Former Habs coach Demers hospitalized

OTTAWA — Canadian Sen. Jacques Demers, a former Montreal Canadiens coach, has been hospitalized, but his office said Saturday it was too early to provide any details. His director of parliamentary affairs confirmed in an email Demers, 72, had been admitted to a Montreal hospital. Demers had suffered a stroke in April, but his health seemed to have improved recently. He was at the Habs’ home opener Tuesday, smiling in a wheelchair while handing a torch to captain Max Pacioretty to close out a pre-game ceremony. Demers led the Canadiens to their last Stanley Cup in 1993. He was appointed to the Senate in 2009 by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, but later left the Conservative caucus to sit as an Independent.