Habs : Lafleur expects big things from Habs next season

Source : Cjad.com



The Montreal Canadiens introduced the recipients of the Guy Lafleur Awards of Excellence and Merit for the 2012-13 season today. The awards are presented annually to hockey players at the amateur level who best combined hockey performances with academic excellence. Lafleur says it’s nice to see such successful young athletes.
 
“I think it’s just fantastic to see the kids who went through, who won the awards.  It doesn’t mean they’re going to go to succeed to realize your dream about playing in the NHL but at least a lot of these kids are doing well, businesswise. It’s great.”

Molson/Coors awards recipients of the Guy Lafleur Awards of Excellence a $6,000
scholarship over a 3-year period, and the beneficiary of the Guy Lafleur Awards of Merit earns a $1,000 scholarship.

One of Awards of Excellence went to Quebec City native Patrick Delisle-Houde. The 21-year old student was recruited out of the QMJHL where he played four seasons with the Rimouski Océanic (2008-2011) and the Moncton Wildcats (2011-2012) earning 169 points, including 66 goals, in 254 regular season games. In 2012-13, his first season as a Redmen, Patrick had a team-leading 31 points, eight of them goals, in 37 games overall.

 In class, Delisle-Houde maintained an 88% average as a physical education freshman, meriting the CIS Academic All-Canadian honours and qualified for the Principal’s Student athlete honour roll.
 He also volunteered his time visiting sick patients at the Rimouski Regional Hospital and made numerous school reading to kids.
 
“I think I worked hard on the ice to prove myself because when I started the season I was on the fourth line, and when I finished I was on the two first lines. I did pretty well on the ice, and off the ice in the gym, I showed the example, it doesn’t matter if i’m a rookie or not I do what I need ot do for me. And after  in the school I think I did really well. “

Lafleur spoke about the impressive turnaround the Canadiens made this season and also the less than impressive early exit from the playoffs.

 ‘I was expecting more in the playoffs, but they had a good year. They had so many injuries and Carey was not maybe playing at his best. A lot of players didn’t play at their best too. So it was tough, it was tough in the playoffs, but i’m very positive about the future.”