Among the new faces on site at the Habs' practice facility was Tomas Tatar, who was acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights earlier in the week.
While meeting with the Montreal media for the first time, the 27-year-old Slovak mentioned that he was excited to finally be on Quebec soil.
"I'm really happy to be here. The last few days were stressful with moving," said Tatar. "I was happy to meet the guys. I want to be a good teammate, so it's an important day for me."
Ten hours after landing in Montreal, he was getting his first day on the job underway on the South Shore.
"The physical testing wasn't easy this morning. I landed late last night, but it's not an excuse," explained Tatar. "As a pro, I always need to be ready."
Tatar is confident that he'll be able to help the Canadiens out in short order.
"I want to have my best season," affirmed Tatar, who will hit the ice on Friday in his new uniform. "I've been given an opportunity with the trade and I want to show that I can play good hockey."
Fellow newcomer Joel Armia also had his first meeting with members of the local media on Thursday.
The former member of the Winnipeg Jets is already quite impressed with his new surroundings.
"I really like Montreal," said Armia with a smile. "My Finnish teammates have helped me a lot since I arrived. I'm going to try to play my game and have an impact right away. I'm really looking forward to being on the ice with everyone on Friday."
New year, new objectives
Veteran defenseman Karl Alzner also fielded some questions on Thursday afternoon.
The 29-year-old Burnaby, BC native knows that the Canadiens have to perform this season.
"We have to be better every night," explained Alzner. "The guys are determined. We want to surprise teams. We have our own expectations this year and they're high."
By his own admission, Alzner indicated that he has to make some adjustments to his game in order to be effective on the back end.
"I want to be faster this season," said Alzner. "Last year, I was waiting for things to happen too much. This year, I want to make things happen. I also want to be better on the penalty kill."
Competition awaits
Taking any roster spot for granted would be a serious mistake, according to Nicolas Deslauriers, who expects plenty of competition in the days to come.
"There will be a lot of competition this year. That's what the guys want," said Deslauriers. "You're never just given your job."
The 27-year-old LaSalle native is eager to get things going.
"I worked hard this summer," mentioned Deslauriers. "I'm coming to camp like I have to prove myself to be on the team. That's the way I approach things every season."
The first on-ice session will be held on Friday at the Bell Sports Complex.
Players will have several practices and Sunday's Red vs. White Intrasquad Scrimmage at the Bell Centre to get themselves ready for the start of the pre-season, which gets underway on Monday night against the New Jersey Devils in Montreal.
