Kassian is being enrolled in the NHL-NHLPA joint Substance Abuse and Behavorial Health Program. Kassian will be suspended without pay until he completes the program, the league said. Kassian suffered a broken foot and a broken nose in the accident, which will sidelined him for the start of the regular season.
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He was a passenger in a truck that struck a tree around 6:30 a.m.in Montreal.
“I don’t have all the information, but it’s disappointing to say the least”, Bergevin said. “I addressed the whole team this morning”.
“I’m a firm believer in character, and that’s really a lack of character and judgment on his part”. If and when Kassian goes through the process and believes he’s ready to play again, Bergevin will have a decision to make – does he double down on one of the league’s riskiest players or cut his losses and move on? No charges were laid against the player.
Kassian was slated to begin the upcoming season on the Canadiens’ roster after being acquired from Vancouver on July 1 for Brandon Prust.
After a stunning 36 hours of revelations, a news conference at which a visibly angry Bergevin looked capable of chewing up Kassian’s skates and spitting them out – and the rehab announcement – the Canadiens must have been suffering from situation overload before Wednesday’s season opener in Toronto. “We just want to see him back and better quickly, but my number-one thought is that he’s OK”.
“That’s the main concern here: No one in the vehicle was seriously injured”, Weise said. “But he’s lucky to walk away and not be too badly hurt”.
“First and foremost, everything he does is in a belief in our group and he’s never lost that confidence in us”.
In Vancouver, Canucks captain Henrik Sedin offered support to his former teammate.
This is a guy after all who was reportedly talked to by Bergevin about the need to take it down a notch. The 6-foot-3, 217-pounder is entering the final season of a two-year, $3.5-million deal. Jacob De La Rose and Devante Smith-Pelly will be fighting for Kassian’s right-wing spot on the fourth line and the Canadiens will keep eight defencemen.
“I don’t know the problem,” said Subban. “With goalies, it’s more hard”.
Still, if not for Price’s spectacular play on nearly a nightly basis, the Habs likely wouldn’t have escaped so many games with victories.
There was not much drama at the Montreal Canadiens camp this year. For sure. He’s on waivers.
Jarred Tinordi was on the bubble, but he’ll stick around with Greg Pateryn.
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– Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) October 5, 2015Stage 1 is with pay. “We want to have stability because we added two guys in Semin and Fleischmann”.
