Launch of Season 2 of THE REBUILD: INSIDE THE MONTREAL CANADIENS | FULL PRESS CONFERENCE

Fore feature. No to say What has the response been from your friends and family knowing you’d be involved in this season of the series? Uh, they were excited. Um, but I mean they they know what it’s like, but now it’s just another opportunity just to see um deep inside the locker room and exactly how we how we travel, how we interact and and all that. So, they were excited, but um they’ve been around for a long time obviously, so they they know. Yeah. All right. Fairway. Oh, exactly. Exactly. You mentioned being a lasso. Did you become a country music fan in Nashville during your time? A little bit. But um I started listening to country music over there. I used to not listen at all. So it’s growing on me. It still is. Um it was a great event though. Uh we had a a lot of fun and there was some really good artists as well. Fore excellent Awesome. Uh, thank you very much, Steve. Was there one thing specific that really makes you excited about this season that that this team can take another step going forward? Yeah. Well, I think we’re going to have uh challenges all over the year, but just to start like training camp, I’m really excited to start honestly first game at the Bell Center, all all that stuff, but uh really to as a group take another step and really challenge ourselves right off the bat. You know, we don’t want to wait. We want to start strong and I’m excited for that. You haven’t been here for a long time obviously, but it used to be not a lot of guys would be around Montreal in the summer it seemed before. There’s a lot this summer. What does that say maybe about how this rebuild is going that so many guys are stuck around town? I think it says a lot honestly. Uh it says a lot how we’re treated as well. Um everyone everybody wants to be here. Uh it’s the first time I’ve heard something like that honestly that all the guys are coming back. Um you know some of them some of them are there are here all summer, some of them are in and out and stuff like that. But it shows how how tight we are as a group, but also how how well we’re treated by the by the team. That’s good. respect. Okay. Fore protagonist. I Republic. Foreign speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech. respective. Fair. I think the F1 series was the first sort of behind the scenes. Yeah. How much did that play into the Kane’s decision to go ahead with this? And what were the concerns? Well, you’re right. You’re absolutely right. to uh drive to survive was was uh something that we’ve all seen. It was super high quality. And I would say that when Given Lev and his team came to see me, this is in 24 2024, like they showed us actually on tape what it could look like in terms of quality, in terms of the interactions between like what we would see like the behind the scene. And you know, we had to be convinced that it would be accurate and it would be sort of that kind of quality. And actually I don’t think we’ve anyways I’ve not been let down with equality and I’ve not been let down with how like you know everyone respected their words in terms of how it would work and how it would unfold. And so I think like you know yes it was a clear influence and I think that the quality is definitely similar. For you personally what was it like to now have two seasons having cameras follow you around and and speak to you at different points throughout the season? Um, I think it’s just like really like we wanted to show the fans like how it works like you know they see the players obviously on ice like games like but it was also important to show how it works from a commercial standpoint like you know um I can think of like in season two you’re going to see how we do like the whole like home opener like how we you know how we try to improve every year what we’re presenting to our fans for this big like big game that we’re presenting in October at the Bell Center. So again, it’s the idea here for us and for all the commercial teams who are much less used to cameras than the players was just to show the fans like how it works like you know season tickets like uh you’re going to see also in episode I believe it’s episode one Cole Cfield at some point changes number last year we all remember the the circumstances into which that took place. So you know that was one thing from a public facing standpoint but like what does it meant for us like how did we handle that from a from a commercial standpoint? We had a lot of inventory with the 22 on it. So, it’s interesting and I think like for the members of the commercial team, it’s, you know, they feel quite good about also having the chance to explain like what is it that they do and why they do it. Do you expect the cameras to be around again this season? Um, we’ll see. We’ll see. We’re going to hopefully you guys will check out, you know, season two and then hopefully people will appreciate that. I mean, it’s been good. As I said, I think like the players and the hockey staff are okay with that. So, we’ll see. Okay. What What are you most excited about going into this season with this team? Oh, I think it’s going to be very exciting. I think uh I mean I think we’re all able to see like the talent that you know not Mart but like Jeff and Ken have been adding to this team and I think you know everyone is super excited the first one Fore woman. Jeff Gorton mix. Fore mixstruction. Foreuffalo. scenario. Fore! Foreign! Foreign! Fore market. We A lot happens in a hockey