Josh Gorges never arrived in Montreal as a star, but he left with something even more powerful: the kind of reputation that sticks. After being signed by the San Jose Sharks as an undrafted free agent and then traded to the Canadiens with a first-round pick for Craig Rivet and a fifth-round pick, Gorges spent eight seasons in Montreal and built his name on sacrifice, toughness, and total buy-in.
He wasn’t the guy driving offense or piling up points. His value lived in the ugly places of the game, especially shot blocking, where he turned himself into one of the NHL’s most reliable bodies in front of pucks.
That willingness to pay the price showed up in a game against the Washington Capitals, when he absorbed a Mike Green slap shot off the side of the head, left bloody and needing help to get off the ice. He missed the rest of that game, but he was back at practice the next day.
Asked about his status for the Canadiens’ next game, he said, “Unless something happens in the next 24 hours, I’ll be in the lineup against the Flyers.” That was Gorges in a nutshell: it would take a lot to keep him out.
His leadership went beyond the captain’s letter. Gorges carried himself like someone who had earned everything the hard way, and teammates and observers noticed.
During Montreal’s run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2010, Don Cherry didn’t hold back on his praise. “Josh Gorges should be captain of the Canadiens, there’s no doubt in my mind.
He’s a captain’s captain,” Cherry said. “He’s exceptional.
And I think Brian would be happy to have a little pressure taken off him so he could just play the game. Look up the word ‘leader’ in the dictionary, and you’ll find Gorges’s picture.”
Gorges wasn’t a Canadiens fan growing up in Kelowna, but by the time his Montreal run was winding down, he had become exactly the kind of player the jersey seems made for.
That made the end of his Canadiens tenure especially telling. Heading into the 2014-15 season, Marc Bergevin was trying to clear salary space, with P.K.
Subban due for a major extension after winning the Norris Trophy the year before and Nathan Beaulieu pushing for a regular role. Montreal agreed to send Gorges to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he refused to waive his no-trade clause.
After eight seasons battling that rival, he couldn’t picture himself wearing their colors. The Canadiens then moved him to the Buffalo Sabres for a second-round pick instead.
When asked about turning down the Maple Leafs, Gorges didn’t soften his stance. “I just said, ‘I’m a heart-and-soul player.
It’s the only reason I can be good at this level is I have to play and commit with my heart," said Gorges when asked what he told Maple Leafs team president Brendan Shanahan when declining the trade. “And after playing against them for that many years of being our No. 1 rival, I just didn’t think it would’ve been fair to them.
I wouldn’t have been the same player that they would’ve expected me to be.” Even after leaving Montreal, he made it clear where his heart belonged.
In Other News...
Canadiens Face A Real Xhekaj Decision In New Trade Proposal
Arber Xhekaj keeps lingering in the center of Montreals offseason conversation, and the latest trade idea only adds another layer to it. Calgarys interest in the young Canadiens defenseman has been floating around for months, and the discussion has resurfaced again as Montreal continues sorting out its blue line and weighing what kind of move would actually make sense for the roster it wants to build.
The appeal from the Canadiens side is straightforward enough: they have been looking for a right-handed defenseman who can handle meaningful minutes, and the proposal being kicked around would address that need while forcing Montreal to decide how much value it is willing to attach to Xhekaj. Depending on how the deal is structured, the price could climb beyond a simple one-for-one swap, which is exactly why this has become one of those talks worth watching rather than dismissing. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Have A Real Shot At The Young Center They Need
The Canadiens have spent plenty of time looking for another young center to grow with their core, and Adam Fantilli is suddenly part of that conversation because of what is happening in Columbus. The Blue Jackets are believed to be getting close to the salary cap faster than expected, which has put a little more intrigue around a player who already looks like one of the leagues brighter young pivots.
Fantilli, 21, turned in a strong season with 59 points in 82 games, enough to make him the kind of center any team would at least have to think about. Montreal has not been confirmed as a club preparing an offer sheet, but the possibility alone is enough to keep the idea alive, especially if Columbus finds itself in a spot where matching becomes difficult. [Read more 🡒]
NHL Expansion Buzz Just Put The Nordiques Dream In Jeopardy
The NHL expansion conversation has started to sharpen, and for Canadiens fans with one eye on the old Nordiques rivalry, the latest chatter is not exactly encouraging. Doug McLean and other hockey voices have been pointing toward Houston as the next city in line for an expansion franchise, with Austin also being mentioned in the mix before quickly fading from view.
For Montreal followers, the significance goes beyond another market on the league map. If Houston is indeed the destination, it would make the long-discussed idea of the Nordiques coming back look even more remote, even if the NHL has not made anything official yet. For now, it is still just buzz, but it is the kind of buzz that can change how people talk about hockey in Quebec. [Read more 🡒]