Gionta: 'It was the best five years of my career'

MONTREAL - Brian Gionta had eight seasons under his belt when he became the 28th captain in Canadiens franchise history on September 29, 2010.

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Seven of those years were spent with the New Jersey Devils, where he learned the tricks of the leadership trade from Hall of Famers Scott Stevens, Joe Nieuwendyk and Martin Brodeur, among others, and won a Stanley Cup in his sophomore campaign too.
That, coupled with one season of familiarizing himself with the Montreal market, prepared him for the awesome responsibility of succeeding Saku Koivu, who wore the "C" for a decade.
In retrospect, Gionta was thankful to assume the position with plenty of hockey and life experience in tow.
"It really does amplify things for you as a player in the sense that you want to uphold all the things that have happened before you. All the great players that have been there, you want to continue that excellence. I was fortunate that I was older," said Gionta, who was 31 at the time he was named the club's second American-born captain after Chris Chelios. "I was a lot more mature and I had a family, so a lot of the distractions, things that could come into play, weren't necessarily there for me. Being more mature, I was able to handle some of that pressure that is there for that role."
The 42-year-old Rochester, NY native sported the coveted letter for four years, the last of which included the Canadiens' memorable run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2014 where they ultimately fell to the New York Rangers in six games.
That would mark the end of his tenure with Montreal, but he departed with many fond memories after signing a three-year contract with Buffalo that summer.
"It's those little moments, like going out to eat with the family, with the kids, going into Westmount and being run out of a park with fans just kind of taking over and looking for pictures and autographs," recalled Gionta with a laugh. "It's those quiet moments, like after Hal Gill's 1,000th game, having a beer and just enjoying the moment with each other. It was just such a family atmosphere."
There were plenty of hockey memories as well, of course, like receiving the torch from the legendary Jean Béliveau during a pre-game ceremony and soaking in the unique playoff atmosphere at the Bell Centre.
But, Gionta relished building lifelong bonds with his Canadiens teammates above all else, specifically with Gill, Travis Moen and Jaroslav Spacek. They all joined the fold in 2009 and helped guide the group to its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since the triumphant 1993 season.
"I loved New Jersey. It shaped me as a young guy. But, when we moved to Montreal, we were all in it together. We all came at the same time. We were all in something new and it drove us even closer. I think that was the closest I've been with teammates, my years in Montreal," confided Gionta. "Those are the moments that you remember and identify with, even though I won a Stanley Cup in New Jersey, I identify as a Hab more than I do any of the four teams I played for."
The Boston College product will always have a special place in his heart for his former hockey home.
He amassed 173 points (97 goals, 76 assists) in 303 regular season games while in bleu-blanc-rouge, and collected 28 points (13 goals, 15 assists) in 45 postseason appearances as well.
"My family and I loved Montreal. It was the best five years of my career, not only on the ice, but off the ice," said Gionta. "To be a part of the culture, to be a part of that city, to be a part of the history of the Canadiens, all that comes into play."
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Canadiens owner, president and CEO Geoff Molson has great respect for the 16-year veteran, who retired in September 2018 and currently coaches in the Buffalo Junior Sabres program.
He believes Gionta performed his captaincy duties with class.
"It all starts with humility and being responsible and accountable. Humility is the big word that comes to my mind," said Molson. "I don't think that Brian is the type of player that needs to say a lot. He delivered with his actions and being humble about it. That's the character."
The Alumni Lounge and Le Salon des Anciens podcasts feature in-depth interviews with some of the organization's most popular players of the past.
The inaugural season of the pod included 10 episodes, which alternated languages each week under two separate titles in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast hosting platforms.
They are also available as full video episodes on the Canadiens' YouTube channel.