Wednesday November 10, 2004


The Press

Mike Ribeiro seeks a competitive league in North America in the case of a cancellation of the season of the national League.

The top point-getter for the Habs last year would be even ready to join Bulldogs of Hamilton, in the American League.

"We'll still wait to see if we'll have an NHL season or not, but if the organization made me an offer to go to Hamilton, I'd accept".

Ribeiro draws aside the possibility of joining a European formation because his wife awaits a second child, but he does not want to lose a complete year at this stage of his career, after having finally succeeded in being established in the NHL last year.

Ribeiro is not without knowing either that a growing number of his fellow-members practise competitive hockey in Europe or North America.

"I thought in Hamilton because there are good young players over there, he says. It is the only team of which I think because I want to remain close to home and that I want to remain in the organization of the Canadiens."

"In the worst case, I could just practice with them. Perhaps sometimes putting a little pressure on the young players: if some of them weren't playing well, maybe I could have some icetime on occasion. But if that doesn't work out, I perhaps will try to find a university team like McGill in order to take part in high-tempo practices with contact. But Hamilton would be my best option."

The Canadiens does not seem however to see the things the same way. The general manager Bob Gainey let know via his vice-president to the communications, Donald Beauchamp, that he didn't intend to take that road, that he rather wished to leave the place for the young players in place in Hamilton.

"Only two players of the organization signed an agreement of the minor leagues with Bulldogs, Jason Ward and Ron Hainsey, and both did not dispute many matches in the national League since the beginning of their career", specified Beauchamp.

Ribeiro is the second player to express interest towards the farm team of the Canadiens. Pierre Dagenais had made steps in this direction near the organization at the beginning of season, but he was told that there was no place for him with the Bulldogs.

Perhaps the Ribeiro clan will be able to possibly convince the leaders of the Canadiens to make him a place in Hamilton in second half of season. Not only would it allow Ribeiro to work on his game, but the presence of Ribeiro at Bulldogs could help of other prospects of the organization to break out offensively.

One can already imagine how it could benefit a young right winger like Andrei Kostitsyn, for example, in company of a playkmaking center like Ribeiro.

Without deciding for or against the presence of Ribeiro in Hamilton, the GM of Bulldogs, Andre Savard, estimates that the young man will not suffer too much from a prolonged work stoppage this year. "a player has always things to improve and he can be subjected to intense physical programs of conditioning to develop his leg strength in order to be more explosive."