Brisebois, new Canadiens ambassador, likes potential of current team

Patrice Brisebois was 22 when he hoisted the Stanley Cup in 1993, in his first full NHL season with the Montreal Canadiens, when they won their 24th and most recent championship 30 years ago next spring.

Today, working Bell Centre corporate suites on game nights and in the community as one of the Canadiens' new ambassadors, Brisebois likes what he sees of the team's young defense corps and imagines great potential not far down the road.
"No one knew what to expect of the Canadiens at the start of the season," the former defenseman said at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Sunday, outside his Team Sundin dressing room between periods of the Hyundai Hockey Hall of Fame Legends Classic.

Team Sundin's Patrice Brisebois looks to make a pass while being watched by Team Lindros' Mikael Renberg during the Hyundai Hockey Hall of Fame Legends Classic at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Nov. 13. Bruce Bennett, Getty Images
Indeed, after reaching the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, the Canadiens plummeted to the worst 82-game season in their history, their 22-49-11 record in 2021-22 leaving them with 55 points, ranking 32nd and last in the NHL.
But with executive vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton at the helm, general manager Kent Hughes and the scouting staff stocking the cupboards at the 2022 NHL Draft and Martin St. Louis in his first full season as coach, the Canadiens and their fans are looking forward, not back.
Montreal's three-game winning streak ended at home Tuesday with a 5-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils, who got their 10th consecutive victory. But the Canadiens perhaps improbably are at 8-8-1 after 17 games, in sixth place in the eight-team Atlantic Division, after a 6-4 loss at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.
There were more question marks than exclamation points surrounding this team heading into 2022-23.

Patrice Brisebois greets his girlfriend, Nadia Saputo, before the Hyundai Hockey Hall of Fame Legends Classic at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Nov. 13. Bruce Bennett, Getty Images
For starters, franchise goalie Carey Price was sidelined with a knee injury, with Jake Allen pressed into the No. 1 job and Sam Montembeault, who came in with 63 games of NHL experience to his name, in the backup role.
"For now, the goalies are doing the job night after night," Brisebois said. "They're pushing each other, they play with confidence and they're giving the team a chance to win every night.
"Same thing with the young defense. It's going to be tough, everyone said, but look what they're doing so far. It's unbelievable."
Three of the Canadiens' six defensemen who played against the Devils -- Kaiden Guhle, 20; Arber Xhekaj, 21; and Jordan Harris, 22 -- are the same age as or younger than Brisebois when the latter won the 1993 Stanley Cup. Combined, they have played 61 NHL games.

Patrice Brisebois, 22, with then-Canadiens general manager Serge Savard and the Stanley Cup in 1993, and in action during a game in 1993-94. Patrice Brisebois collection; Mitchell Layton, Getty Images
"Offensively, the forwards are missing some parts," Brisebois said. "But [Nick] Suzuki, [Cole] Caufield, [Mike] Hoffman and [Kirby] Dach … it's nice to see because it was probably unexpected.
"For now, everybody's happy and now, the question is, can they make the playoffs? It's a long season but they've had a good start. I'm sure Kent Hughes, St. Louis and the Canadiens organization are pleased with the way they're playing. Hopefully, they're going to keep going."
Brisebois played 1,009 NHL games in 18 seasons (1991-2009) -- 896 during two tours of duty with the Canadiens and 113 for the Colorado Avalanche from 2005-07.
He ended his career with a tearful news conference in Montreal on Sept. 24, 2009. That night, he was presented the Jean Beliveau Trophy by its legendary namesake on Bell Centre ice in recognition of his work in the community.
Patrice Brisebois in a 2007 game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Bell Centre, and on Sept. 24, 2009, with Canadiens icon Jean Beliveau, accepting the team's annual Jean Beliveau Trophy. Andre Ringuette, Getty Images; Richard Wolowicz, Getty Images
Fittingly, the Boston Bruins were the visitors for a preseason game that night, Brisebois having made his NHL debut against the Bruins on Jan. 27, 1991, at the Montreal Forum. He got his first NHL point in that game, assisting on a goal by Shayne Corson; on Sunday in Toronto, he and Corson, the latter playing for Team Lindros, were opponents in the Legends Classic.
Brisebois wore the "CH" logo on his blue helmet, as he does in games he plays with the Canadiens Alumni team in fundraisers throughout Quebec and far beyond.
"I still love the game, I still love playing," he said. "It's always special to wear the Canadiens jersey, and it keeps me in shape, too. It's fun."
The most important of Brisebois' 107 regular-season and Stanley Cup Playoff goals came in Game 4 of the 2008 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Boston.