season. So, can you kind of walk us through the decision making of what story lines you choose to to keep and which ones you’re willing to to step away from? Well, um listen, we you know, story writes itself a little bit as you know. So, um, but it’s nice as a documentarist to have to have the luxury not to go on the air that that quick. You guys have to, you know, you know, take a stand and and report on a daily basis. But when you do a documentary series, you have the luxury of the time. So, you can film a little bit and then see what happens. And then after that, you can have the the players and the the management and all, you know, come back and come back and revisit what happened. So that’s that’s a luxury that we have. But know things are so so many things to talk about around around and in that that that hockey club. Um you know it’s so uh the guys are so invested uh from top to bottom there. Uh so, um yeah, it’s it’s hard to to to pick what stories exactly, but and also I like to to know that I like to to um I like to uh to uh to underline the fact that it’s also the the the fans team. So, we have, for example, there was a farmer in season one. The guy selects his cows a little bit like it was a draft. And during the summer, his his farm went up in flames. So he went through a sort of rebuild himself and uh and uh he uh he modeled he modeled the rebuilding of his of his farm a little bit on the Canadian. What lessons did you learn from the first year that maybe helped you with the second year as far as dealing with players or anything like that? Stick stick to the corridor. Just stick to the walls. Just just don’t be don’t be in anybody’s legs. Mhm. Um, you have to pick your spots and you have to uh to be patient and it’s a it’s a wait it’s a waiting game. I guess you know that as well. So you have to be u but you know the trust as fast Mad said earlier the trust you know was was uh was uh in the first season we were working on on trust and and how much these guys can can really talk about in front of us and what what are what are they going to share? with they you know what what what’s going to be the reception when we drop in the the dressing room you know at all times so um I guess I guess we learned to pick our spots be discreet and uh and uh try to find ways and uh try to find discussion points as well with players not always on the on the on a daily thing they these these guys they’re so preoccupied with hockey you know they have a strict regimen of hockey all season they bar they barely do anything else. So um you know you have to find a way to you know as a documentarist try to find a way to talk about different things than than what they have to talk about on a daily basis. The editing process must be crazy. I can’t imagine how many hours of film you have by the end. Well, as yeah, uh many a lot of stuff a lot of stuff know ends up on the on the floor unfortunately. But, uh we’re trying to um we don’t want to bore anybody. So, the the scenes are pretty short. It’s always three minutes, four minutes, and then we, you know, move on to another topic and and come back later. So, the compet competition is out there as far as uh audio, video and the platforms and all. So you have to you have a mission to be to be uh as exciting and as to have some some special content and and then be not boring you know put some music put some uh you know it’s a it’s a challenge Now What was it like watching that this series last year for you? Uh, it’s pretty cool. Like it’s definitely a little weird like seeing yourself like hearing yourself and I don’t know. It’s like it’s a new look at like kind of I mean cuz you’re just like guys, right? Like going about your day and then you like see yourself like on the TV like I don’t know. It’s kind of weird but I liked it. It’s cool. Good looking. Yeah, sometimes. Yeah. What kind of feedback were you getting from friends and family? Um, I mean it’s more just family like uh because my family’s in an episode and like my first game so like they thought it was pretty cool get like getting on the getting some screen time and like uh so I thought that was probably the coolest part having them like be a part of it and you know being able to you know see them on the TV too is is pretty special. Are you watching it hoping that you didn’t say or do anything embarrassing that you didn’t remember or No, honestly like not really. I feel like if there’s anything too bad, I feel like they would get it cut out and like it’d be fine. So like yeah, it’s uh it’s there’s no really worries with that. It’s it’s more just uh it’s pretty cool to just see like the ins and outs and like what what ends up on there is uh it’s you know it’s it’s a good show. Was it weird having the cameras around? I know the director was saying that the second episode they were more aware of like sort of staying back a bit more and staying away. Did you notice a difference or? Not really to be honest. Like they’re always there too. So, I I maybe at first it was like a little weird and then um I mean it’s the second year now. It’s kind of just like you know the cameras are just there and it’s it’s not really uh you know no one really notices them. Um so yeah as as it went on it was it was pretty easy. Do you feel like they had to build some sort of trust in you guys after year one so that you guys can go about your business and not have to worry about anything? Yeah, I mean I guess like it’s like you know when then when you watch it and nothing crazy was kind of put on and like