• Canadiens Notebook: Jesperi Kotkaniemi made a good first impression on coach

    Jesperi Kotkaniemi made a good first impression on coach Claude Julien after the Canadiens selected him with the No. 3 overall pick at this year’s NHL Draft.
    “Same as you guys and I know you’re probably going to laugh at this,” Julien said Friday about meeting Kotkaniemi for the first time at the June draft in Dallas. “But big smile, just happy to be drafted. And he seemed like a real good kid. You say: Now, what are we going to see with him on the ice?”
    Kotka
  • Couple charged with confinement, extortion of Trois-Rivières seniors

    Trois-Rivières — Two people have been arrested and charged in what police in Trois-Rivières are calling a case of manipulation and control that saw a couple in their 60s allegedly held prisoner in the basement of a local home for four years while their captors took control of their finances.
    Guy Boileau, 55, and Marie-Jeanne Côté, 54, appeared at the courthouse in Trois-Rivières Friday, Boileau on crutches and Côté hiding her face in her hands
  • Liberals leave CAQ nice Christmas present — a $3-billion surplus

    QUEBEC — The new Coalition Avenir Québec government has found a pleasant surprise left for it by the Liberals — the province is rolling in dough.
    Releasing a monthly report on the state of the province’s finances covering the first five months of the fiscal year, Finance Minister Éric Girard revealed he’s inherited a $3-billion surplus from his predecessor Carlos Leitão.
    It is exactly the opposite of what incoming governments usually find. When the Li
  • Longueuil transit terminus reopens after suspicious package found to be harmless

    A section of the Longueuil transit terminus that was closed part of Friday afternoon due to a suspicious package has reopened.
    The terminus’s G Wing reopened just before 5:30 p.m. Longueuil police spokesperson Mélanie Mercille said “the suspicious object was found to be harmless.”
    L'aile G du terminus de Longueuil est à nouveau ouverte.Les départs du secteur Sorel-Varennes se feront aux endroits habituels.Merci de votre compréhension. ^AG
    &mdash
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  • Stu Cowan: Kotkaniemi's youthful bliss strikes chord with Habs fans

    How does an 18-year-old celebrate after scoring the first two goals of his NHL career in the same game?
    “I went home, I drank one Coke there, went to the bed,” Jesperi Kotkaniemi said following an optional practice Friday morning in Brossard after scoring twice the night before in a 6-4 win over the Washington Capitals at the Bell Centre. “Slept well. Came to the rink this morning.
    “Coke Zero, of course,” Kotkaniemi added with that big, boyish smile that has quickly
  • C.D.N.-N.D.G. borough to consider motion banning smoking in parks

    Montreal’s most populous borough will consider the idea of banning smoking tobacco and cannabis in all of its public parks on Monday.
    “There’s no safe level of second-hand smoke and parks are places where kids and adults go to enjoy themselves,” said Snowdon city councillor Marvin Rotrand. “No one should have to breathe in someone else’s smoke.”
    Rotrand and fellow borough councillor Lionel Perez will present a motion at Monday’s Côt
  • Canadiens: Pressure — and protection — come off Jesperi Kotkaniemi

    Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored his first two NHL goals Thursday, including a tying goal in the third period, which sparked the Canadiens’ 6-4 come-from-behind win over the Washington Capitals, and said it was “the most memorable night of my life.”
    While Thursday night was memorable, Kotkaniemi said Friday was a new day and he joined nine teammates for an optional practice in preparation for Saturday’s home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning (7 p.m., SN360, CITY, TVA Sports,
  • Man charged with second-degree murder in disappearance of Josiane Arguin

    A man who had been in a relationship with Josiane Arguin for at least a year before she was reported as missing two months ago was charged on Friday with murdering her and causing an indignity to the Park-Extension resident’s body.
    Simon Brind’amour, a Montreal resident who describes himself on Facebook as a supervisor on construction sites, made his first court appearance at the Montreal courthouse before Quebec Court Judge Thierry Nadon. He is charged with second-degree murder and
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  • Alouettes at Hamilton Tiger-Cats: Five things you should know

    Here are five things you should know about the Alouettes-Ticats game at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton on Saturday (7 p.m. TSN, RDS, CJAD Radio 800).
    Matchup: It’s the final regular-season game for both teams. But while the Tiger-Cats (8-9) are preparing for a home playoff game next week against B.C., the Als (4-13) will miss the playoffs a fourth consecutive season. Any thoughts Hamilton had of finishing first in the division, and the opening-round bye that accompanies it, were eradicated
  • Watch: Hydro-Québec ‘satisfied’ with Supreme Court ruling

