Chiarot says Canadiens are good spot for free agents

MONTREAL --Ben Chiarot wants any prospective NHL free agent to know he could find a terrific home with the Montreal Canadiens.

"If you like playing in front of a full building in a place where they love hockey, I'd say it's a perfect place to play," the Canadiens defenseman said Thursday.

"There's so much history around the team and in the Bell Centre. For me, there's no better place to play than in Montreal. Hockey is everything there. As a hockey player, that's what you want: a place that cares, a place that loves hockey. That was a big reason why I signed. That would be the first thing that I'd tell someone if they were trying to decide on coming to Montreal."

Chiarot was an unrestricted free agent this offseason when he said at least a few teams expressed interest. He had played all 305 of his NHL games with the Winnipeg Jets, beginning with one game in the 2013-14 season.

"I definitely had some other opportunities that were similar to Montreal's," he said. "[Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin] called me July 2 or 3 and kind of explained to me what he sees for me, how he'd always appreciated my game. I liked everything he had to say, and he did a really good job of selling me on Montreal and what my role would be. He made it an easy decision to come over."

Chiarot signed a three-year, $10.5 million contract (average annual value $3.5 million) with Montreal on July 4.

Chariot had 64 points (12 goals, 52 assists), averaging 16:10 per game for Winnipeg. His most productive season there was 2018-19, when he had 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 78 games.

This season, he has an NHL career-high 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 69 games, averaging 23:08 time on ice. With the trust of coach Claude Julien and assistant Luke Richardson, who handles the defensemen, Chiarot blossomed, often paired with captain Shea Weber and used in many situations, including overtime.

"I didn't really know what to expect," Chiarot said. "Luke Richardson and Claude gave me a lot of opportunity and to show that I could handle that. I just tried to make the best of whatever opportunities I was given and I thought I did a pretty good job with it. …

"Especially this year, I realize I have new levels to get to as far as my play goes. I think I found a new level this year in Montreal with the help of Luke and Claude and [associate coach Kirk Muller]. They helped me realize that there's more that I can do. There are areas of my game I can still improve on. That was exciting for me. Getting into a new environment in Montreal helped me realize a new zone."

The NHL season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. Chiarot is spending his time with his wife and their 10-month-old daughter, working out in his home gym with an eye to being ready to return to the ice whenever that call might come. He said he's full bore into his usual offseason training routine, and that and a newborn "eat up quite a bit of the day."

He said he misses "just being with the guys every day. You go from being with 23 of your buddies every day to being alone, not being able to see anyone every day."

What does he miss the least?

"I could throw a lot of guys under the bus right now but I don't think I'll do that," he said with a laugh. "When you haven't seen them in a month, I'd take any of them right now to hang out with."