One of the most thankless tasks in a team sport is putting the well-being of the organization above your own happiness. This is unnatural for competitive athletes who have been conditioned to want to win every game since they were ten years old. Especially for veterans, for whom the present may be more important than the future.

This is the pill the Canadiens players had to swallow during their vacation week. Sean Monahan's departure is part of the Habs' rebuilding process. That's all well and good, and this start was written in heaven, but there are still 33 games left in the season.

“It’s definitely difficult. [à accepter]“But I understand the situation,” Josh Anderson said at the end of Sunday afternoon’s practice, which marked the Canadian players’ return to work. Management has a plan and must make decisions accordingly. Our mission remains to win games.”

St-Louis remains on course

This move, along with injuries to Kirby Dach and Christian Dvorak, leaves a gaping hole in the middle of the org chart. To fill this, the Canadian recalled Lucas Condotta and signed a contract with Brandon Gignac.

While we wait for the imminent return of Alex Newhook – who has been absent since early December but has returned to training – we are not talking about the same quality of players. Once again we struggle to see the long-term benefit of this transaction rather than the sacrifices those remaining will have to make between now and the end of the season.

“These boys [les membres de la direction] to have a plan. If you don't believe in it, maybe you're not in the right place. “It hurts for sure, but the league isn’t going to stop because we lost Sean,” Cole Caufield said.

Martin St-Louis, another proud participant, admitted that he felt some disappointment. However, as captain of the ship, he must ensure that his troops' hearts and minds are in the right place.

“We have to keep moving forward. We need to continue to develop our collective game and continue to improve our young people. “I like being part of this process,” he emphasized. We need a broader vision. It's not easy for anyone to see Mony go. But this departure should not simply be viewed as a loss. For two years he had an impact on the young people who knew him. “That’s one of the reasons we brought him here.”

Like in a funeral home

Commenting on the move, Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said he and his professional scouts were very impressed with the way Monahan handled his younger teammates like Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky, calling him the transition from “mentor.” “to the “leader on the bench”. “.

“We’ll miss him,” Slafkovsky agreed. He brought me a lot. He was an example for all of us to follow.”

“He was present in every situation. His daily work ethic was remarkable. “Everyone has to bring a little Sean into their game,” praised Caufield.

We understand that Monahan's departure will not only leave a void on the ice. He will also leave one in a locker room where it was appreciated by everyone.

“I wish you had asked me what I thought of him when he was here. Now that he’s gone, everyone wants to talk about him,” Caufield said, smiling.

This, my Cole, is like life. At the funeral home, people are much more generous with their tributes.