Hal Gill Offers Deep Look Inside Canadiens

[RGM81]

Great interview at HIO today. Skillsy is pure class...and hilarious.

http://www.hockeyinsideout.com/news/...is-former-habs

Well, you do have fun on Twitter as @Skillsy75, having lurked for awhile under an alias…


I retweeted one that said, “Women say childbirth is the most painful thing… obviously they have never stepped on a Lego.” I thought it was the funniest thing but I had a bunch of people telling me, ‘How dare you say that…” I mean, it’s a joke.
Carey Price finally joined Twitter this week and his first tweet was to the effect that you drink wine coolers. Not today, obviously, since we’re drinking beer. But presumably, the wine-cooler crack was an insult. What’s up with that?

(Laughs) I still don’t know what that was all about. But did you like my #bartlesandjames hashtag? Do they even make wine coolers? … Carey gets kinda passionate about things, I can see him (as @CP0031) saying, “You guys should just (expletive)…”
Then you have people saying things back to you and you’re thinking, “This is the worst thing ever.” It stings. But then you look and the guy has two followers.
Twitter is how I get all my news. I don’t think there’s a faster news source: USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone magazine. You can read more if you want. I can follow (TSN’s) Bob McKenzie and he’ll probably know I’ve been traded before I do.
As not, well, the fastest skater in the NHL, what inspired the photo you took in mid-May and tweeted of yourself standing among traffic pylons on a Montreal street, with the caption, “I’m the highest paid one!”?
(Laughs again) Anne knew what I had in mind. She just said, “You’re an idiot,” and took the picture on my iPhone. I thought it was kinda fitting, me among the pylons.
Are you surprised the Canadiens went their entire centennial year, your first season here, without a captain?
No. The whole captain/alternate thing is just for the fans. (I suggest to Gill it’s largely symbolic and he agrees.) We followed Gio because of his presence on the ice. He’s not a guy who says much, but when you see him go to the net, take a crosscheck then get up and go at it again, that’s why you follow him.
You’re still nicely recognized on the streets of Montreal.
They’re really good. If you stop and take a picture, you can be there forever. But if you just say hi, people have been great. My daughters don’t like it too much. We go and get ice cream and I do 20 minutes of signing.
My 7-year-old’s quote last year was, “I can’t wait to go (home to) Boston where no one cares about you.” Thanks, hon. But it’s so true. Boston people ask me, “What are you doing nowadays? You played for the Bruins, right? What are you doing now?” Last summer I said, “I played for Montreal, remember we played seven games against the Bruins?” And they said, “Oh really, you were out there?” In Boston, if you don’t play for the Bruins, you’re dead.
Your pal Josh Gorges led the NHL in blocked shots this season. Did you coach him on that?

Georgie got really good at it. I tried to tell him earlier in the year, “Don’t try to block a shot, be in a position so they don’t shoot.” That’s ideally what you’re supposed to be doing. But he got really good. What he’s really good at and what we did on the penalty-kill is we’d have a guy pressuring so the opponent would have to shoot a wrister. We wouldn’t give up a slapper, so as soon as the wrister goes through we’d block it. You can try to block slap shots but it’s a lot harder. Georgie got really good at finding a way to get in front. Good for him because he’s not a big guy, he can’t take a guy and move him.
Did you see Carey Price mature during your time here?
Yes. Pricey is good. He’s a different guy. It’s hard in Montreal. You go out somewhere, and I’ve been out with him, and people are taking pictures and video, and you’re thinking, “This is ridiculous.” Everyone wants to buy him a shot. He’ll accept one, be a nice guy and talk to them, then someone else wants to buy him a drink. He’s out a little late, then (the media or others online) give him (crap) for being out late.
It’s the same for P.K. Everyone loves him, everyone wants to party. Then they say, “P.K. was out late last night, he shouldn’t have been.” Every time you go out in Montreal, it’s the best night out.
Carey was over that when I got here in 2009. But after everyone turned on him that season and when (goalie Jaroslav) Halak was the end all, be all, the best thing ever, I said to Carey, “You must be excited to get out of here,” and he said, “No, I really want to make it work.” He wanted to stay after all that? I don’t know, he was stronger than I would have been. I’d have been, “I’m getting out of here, I can’t wait to go somewhere else.” He was awesome, I liked playing for him.

More at the link.

I would really love to know the 15 minutes of "off the record" stuff Gill had to say about Gauthier.

[Habitforming]

always a great guy. I'm glad he didn't try to keep it pc and he spoke freely.

[orrhall0404]

I have a new found respect for the guy -- thats a great piece.

[RGM81]

Stubbs has really been on a roll lately with the interviews. There was a similar one with Jaro Spacek last week. I'm itching for the Cammalleri segment. :)

[xelloss1012]

Gill was a pretty good blueliner. I wonder what his plans are since he moved back to Boston (in home state) from Montreal?

Carey is a lot tougher mentally considering what happened in 2009 to him. The fans can throw you under a bus one year and vice-versa make you a hero the next. Carey stayed and made it work and I hope he will be in a Habs uniform for a long time to come.

Considering that Toronto and Boston are hockey-mad towns as well, Montreal is still the most hockey-mad via fans and the media. Great comparson from one of a few players to play in each market.

It shows that 15 minutes of that conversation relating to Gauthier was off-the-record meaning there were some issues. I recall Hal was not happy when he was traded away from the Habs. Gauthier caused too much of a stir that it was best to fire him anyway.

Cunneyworth had it rough as the interim coach. I don't mind him staying as an assistant, but don't let him handle the powerplay anyone.

Anyway, I wonder if Gill will find another gig in the NHL? It's an ironic that Souray's (another former Hab) slapshot injured him (but no surprise that his slapshot can do that).

P.S.: Gotta wonder what Cammy has to say?

[dornhoffer]

good read.