Fan interaction was fun for Dadonov

MONTREAL -- Evgenii Dadonov's first trip to the Bell Centre since joining the Canadiens included a memorable stop at the team store, Tricolore Sports.

SHOP: Dadonov No. 63 jersey
After browsing through the vast array of merchandise with his wife, Anna, and choosing a few special gifts for their three children back in South Florida, the Russian winger happily posed for pictures and interacted with countless fans eager to meet him.
It certainly was a cool introduction to his new hockey home.
"It's good to know that people are waiting for you. It was nice to spend time with the fans. I appreciated that," said Dadonov, who was acquired from the Golden Knights on June 16. "Meeting everybody was exciting. I always knew what kind of fans were in Montreal, but I never felt their passion for myself. It's a new experience for me and I can't wait to play for them. I'm already imagining what it's going to be like with 21,000 people in the building."

Dadonov will find out when Martin St-Louis' squad opens the regular season at home versus the Maple Leafs on October 12.
Ten-plus weeks is a long time to wait, though, especially after visiting the dressing room, donning the iconic jersey, and touring the facilities.
The eight-year NHL veteran is hungry to build on his fourth 20-goal campaign in the last five years.
"I want to start next season sooner than it is," mentioned Dadonov, whose No. 63 sweater brought a smile to his face. "I've always liked playing against Toronto."
During the visit, the 33-year-old Chelyabinsk native reminisced about some of his favorite Canadiens over the years, including Patrick Roy, Saku Koivu and Alex Kovalev.

He also explained that being reunited with former Panthers teammates Mike Hoffman, Mike Matheson, Sam Montembeault and Chris Wideman would be "helpful" for his transition to the team.
As for his thoughts on the city, the review is a resounding thumbs up.
"When I came here as a visiting player, I always thought that Montreal was pretty good, and now I think it's really good. My wife likes it as well," praised Dadonov. "The kids are really excited about the move, too. They've spent the last five winters in Florida, so they haven't seen much snow. That's the exciting part for them. They want to come to Canada and experience winter."
It seems like the man affectionately known as "Big Daddy" will feel comfortable rather quickly in the 514.
A strong start would be ideal, of course, and he's been skating with players like Aaron Ekblad, Carter Verhaeghe and Igor Shesterkin in the Sunshine State with that goal in mind.

The two-time Gagarin Cup winner in the KHL is keen to seize this opportunity and endear himself to the fan base.
"When I played at the Bell Centre, I always liked the atmosphere in the arena. It's still kind of a new building, but it feels like there's a lot of history here, too," said Dadonov. "As it goes along, I'll get used to it and it'll be like home."