Whenever a player changes teams due to free agency, a trade, or another reason, he immediately tries to make a good impression. Putting up some points in their first game is one way of doing this, but some new arrivals make their mark in a more physical manner.
Such is the case with new Montreal Canadiens forward Rene Bourque. Bourque arrived in Montreal under some very unique circumstances. He was the player the Habs received in a mid-game trade on Thursday, Jan 12 that sent Mike Cammalleri to the Calgary Flames. The trade came shortly after Cammalleri had made some disparaging remarks about his lack of ice time and the Canadiens’ supposed losing mentality.
Bourque made his debut for the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge on Sunday, Jan. 15 in a game against the league-leading New York Rangers. In his first shift, he took Montreal’s first shot of the game. He would finish the game – a 4-1 victory – with four hits, three shots, one blocked shot, and 20:59 total ice time. His Habs debut was delayed, as he serving a five-game suspension he incurred for a hit to the head of Nicklas Backstrom of the Washington Capitals on Jan. 5.
The 6-foot-2 native of Lac La Biche, AB, is known for his physical play, and also for his goal-scoring prowess. He enjoyed back-to-back 27-goal seasons with the Flames, and had lit the lamp 13 times before the trade occurred. Despite having a very French-sounding name, Bourque is not French at all, as he admitted in a post-trade press conference in Calgary. He is actually of Métis descent, a background he shares with a small handful of other NHLers.
Like a few other current Habs, Bourque began his career as an undrafted free agent. He was signed by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2005, and spent three years in Chicago before being traded to the Flames in 2008. He had some of his best offensive years there, netting a career-high 58 points (27G, 31A) in 2009-10. Before the trade, however, he had been suspended twice within a month for illegal hits.
The addition of Bourque will give the Canadiens more of a physical presence, in addition to some useful secondary scoring. At a time where several key players are sidelined with major injuries, the Habs’ new No. 27 will be called upon to supply the team with his own personal brand of offence and grit in each game.
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