the visitors, so it's going to be fun to get out there and wear the red jersey."
The native of Gothenburg, Sweden wasn't coming in to a locker room full of strangers, either - Mike Reilly was a teammate of Folin's on the Minnesota Wild from 2015-2017.
Montreal's new No. 32 didn't have much trouble fitting in with the new group he met on Monday.
"There are a lot of good guys in this locker room. I met them for the first time this morning and we laughed a lot. I wasn't shy about hitting them during practice and them neither," he cracked. "It's a lot of fun.
Folin suited up for 26 games this season with the Philadelphia Flyers, picking up a pair of assists, dishing out 60 hits and getting in the way of 59 shots.
"I just want to continue keeping things simple and always being on the puck," explained the new Hab. "I can also bring a physical side."
From their point of view, Folin's new teammates were pleased with the arrival of the 6-foot-3, 204-pound rearguard.
"Righties of his kind are harder to find than lefties. He looks pretty heavy. I've played against him before and I know what kind of a player he is," outlined forward Jonathan Drouin. "I think he's a good addition to our team to have a big right-hander who's mobile like him."

In 209 career NHL games, Folin has totalled 38 points, 381 hits, and 296 blocked shots.
Weise's big return
Acquired alongside Folin, Weise was called up from the Laval Rocket following practice.
Weise is returning to the organization after leaving on February 24, 2016.
Over three seasons in Montreal, the Winnipeg native collected half of his career goals total - 27, to be precise.
From the days Weise dressed in bleu-blanc-rouge between 2013-2016, only forward Brendan Gallagher and goalie Carey Price remain.
The gritty forward was thrilled to see his former teammate back in the fold.
"I'm excited to see him again. I think the fans remember a lot of good memories. I know he's excited. He grew up a big Habs fan," affirmed the Canadiens' leading goal-scorer this season. "It's a good opportunity for him to prove what he's capable of. I think he has the same mentality as last time he was here. He has a chance to come here and have an impact."

Weise is expected to join the team at Tuesday's practice at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard.