The Montreal Canadiens signed free agent defenseman Marc-André Bergeron to a one-year deal worth a reported $750,000.
The acquisition of the blueliner, a week shy of his 29th birthday, brings support to the Canadiens injury-riddled defense corps.
Bergeron can log sufficient minutes on the blue line. Last season with the Minnesota Wild, he averaged 16:58 of ice time.
He will also see time on the Canadiens’ power-play as seven of his fourteen goals last season came with the man-advantage. His slap shot was recorded at over 100 mph when he played in Edmonton.
Bergeron will report to the Canadiens AHL affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs and is targeting a weeks time to join the bleu-blanc et rouge.
The veteran prepared well over the summer, in light of not being signed during the off-season, and hopes to be ready for his new team’s home opener next Thursday.
“It’s exciting. I want to be ready as fast as possible,” he said. “It was my first experience as a free agent. It was not a good one, but it ended well by signing with the Canadiens.”
Signing Bergeron not only aids the Canadiens’ defense, but also aids another area of that team that has been shorthanded.
The Trois-Rivieres native joins Georges Laraque, Maxim Lapierre and Guillaume Latendresse as the only French speaking players on the Canadiens roster.
The trio of forwards have been carrying the load to deal with the French-speaking Montreal media to this point.
“I haven’t talked with them (yet). I know Georges Laraque because I played with him in Edmonton,” he said.
“I met Maxim Lapierre and Latendresse once or twice before. The more French players (there are) the better it is for the French guys (media), but it’s not the end of the world”
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