    The Supreme Court ruled Friday the 1969 Churchill Falls energy deal between Hydro-Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador doesn’t need renegotiation.A Hydro-Québec lawyer says the contract delivers anticipated benefits to both parties.
  • Liberal MP Di Iorio says his absence 'required and authorized' by PM

    Liberal MP Nicola Di Iorio on Friday ended his silence on whether he’ll remain in office.
    “The prime minister (entrusted to me) responsibilities which, for the moment, require, justify and authorize my absence from the House,” he posted on his Facebook page.
    The MP for St-Léonard—St-Michel said little more in the message, posted after months of consideration over his political future.
    The office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not on Friday reveal the nat
  • What the Puck: Kotkaniemi's smile, Habs' rally light up the Bell Centre

    I’m rekindling my love affair with the Canadiens and I’m not the only one.
    It was a wet and grey day in Montreal on Friday, perfect weather to wallow in the darkness of The Smiths’ new wave classic Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now. But instead most of us were more ready to hum along to something a lot more upbeat, say The Turtles’ chestnut Happy Together.
    After years of misery — for the sake of brevity, let’s call them the Marc Bergevin years — there
  • Macpherson: Former Péquistes turned instant Caquistes

    The independence question may have gone away after the Oct. 1 Quebec election, but the indépendantistes haven’t.
    They’re still in positions of influence in the National Assembly, and in the new Coalition Avenir Québec government.
    There are the 10 MNAs each for the two pro-independence parties, the Parti Québécois and Québec solidaire. In the latter, independence-first MNAs even form a sort of caucus within the caucus.
    The most prominent new Solidair
  • Mayor Plante Hollywood bound to promote Montreal for U.S. TV and film

    Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is headed for Hollywood.
    The mayor will head an economic mission to Los Angeles from Nov. 12-15 aimed at fortifying Montreal’s strength as a location and production site for American film and television companies.
    The mission is being organized by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec and SODEC, the province’s cultural development agency, and other participants include MELS studios, MTL Grandé, Difuz
  • Update: Couple charged with confinement, extortion of Trois-Rivières seniors

    Two people have been arrested and charged in what police in Trois-Rivières are calling a case of manipulation and control that saw a couple in their 60s apparently held prisoner in the basement of a local home for four years while their alleged captors took control of their finances.
    Guy Boileau, 55, and Marie-Jeanne Côté, 54, appeared at the courthouse in Trois-Rivières Friday, Boileau on crutches and Côté hiding her face in her hands. They were charged w
  • Another infrastructure impasse in Pointe-Claire

    The Sources Blvd. pedestrian overpass is closed indefinitely due to vandalism.
    Pointe-Claire city hall released a statement saying the pedestrian path which spans Highway 20 needed to be closed for safety reasons after the tempered glass walls on either side of the overpass were damaged. Certain portions were shattered.
    Piles of glass were found on the pathway and on the stretch of highway below the structure.
    The situation is being studied and repairs will be made. The overpass will reopen as s
  • Montreal unemployment rate declines again, reaching near-record low

    The monthly unemployment rate in Montreal reached its second lowest level on record in October.
    The unemployment rate for the Montreal census metropolitan area was 5.6 per cent in October, Statistics Canada said on Friday, down from 6 per cent in September and 6.6 per cent in October 2017.
    The only time the monthly unemployment rate has been lower, since comparable statistics started being recorded in 2001, was in December 2017, when the unemployment rate was 5.5 per cent.
    However, the
  • Inside the CFL: Sunset on stellar Als career nears for John Bowman

    Thirteen seasons, 213 regular-season games — all played with the Alouettes — 126 sacks, 31 forced fumbles and one touchdown later, the truth can finally be told about John Bowman.
    His career was a fluke. A mistake. Had former Montreal general manager Jim Popp not been seeking a veteran quarterback in 2005, Bowman might never have been discovered.
    Popp got film of Marcus Brady, who was playing for the Rome Renegades of the National Indoor Football League. While Brady would be signed,
  • Man shot in head during exchange with police is now fit to stand trial

