MONTOYA VALIANT IN DEFEAT
Makes 34 saves in 2-1 OT loss to Wings
If the NHL had an award for the league’s best chirper, Steve Ott would have won it many times.
The 34-year-old’s mouth, as much as his stick and skates, has always been part of his arsenal when he hits the ice. Before Ott played for Team Canada at the world junior championship, he learned to swear in the languages of all the teams he would play against so he could really get under the opposition’s skin.
Canadiens coach Claude Julien has heard Ott’s chirping as an opposing coach and now gets to hear it on his own bench after the veteran forward was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings on Feb. 28 in exchange for a sixthround pick at the 2018 NHL Draft.
“Trust me, I hear it,” Julien said after Tuesday’s morning skate in Brossard. “I heard it when he was on the other team, too, giving it back to our guys. He’s got a great sense of humour, nothing is personal ... This is all part of his game, it’s all part of his identity, but he does have good one-liners.”
It would have been great to have a microphone on Ott during Tuesday night’s game at the Bell Centre against his former Red Wings teammates, who he was looking forward to playing against.
There’s a funny YouTube video of Ott from a few years ago when he was mic’d up for a game with the Dallas Stars and is getting ready to take a faceoff against Philadelphia Flyers star Claude Giroux.
“I’m fifth in the league,” Ott tells Giroux.
“At what?” the Flyer responds. “At faceoffs, look at NHL.com,” Ott says proudly. “You’re a good player, you’re doing well. I’m fifth in the league, so I’m probably going to win it right there.”
While with the Buffalo Sabres during a game in 2011, Ott actually licked the visor of the Canadiens’ Jeff Halpern while lining up for a faceoff. Do you think that might throw a guy off his game?
It’s more than just his hockey skills that have kept Ott in the NHL for 15 seasons, playing with five teams since being selected by the Stars in the first round (25th overall) of the 2000 draft. The six-foot, 193-pounder brings a lot of intangibles both on and off the ice.
“He brings a lot of energy on the ice,” Julien said. “He hits, he does a lot of things. He’s an experienced guy on the penalty kill, he’s going to block shots. But off the ice, he’s extremely good in the dressing room. He’ll stand up when he needs to stand up. He’ll loosen up that room when he feels it’s a little tight. He’s always been known for that.
“Sometimes we measure players just on their on-ice abilities and we forget how important it is when it comes to off-ice and what he does for a group of players. He’s certainly one of the best when it comes to that.”
After St. Louis was eliminated by the San Jose Sharks in Game 6 of the Western Conference final last season, an emotional Blues captain David Backes told reporters a story about Ott, who was his teammate then.
“He’ll kill me for telling you this story,” said a teary-eyed Backes, who is now with the Boston Bruins. “But Game 5, I’m not feeling well and Steve Ott brings me something to help me feel better knowing that he’s the guy coming out of the lineup if I can play. That’s pretty selfless.”
Detroit signed Ott as a free agent last summer to a one-year, US$800,000 contract and he got to live a dream by putting on a Red Wings jersey. Ott was born in Summerside, P.E.I., but calls Windsor, Ont., home and played junior hockey for the Windsor Spitfires. His two favourite players as a kid were the Red Wings’ Steve Yzerman and Bob Probert.
“Growing up a Red Wing fan and having that opportunity to be a Red Wing was extremely important,” Ott said.
“Why I say that is because I got to play in front of friends and family every night at the Joe Louis Arena.”
But Ott wasn’t disappointed when the Red Wings traded him to the Canadiens, saying he was on “Cloud 9” to be joining an Original Six team in Canada. His wife, Erica, and their two-yearold son joined him in Montreal a couple of days ago.
“They’re really enjoying Montreal,” Ott said. “My wife’s from Dallas, so she’s taking this all in. We’re actually living in the Old Montreal area, so we’re having a lot of fun times and a new experience all around.”
There are reasons why Ott has lasted so long in the NHL and why Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin felt the veteran could help his team.
Chirping is only one of them.
We forget how important it is when it comes to off-ice and what he (Ott) does for a group of players. CLAUDE JULIEN