The skinny
The Canadiens may be small and speedy, but a little size never hurts - unless you're the opposition. Enter: Ben Chiarot. After spending the first five seasons of his NHL career in Winnipeg, the hulking 6-foot-3, 225-pound defenseman ventured east to help take care of the backend in Montreal. Paired with Jeff Petry earlier in the season and then Shea Weber, Chiarot proved to be a solid acquisition on the free agency market for general manager Marc Bergevin. The Atlanta Thrashers' fourth-round pick (119th overall) in 2009 ate up big minutes on the blue line, finishing second on the Habs with 1,596:13 of total ice time and third with an average of 23:08. A defensive stalwart, Chiarot was entrusted with significant penalty kill minutes to the tune of 3:03 per contest, second behind only Weber.
SHOP: Summer collection
The Hamilton native also took the change of scenery as an opportunity to work on his offensive game. Last season, he scored three of his five goals over a 71-game stretch, but by November 7, Chiarot had lit the lamp three times over the span of just 14 contests*. He would close out the season with a career-high nine markers - including a pair of overtime winners - and his 21 points with Montreal were also a personal best. Big Ben put his big frame to good use, leading the team with 128 blocked shots, and finished second behind Petry in hits with 152.
Notable numbers
Playoff punditry
With 24 games of prior playoff experience on his resume, Chiarot knew how to up the ante when the time came for Montreal, becoming part of a modern-day "Big Three" with Petry and Weber. He was once again a workhorse on the backend, logging 23:07 of action per game, including 4:20 of shorthanded ice time. The 29-year-old edged out Jesperi Kotkaniemi for the team lead in hits with 38, and also blocked 19 shots, posted a plus-2 differential, and recorded two helpers in 10 postseason tilts for the Habs while patrolling the blue line mostly with Weber.
Goal of the year
