Emotional day at the office

BROSSARD - Friday morning's practice was an emotional one for the Habs, with the announcement that a friend and teammate was leaving the club.

It goes without saying that tributes poured in from every corner of the locker room after the on-ice session.
Firstly, there was the coach, who took the opportunity to celebrate Tomas Plekanec's career with the distinction of being the Czech centerman's first and last bench boss in the NHL.
"I was his first coach in North America and also his last. I know there were some big discussions between Marc and Tomas. As a coach, you realize that he was a good player who served the team with pride," recounted Claude Julien. "It's an emotional moment because he's a good person. He was a good warrior and he was loyal - not only to the organization, but to his teammates, too."
Plekanec's peers had nothing but respect and appreciation for the man who proudly wore the turtleneck in a Habs uniform for close to 15 years.
"He's a man of few words, but I never could've imagined that we could've learned so much from a guy so quiet. I learned something new every day I spent with him," praised Max Domi. "I have a lot of respect for the player Tomas was on the ice, but I also have an enormous amount for the man he is off of it."

"When he got here, he was always the first player into the gym. He worked constantly on his faceoffs when he was on the ice. I think that says a lot about the person he is," added Phillip Danault. "He served Montreal with pride. He's been an incredible centerman. I used a lot of things that he taught me on the ice. He was always quite a mentor for me."
The 36-year-old Kladno native spoke to his teammates prior to practice, a moment that was surely filled with emotion for the players and staff in the room.
"It was a tough moment to go through with him, to see him in that state. For sure, it was short because he's a man of few words," described captain Shea Weber. "Since I've been here, I've always had a good relationship with him. It's hard to see him go. I wish him the best in his future endeavors."

"It's a difficult day for him. He's given a lot to this organization for a long time. For sure, it's hard for him to say goodbye today," shared Jeff Petry. "He's not the kind of player who gets all the credit he deserves. He's been an excellent center for this team for many years. It's sad to see him go."
"It's not an easy situation, to say goodbye. You're dedicated to your sport for so long, so to put an end to it all, it's not obvious. I've played with Pleky for a long time," affirmed Carey Price, who counted Plekanec as a teammate since his rookie season. "He's been a good teammate for me and I appreciate his support throughout the years."

Niemi to take on the Golden Knights
After practice, Julien declared that it would be Antti Niemi between the pipes when the Vegas Golden Knights stop by the Bell Centre on Saturday.
The coach added that the decision not to start Carey Price was to give him a chance to take a step back following Thursday night's game.
"I think it's important, first of all, that he take a step back tomorrow and then we'll see where we go from there to give him a chance to regain his confidence," he explained. "That's how the decision was made. Carey knows our expectations and his are the same."
For his part, Price reiterated that there are certain things he needs to sort through.
"I want to reinforce myself mentally, like I said last night, get my mindset in to game mode. My impression is that the technical aspect is still there so I'm not panicking, I just want to find a solution, he concluded. "We have a good team that's going to support me through the process."