    A man who was shot in the head when he is alleged to have exchanged gunfire with police on New Year’s Eve two years ago has recovered to a point where he is now fit to stand trial.
    Lindel Darling, 26, of Vaudreuil-Dorion, appeared before Quebec Court Judge Dennis Galiatsatos on Friday for what was scheduled to be his bail hearing at the Montreal courthouse. Instead, Darling renounced his right to a bail hearing in several criminal cases that are pending against him, in Montreal and at the
  • Update: Churchill Falls-Hydro feud is over — let's look forward, Quebec says

    OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada says there is no legal obligation to reopen the 1969 Churchill Falls energy deal that has been highly profitable for Hydro-Québec but much less so for Newfoundland and Labrador.
    In a 7-1 ruling today, the high court says it cannot force the parties to renegotiate the contract even though the arrangement has turned out to be unexpectedly lucrative for the Quebec utility.
    Under the deal signed decades ago, Hydro-Québec agreed to buy almost a
  • Bill Zacharkiw's Wines of the Week: Nov. 3, 2018

    Every week, Bill Zacharkiw identifies his top wine picks available at the SAQ and offers ideas for food pairings.
    Under $15
    Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2015, Ilico, Illuminati, Italy red, $15.75,  SAQ # 10858123. One of the better “bang for your buck” wines in this price category. Dark fruited, with just a hint of barrel driven smoke and spice. Tannins are gritty, but ripe enough that they don’t dry. This has length, fruit, spice and power. This is made for meat. Residua
  • What you need to know before turning your clocks back this weekend

    Sunday is the day we get to cash in on Daylight Saving Time by falling back an hour.Change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. It could save your life.
    If you are at a Quebec bar at 2 a.m., you’ll magically gain an extra hour of socializing time.
    If you are in the narrow strip of the province that is in the Atlantic Time Zone, stand down — DST does not apply.This is like Christmas for nyctophiliacs, who find relaxation and comfort in the darkness. And it&r
  • Josiane Arguin: Man arrested in case of missing Park Ex woman

    Montreal police have arrested a 37-year-old man in the homicide of a missing Park Extension woman.
    The arrest came after police searched Josiane Arguin’s home on d’Anvers Ave. this week.
    Arguin, 34, was reported missing on Sept. 1.
    Police say the man will be arraigned at the Montreal courthouse Friday and faces a charge of second-degree murder.
    This is the city’s 24th homicide of the year.
    This story will be updated.
  • Canadiens’ Danault continues to improve | HI/O Bonus

    In this bonus episode, our panelists — Gazette sports columnist Stu Cowan, CBC Daybreak’s Jessica Rusnak, former Canadien Chris Nilan and host Adam Susser — look at how Phillip Danault has developed into a strong all-around centre.
    Related
    Max Domi is doing it all for the Canadiens | HI/O ShowJoin the Hockey Inside/Out Facebook group
  • Playtime’s over for The Children in Centaur’s post-Apocalyptic drama

    In Centaur Theatre’s latest production, The Children (Nov. 6 to 25), there aren’t any. Children, that is. Rather, in Lucy Kirkwood’s intimate, post-apocalyptic drama, we get three seniors eking out their time in a coastal English village that’s been ravaged by a nuclear accident.
    It’s a sci-fi story of sorts, an unusual genre for the theatre, though increasingly common in this era of sci-fi mutating into scary sci-fact. What’s perhaps more unusual for a play i
  • Saputo warns of trouble if U.S. trade deals give quotas to 'wrong people'

    Canada’s largest dairy processor is surprised by how much access Canada gave the U.S. to its protected dairy market and says newly inked trade pacts could be disruptive if import quotas are given to “the wrong people.”
    Montreal-based Saputo Inc. is reviewing the impact of the renegotiated NAFTA deal, which will give the U.S. greater access to Canada’s dairy market, chief executive officer Lino Saputo Jr. said Thursday. Canada should consider allocating the additional quot
  • While you were sleeping: Habs magic, cellphones and rats

    Here’s what happened while you were getting some much-needed, post-Halloween rest.
    The Montreal Canadiens showed off some bounce-back magic Thursday night at the Bell Centre.
    Trailing 4-3 with just over three minutes remaining, Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored his second goal of the night and then Max Domi scored with 21.1 seconds remaining to lead the Canadiens to a win over the Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals.
    Joel Armia scored an empty-netter for the 6-4 final score.
    The dramatic come
  • Police seek suspect after hitchhiker injured in Cowansville hit and run