you know nothing sering the guys or anything like it was so you’re like okay it’s cool and um you know they do a good job too. I feel like they make a they ask some good questions too when you’re you know interviewing with them and I feel like they put a put a nice story together so it’s it’s all respect. Yeah, there’s so many of these behind the scenes Yeah. things out now. That was another one that you’ve watched from I used to watch I mean I used to watch behind the bee when I was younger. Um so that was like kind of my idea of it was like thinking about you know having a behind the be but for here and uh yeah it’s I mean it’s super cool. I know that the fans up here I mean obviously love it. So I’m you know I’m sure they’re excited to see and you know get the you know behind the scenes action. So it’s uh you watched Behind the Be obviously as a fan back then. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I was How cool was it for you to get that vibe? It was uh it’s cool. I mean because yeah, when you’re growing up like you watch those shows and you just think it’s the coolest thing ever and then you know you turn on you know Crave now and then you see you know yourself sneak into a couple episodes and it’s uh it’s pretty special. Are you happy about this new run? Yeah. Yeah, I’m very happy about it. Um yeah, I mean I just I wanted to stay really bad. Um you know I love the city, love the team. Um think we’re going in a great direction. So I was I was really excited to get that done. What’s your plan for the next uh when you see the movement in the this offseason with the the decor? Yeah, I mean I can’t really control much. It’s just control you can control and you know I’ve been here for a month now be here till the season you know starts. So it’s just you know working hard and you know getting the most out of the skates and the workouts and yeah I mean coming to camp you know as ready as I can be. Was the contract negotiation thing a little weird? I mean t almost like an other son thing. Is that sort of a weird situation with him as a GM? Uh I mean not really to be honest. Like I knew kind of before like you know around the number that I was you know looking for and I felt like they were pretty comfortable with that too. So um I think it was like an offer they offered and I was like hey can I get a little bit more? And then they gave me a little bit more and it was done. It was it was just pretty easy. So how good is it to spend this? You said you were like last month. How good is it to see all a lot of players be here too, so you can practice all the time and Yeah. and complex being open to you guys with the the chefs and everything. Yeah, it’s great. I mean, it makes it so much easier. Um I mean, everything that you need is here and it’s 15 minutes away from where I live. So, it’s um I mean, you’re getting the best skates, best workouts, you know, nutrition, everything is just I mean, you’re getting breakfast, lunches, I it’s it makes it so much easier. And you know, as guys start to trickle back in here now, it’ll be uh you know, be it gets more fun and more fun just having more guys on the ice and competing and you know, seeing where guys are at, you know, in their summer. So, it’s u it’s always fun being here. I love spending the summer here. If they do another episode of this, it might not be called the rebuild after you guys already made the playoffs. What are you most excited about going into the season? Um, you know, honestly, I just I think we’re ob we’re going to take a step and um, you know, we lost first round last year and it didn’t feel like we were just happy to be there. You know, is you know, we think that we’re really going to, you know, do something and so I think it’s just, you know, seeing how, you know, we come together and, you know, build off of what we what we were able to do last year and, you know, I think we have a really good team. I mean, we made some good additions and um you know, obviously lost, you know, lost some good good guys, but um yeah, I’m excited to see what we can do. What about Doson with the Yeah, he’s great. He’s great. I mean, he’s a super skilled, you know, defenseman. I mean, he should he should be adding a lot for us, a lot of offense, but I mean, he’s I feel like his defensive game gets slept on, too. I mean, he’s he’s a good player. Like, he’s going to he’s going to help us out. And, you know, whenever you’re able to add, you know, a guy like that, it’s uh you know, it’s pretty exciting. Thanks, J. Thank you very much. Uh Yeah. Wait. Is it going to be sort of cool to have a video series following your final series when you look back later or your kids look back and and follow it. Yeah, definitely. You know, I think uh if I look if I put myself in four or five years when even my my youngest one is a little older, it’s going to be cool to to be able to watch back and uh you know, the last few uh moments I played in the NHL. And you know, I think uh they did such a good job in the first uh the first season of uh just uh just our life, you I think they they see the meanings, the the ups and down we go through a season and stuff like this. And you know, sometimes you don’t see it from the outside. And I think it’s cool for the fans to to get to see this. And even for our family, you know, they they live it through us, but they they’re not in meetings. They’re not uh you know, and all those those hard practices and everything. They don’t don’t see all the the stuff we do at the rink. So, it’s definitely going