Patrice Brisebois shakes hands with Canadiens legend Larry Robinson on Nov. 19, 2009, upon the latter's number retirement at Bell Centre. Andre Ringuette, NHLI via Getty Images
With 42 seconds left in the third period and the Canadiens on the power play, he lasered a shot past Bruins goalie Tim Thomas for a 1-0 victory, the clank of his shot deflecting off the crossbar heard almost to the TD Garden ceiling. It was the last of Brisebois' nine playoff goals in his career.
"Right away, I saw the open corner," he said at the time. "I saw the hole and I put my heart and my Sher-Wood into it."
Four months ago, the Canadiens announced the naming of Brisebois, Guy Carbonneau, Vincent Damphousse and Chris Nilan to the role of team ambassador, joining 10-time Stanley Cup-winning captain Yvan Cournoyer and Rejean Houle, the team's alumni director.
Through the decades, ambassadors have included the late Maurice Richard, Beliveau, Henri Richard and Guy Lafleur.

Team Sundin's Patrice Brisebois in action Nov. 13 during the Hyundai Hockey Hall of Fame Legends Classic at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Nov. 13. Bruce Bennett, Getty Images
The current group of six is an outreach of the Canadiens brand, a celebration of the team's historic past and a promotion of its present and future.
"It's a great honor when I think about Maurice, Jean, Henri and Guy," Brisebois said. "When I was playing for the Canadiens, I never would have thought about this, and then I got the good news in July. I thank (team owner) Geoff Molson for his confidence."
A corporate function at Bell Centre on Oct. 24 brought together team management, past champions, ambassadors, the current team and many sponsors. That night, a week after the Canadiens had defeated the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2, Brisebois made it a point to chat with the defensemen and assistant coach Stephane Robidas, who is in charge of the defense.
"I asked the [defensemen], 'Against Pittsburgh, how did it feel to play against [Sidney] Crosby and [Evgeni] Malkin?' " he said. "The kids told me, 'It was awesome but it was a little bit intimidating at the beginning …'
"I told them, 'Never, ever be impressed by an opponent because if you're on the ice, you're there because you belong.' I hope that left an impression. I told them that when I started in the NHL, there was [Wayne] Gretzky, [Mario] Lemieux, [Mark] Messier, [Jaromir] Jagr… so many good players. It was a fun conversation."

Patrice Brisebois waves to fans and has some fun during warmups before a Montreal Canadiens Alumni charity game at Bob Birnie Arena in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, on Jan. 31, 2020. Dave Stubbs, NHL.com
Brisebois also enjoyed a talk with Robidas, who played with him on the Montreal blue line from 2000-02.
"Stephane said, 'I'm blessed to have so many good kids, they want to learn, they have a great work ethic,' and I told him, 'With this core, in three, four, five years, the Canadiens are going to be a really good team.'"
Like most every observer of the current Canadiens, Brisebois is pleasantly surprised at the first five weeks of the season. And like Cournoyer, Houle and the late, legendary ambassadors, he's learning that it's more fun to talk about the Canadiens when they're winning.
"I really believe that Martin is a big part of the success," he said. "When he was a player, he was passionate about the game. He prepared for every game and because of that he got better every night. I think that's what he's teaching his team now, and the players love their coach.
"At the beginning of this year, everyone expected another tough season. But so far, it's so much fun. This is a group that's building something together."