    A hitchhiker in Cowansville suffered non-life threatening injuries early Friday after being struck by a car that then left the scene.
    The female victim was injured but by Friday morning her life was considered out of danger.
    The incident occurred at 12:30 a.m. on Pierre Laporte Blvd. Police are trying to obtain statements from witnesses that might further their search for the driver.
  • 2 Trois-Rivières seniors were confined to a basement for years, police say

    Trois-Rivières police have arrested two suspects after discovering a pair of elderly people were apparently imprisoned in the basement of a residence in Trois-Rivières for nearly four years.
    The suspects, both in their 50s, were arrested Thursday and are expected to appear Friday at the Trois-Rivières courthouse. They could face charges of forcible confinement, extortion, assault and uttering threats.
    Local police were informed a year ago that two elderly persons living in t
  • Verdun tenants forced to move out to allow for major renovations

    The last tenants at 315 Rielle in Verdun left the building on Wednesday, following an order by the city to evacuate by Nov. 1.
    It was the second building owned by the same investors that was evacuated in October for health or safety reasons.
    But as the new owners continue their makeover of “Le Rielle”, now unencumbered by tenants, housing rights activists are taking a closer look at how the landlords convinced the tenants to leave — and whether the city played into their hands.
  • Opinion: Even amid sadness, the opportunity for blessing emerges

    I recently learned about the “Pittsburgh Left.” This refers not to a progressive political movement but to a genteel — albeit benignly illegal — traffic norm: as the light turns green, one allows the first oncoming car to make a left. It’s a small courtesy, for sure, but a special gesture that makes an impact on a visitor.
    This week, I was one of those visitors. In solidarity, I represented the Jewish community of Montreal at funerals for victims of Oct. 27’s
  • Montreal this morning: Wet and windy

    Well, at least it won’t be snowing: that’s the silver lining in a rather grey forecast for today and tomorrow.
    Today, Environment Canada is calling for periods of rain or drizzle, with a northeast wind of 30 km/h gusting to 60. High 8.
    Tonight: More periods of rain or drizzle, with a northeast wind of 20 km/h gusting to 40, becoming light in the evening. Temperature steady near 7
    Don’t forget to submit your photos of Montreal via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by tagging
  • Fun with puppets at Hudson festival this weekend

    Kids and adults alike can have fun seeing giant puppets and vintage marionnettes, and even try their hand at making a puppet of their own this weekend, at the second annual Hudson Puppet Festival.
    The festival returns to Wyman Church (513 Main Rd.) on Nov. 3 and 4 will feature puppet shows and workshops in English and French.
    On Saturday, kids aged four to 13 can join in a puppet-making workshop at 1 p.m. led by Céline Marceau, where they will learn to create a hand puppet out of recycled
  • In the Habs' Room: 'I've never heard a building like that,' Domi says

    On most nights, Max Domi would have been one of the three stars on a night when he scored the winning goal with 21.1 seconds to go.
    But Thursday night wasn’t that night,
    The Canadiens came from behind in the final 3:04  of the game to beat the Stanley Cup-champion Washington Capitals 6-4 and the undisputed hero of the game was Jesperi Kotkaniemi, the 18-year-old rookie from Finland.
    He scored his first NHL goal to open the scoring and he scored at 16:56 of the third period to tie the
  • Laval police capture man after abduction of ex-girlfriend and baby son

    Laval police apprehended a man Thursday night after the alleged abduction of his ex-girlfriend and their six-week-old son.
    David Santiago Caballero Rodriguez, 20, had last been seen in the Laurentians before he was located and arrested in Lachute.
    Rodriguez was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
    The alleged abduction began at 1:05 p.m. near the corner of de la Bretagne Rd. and Fleur-de-Lys St. A man is believed to have used a blunt object to threaten the driver of the car conta
  • About last night … Canadiens win it late

    This team, man …
    I’m not picking out my spot for the Stanley Cup parade.
    But your 2018-’19 Montreal Canadiens are, at minimum, fun to watch.
    And they just might be a decent, possibly playoff hockey team.
    They’re setting records: Two goals by the same team in two seconds – in the game’s final minute – put Max Domi and Joel Armia in the NHL record book.
    I thought they were dead in the water after Ovy’s second of the game gave Washington a 4-3 l
  • Jesperi Kotkaniemi notches first two NHL goals in Habs' comeback win