to be uh cool to look at. I know you had said you’d like to stick around with the organization in some form. Is any talks about doing that or anything else? Uh yeah, we had uh some conversation and obviously uh nothing set in stone, but uh we’ve been going a little bit back and forth and just uh you know trying to find if there’s a good fit there for if they need me for something and stuff like this. But I think both siders just uh you know it’s it’s been a busy summer for them too and same thing for me you know it’s completely different but uh we were pretty busy so obviously I think uh camp is is just around the corner and we’ll have more time to to talk a little bit and and and see if if there’s a good fit for us. The defensive for Thank The series is titled the rebuild. What are you most proud about the role you’ve played in the rebuild here with this team? I think it’s just the the mindset of uh you know coming in a in a positive mindset even if you’re going through the ups and down. you know, it doesn’t matter if your your team is uh up in the standings, you you go through some downs that it’s uh kind of miserable going in the rank and we live those and we went through them with with the young guys and I think they uh they came out like knowing that you can turn things around, you know, and I think uh that’s what we did in the last three years and you know, I think we uh we finally get a little bit of success at the end and you know, it’s it’s obviously going to be even harder this year because every team knows that uh that that that young group can do something and they can be really dangerous. So, I think it’s it’s going to be uh you know, you start from scratch, you know, uh first day of camp, it’s every team’s at the same level. So, but uh like I said, I think I’m really proud of where the the guys came from. Three years ago, uh not many guys, not many people thought we were going to build something really solid. And I think uh right now it’s it’s it’s starting to show. No. Is it starting to sink in now that you’re retired or were you beyond that point? Did you know when it up it was done? Well, I knew I knew I was done. Like obviously I made my decision uh uh probably mid-season last year knowing that it was probably going to be the last one and everything. And you know I’m I feel pretty good about it. Obviously like I said I I think you’re going to miss going to games and and being around the guys the staff everybody and you know it’s a big family and it’s going to be uh something really different and something you’re going to miss a lot but it’s just it’s part of life. it was going to happen at some point. And uh like I said, I’m happy with my decision and and just the way everything finished. You know, I I got lucky to be able to finish at home and and we made the playoff and everything. The the experience was was uh pretty amazing for for for a little kid from Quebec and be able to have his family next to him. As someone who’s from here, what does it mean to you to see so many guys sticking around Montreal during the offseason when there was a period before when guys really the whole team would leave as soon as the season was over apart from the guys who live the Quebecers who live here. Yeah, I mean it just shows how people uh they obviously love playing here, you know, and uh it’s Montreal is a great city that the fans are behind us and I know we’ve been through uh some tough time in the last three years and and uh you’re finally kind of turning the corner and you see the the support from from day one they went into that rebuild or whatever you want to call it. I think everybody’s behind the the team and and they want the young guys to to perform and I think the young guys are sticking around and and they feel the love from the city, the fans and you know I think it’s been uh amazing for all those guys and especially me uh coming from Quebec and coming home and feeling the support was was really cool. Fore speech. Defensive execute plan. Foreigne defensive defensive map. How much do you think Nick Suzuki’s decision to live here year round maybe played a role in guys getting more involved in the community especially in the summertime? Well, it’s it’s definitely a a big reason why I think uh guys stick around. You know, I think it’s uh you got to be part of the community. that’s the the best way to kind of get to know the your city and and and it makes makes it feel at home, you know, and obviously as a young guy. I uh I used to to go home right after the season and the day I had my kids, I started staying longer, showing up earlier and and going back in the summer because you have your place, you have everything. And this is it doesn’t feel like work anymore. You you feel like at home. And I think that’s a a big difference for for all the young guys that that do it now. on, you know, I think when when everybody start doing it, then more and more guys showing up in the summer and they’re going back and forth and and you just feel like you’re more at home. So, I think it it translates on the ice and and feeling more comfortable being around the city and and being part of the community.

Players and members of the organization address the media at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard for the launch of Season 2 of THE REBUILD: INSIDE THE MONTREAL CANADIENS on Crave.

00:16 Alexandre Carrier
05:45 France Margaret Bélanger
13:14 André St-Pierre
28:36 Jayden Struble
39:18 David Savard

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