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The empty section
A bizarre situation happens at every Canadian game in Montreal: a complete section of the benches near the ice at the blue line remains unoccupied. It remains empty before the game and at the start of each period. For what ?
Yvan Bellavance
Response from Jean-François Téotonio
This is the “CIBC Vault”, officially presented as an “exclusive” and “upscale” location which offers “networking opportunities” to corporate clients who have season tickets to the section. There is a private restaurant under the stands, and this is probably why the benches take a while to fill up again after each intermission.
A leap in the glove
PHOTO TONY GUTIERREZ, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
DJ Peters, Texas Rangers
In baseball, a player hits a long ball near the outfield fence. The fielder jumps, the ball goes into his glove but comes out to hit the fence and immediately returns to the outfielder’s glove without touching the ground. Is the batter out or not?
François Racine
Response from Jean-François Téotonio
You present us with an unusual situation, dear François! But here’s the answer to your colorful guess, which would certainly make the rounds in the highlights for a few days: No, the batter would not be pulled. For what ? Because once the ball touches the wall or any other surface of the court, it is considered in play, regardless of whether the outfielder briefly had control of it before or not. We have even seen an outfielder catch the ball during a jump, lose control until the ball crosses the fence, only to make this potential out… a home run!
A goalkeeper captain
PHOTO RICE MONTREAL
Canadian goalie George Hainsworth in 1933
Has a goalie ever been a captain or assistant in the NHL?
Benjamin Papineau
Response from Katherine Harvey-Pinard
This already happened a long time ago, more precisely before the end of the 1940s. In the 1932-1933 season specifically, three goalkeepers were captains; George Hainsworth with the Canadiens, Roy Worters with the New York Americans and Alec Connell with the Ottawa Senators. In 1947-1948, after a season in which Canadiens goalie Bill Durnan was captain, the NHL created a new rule prohibiting a team from giving a C or an A to a goaltender. It appears that this was to prevent goalies from moving from one end of the ice to the other to argue with the official, as Durnan had often done the previous season. The clever will say that Roberto Luongo was named captain in 2008, and they will be right, except that Luongo could not exercise his “duties” on the ice because he was not allowed to wear the C on his jersey. However, we will remember that he wore a C on the front of his helmet.
The last change
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, ARCHIVES LA PRESSE
The head coach of the Canadiens, Martin St-Louis
We often hear from analysts that the home team has an advantage because of the “last change”. Can you explain to me how this rule applies during a match?
Marin Laplante
Response from Katherine Harvey-Pinard
The last change is indeed a tactical advantage. Basically, the home team’s coach is the last to choose which players he sends onto the ice during each stoppage in play. He can therefore observe which players the opposing team uses, then adjust his decision afterwards. For example, if the visiting team sends its third line for a faceoff in the defensive zone, then the home team may choose to send its first line to put pressure on and try to score a goal. A coach could also, for example, always use the same trio to neutralize the best opposing attacker throughout the match.
From player to referee
PHOTO KARL B DEBLAKER, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
NHL referee Wes McCauley
Hello, I would like to know if any player from any league has ever become a referee after his professional career.
François Hamel
Response from Guillaume Lefrançois
Hello, Mr. Hamel. The phenomenon is relatively common, especially if we are talking about former “professional” players. In hockey, there are many alumni of the American League or the ECHL, notably Carter Sandlak, Jim’s son. The entertaining Wes McCauley reached the International League in the 1990s. Referees who also reached the NHL as players are rarer, however. Dean Morton, who hung up his whistle in 2022, is one of the most recent examples, having played a match in 1989-1990. In baseball, Bill Kunkel, a former member of the New York Yankees and Kansas City Athletics in the 1960s who umpired until 1984, is the most recent former player to become an umpire. The NFL and NBA also have a few examples.