Updates from practice - Feb. 20

MONTREAL – Oh take me where, the hockey players, face off down the (outdoor!) rink.

That was the scene for the Canadiens on Friday.

To mark its 25^th anniversary, the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation welcomed the team for a practice on the Bleu Blanc Bouge rink in Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. This event highlights the Foundation’s flagship initiative –– the construction, donation, and activation of refrigerated outdoor rinks –– while 25 years of commitment to youth and community across Quebec.

There were no ‘sticks in the middle’ for this edition of shinny, though. The Habs kept things businesslike, running through a full practice as they continue to ramp up the pace ahead of next Thursday’s return to game action.

Under an overcast sky and in what felt like minus-15-degree temperatures, 21 Habs layered up for a rip on the ODR:

Alex Newhook practiced in a standard jersey for the first time since suffering a fractured ankle on November 13.

Filling the bleachers and cheering from start to finish were 350 students from Marc Favreau Elementary School, specially invited by the Foundation to take in the morning practice — and brave the cold right alongside their hockey heroes.

Montreal returns to familiar ground –– the CN Sports Complex in Brossard –– Saturday morning for a final practice ahead of Sunday’s skills competition at the Bell Centre.