The ambitions of Jakub Jerabek and Nikita Scherbak

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The defender Jakub Jerabek (left), 26 years old, was acquired by the Montreal canadiens this summer.

The transition from the KHL to the NHL is not always obvious. For every Vladimir Tarasenko, there is a Jiri Sekac. The defender Jakub Jerabek is the most recent project of the Canadian, while the Czech 26-year-old tries to make his place in montreal this fall.

Jerabek has played the last campaign with the HK Vitiaz, in the kontinental hockey League, after an internship of eight seasons with HC Plzen in the Extraliga in the Czech republic. He collected five goals and 29 helpers in 59 meetings in 2016-2017, and then represented his country at the world hockey Championship.

After a first week at the camp of the Canadian, Jerabek admits to being impressed by the quality of the game that can be found in the NHL.

“Everything goes faster, has noted Jerabek in a halting English. You need to retrieve the puck behind your net faster, your passes need to be faster, everything. “

The quality of his teammates, however, is also better, which has its advantages. “Here, everyone is in a good position when you retrieve the washer, said Jerabek. You can make the pass knowing that the player is going to be in the right place. This is fantastic ! “

Jerabek has admitted to having already formed connections with his fellow countrymen Tomas Plekanec and Ales Hemsky, in addition to having benefited from the advice of its partners in training Brett Lernout and Brandon Davidson.

The defender could play his first game of preparatory Wednesday, when the Canadian will host the Washington Capitals at the Bell Centre. Jerabek has led to the side of Davidson on Tuesday.

Scherbak wants to build on his short stay

Another player who will try to carve out a place in the team, Nikita Scherbak, was told that its a few days in early January with the big club, last season, had enabled him to acquire tools that the closer a quiet place with the Montreal canadiens.

“It was only a week, but in my eyes, it lasted an eternity, told the Russian 21-year-old, who had also taken the opportunity to register his first goal in the NHL. I will always remember me. It has allowed me to gain confidence. I learned a lot from the veterans. “

Selected 26th overall pick of 2014, Scherbak was quickly targeted as an attacking talent who could make his place in the first two trios of the Canadian.

After a campaign of 82 points in 65 games with the Silvertips in Everett, in the Western League, the course of Scherbak has, however, derailed due to the injuries. It was limited to 48 games in his first campaign with the IceCaps of St. John, Newfoundland, accumulating 7 goals and 16 helpers. Then, he has registered 13 goals and 28 helpers in 66 meetings last winter.

The chance to see Scherbak drill the formation of the Canadian as soon as this autumn are relatively thin. Tuesday, Scherbak was a complement to a trio with Andreas Martinsen and Peter Holland. It could, however, get their first opportunity to compete in a tough game on Wednesday, when the Canadian will host the Washington Capitals at the Bell Centre.

In addition, the first game’s pre-Canadian has made two victims : forward Andrew Shaw and defenceman Noah Juulsen have missed practice of training in montreal, on Tuesday. Shaw (neck) and Juulsen (foot) are injured, on Monday evening, during the 3-2 loss to the Canadian in the face of the Boston Bruins, Quebec.

Major gift of Drouin at the CHUM

The new attacker of the Canadian Jonathan Drouin wasted no time before getting involved in the montreal community since he announced a gift of $ 500,000 over 10 years to the Fondation du Centre hospitalier de l’université de Montréal (CHUM). It also intends to participate in various activities during this period in order to collect $ 5 million for the institution. Drouin becomes the second player in two years to make a major gift to a hospital in Montreal. P. K. Subban was committed to pay US $ 10 million over seven years to the Foundation of the Montreal children’s Hospital in September 2015.