    Montreal showed off some bounce-back magic Thursday night at the Bell Centre. Trailing 4-3 with just over three minutes remaining, Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored his second goal of the night and then Max Domi scored with 21.1 seconds remaining to lead the Canadiens to a 6-4 win over the Washington Capitals. Joel Armia scored an empty-netter for the final score.
    The dramatic comeback came after a couple of defensive mistakes allowed the Capitals to roar back from a 3-1 deficit in the second period and
  • Canadiens Game Day: Jesperi Kotkaniemi scores twice in 6-4 win over Caps

    Canadiens Game Day is a new feature this season in which we will follow the Habs during every home game from the morning skate in Brossard through the post-game interviews at the Bell Centre, updating throughout the day with all the news, quotes, notes and opinion you’re looking for:
    Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored his first goal in the NHL and it came on his first shift with the Canadiens’ new Finnish Connection line.
    The 18-year-old scored his second goal with 3:04 left in the third peri
  • Liveblog: Canadiens come back to beat Caps 6-4

    What a game!
    Max Domi won it with 22 seconds left. Then Joel Armia, of all people, sealed it with an empty-netter.
    Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s second of the game tied it at 4-4 late in the third period.
    Brendan Gallagher scored twice within the first three minutes of the second period to give the Canadiens the lead.
    It didn’t last.
    Alexander Ovechkin scored seven minutes into the period, and a minute later, Lars Eller tied things up. Then Ovechkin tapped from close-in and the Canadiens
  • Laval police seek man after abduction of ex-girlfriend and baby son

    Laval police are asking for the public’s help in locating a man after the abduction of his ex-girlfriend and their six-week-old son.
    David Santiago Caballero Rodriguez, 20, was last seen on Morrison Rd. in Gore, in the Laurentians.
    The alleged abduction began at 1:05 p.m. near the corner of de la Bretagne Rd. and Fleur-de-Lys St. A man is believed to have used a blunt object to threaten the driver of the car containing the woman and child and forced the driver to exit the vehicle.
    Abo
  • Stu Cowan: A tough situation for Canadiens defenceman Karl Alzner

    You’d think it must have been hard for Karl Alzner to watch the Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup last season in their first year without him.
    It was — at first.
    Alzner spent nine seasons with the Capitals before signing a five-year, US$23.125-million contract as a free agent with the Canadiens on July 1, 2017.
    “The first two rounds (of the playoffs) were more of like almost a negative thing,” Alzner said about watching his former team win its first Stanley Cup. &ld
  • Liveblog: Washington 4 – Canadiens 3 after two

    Brendan Gallagher scored twice within the first three minutes of the second period to give the Canadiens the lead.
    It didn’t last.
    Alexander Ovechkin scored seven minutes into the period, and a minute later, Lars Eller tied things up.
    Then Ovechkin tapped from close-in and the Canadiens’ lead was history.
    In the first period, the Bell Centre erupted when Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored his first NHL goal, 2:28 in.
    But a shade less than four minutes later, Eller tied it up.
    The Canadiens wi
  • Canadiens Game Day: Rookie Jesperi Kotkaniemi scores his first NHL goal

    Canadiens Game Day is a new feature this season in which we will follow the Habs during every home game from the morning skate in Brossard through the post-game interviews at the Bell Centre, updating throughout the day with all the news, quotes, notes and opinion you’re looking for:
    Jesperi Kotkaniemi has scored his first goal in the NHL and it came on his first shift with the Canadiens’ new Finnish Connection line.
    Kotkaniemi, playing centre on a line between fellow Finns Artturi L
  • #ICYMI: Kotkaniemi nets first goal, Legault delays ban, more news

    In Case You Missed It (#ICYMI) is a daily feature highlighting news in and around Montreal.
    Jesperi Kotkaniemi has has scored his first goal in the NHL and it came on his first shift with the Canadiens’ new Finnish Connection line.
    Stu Cowan files this report: Canadiens Game Day: Rookie Jesperi Kotkaniemi scores his first NHL goal
    ***
    The new government has put off until spring promised legislation that would bar authority figures from wearing religious symbols. But in announcing
  • Premier François Legault delays plan to ban religious symbols

    QUEBEC — The new government has put off until spring promised legislation that would bar authority figures from wearing religious symbols.
    But in announcing the decision, Premier François Legault says he still believes such rules will help put an end to divisions in society caused by a lack of clear indicators on what is and is not acceptable.
    “I think we will run short of time to do it (the bill) before Christmas,” Legault said at a news conference Thursday following hi

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