(Brossard) Twice this season, rookie defenseman for the Montreal Canadiens Kaiden Guhle scored on his return to the game.
After missing several weeks with a lower body injury, Guhle scored on his return to action against the San Jose Sharks on February 28. Guhle had not played since December 29 and missed 23 games.
The defender then sat out briefly, this time with an upper body injury.
Guhle scored again and added an assist in his comeback against the New York Rangers on Thursday.
However, Canada’s Martin St-Louis head coach is not surprised his defender is finding his rhythm so quickly after injury. According to St-Louis, that’s because of the talented and athletic ensemble that is Guhle.
It’s the player. It’s not just the work ethic. It’s his intelligence and also his strengths. He is confident. I could only explain it with one thing.
Martin St-Louis, head coach of the Canadiens
Guhle must have remained positive over the past few weeks. The latter says he keeps the same mentality when dealing with such situations.
“It’s not fun when you get hurt,” he said. In the end you know it’s part of the game, so you have to keep the right attitude. That way, when you’re ready to get back into the lineup, you’re actually ready. That’s what I tell myself when I get injured and prepare to play again.”
As a goalie, Samuel Montembeault is one of Guhle’s teammates who has likely spent most of his time on the ice at the same time.
The Quebec native says he feels confident when Guhle is in front of him on the ice during a game.
He plays nice games. I had a good angle to see his goal on Thursday and in extra time when he fired a good shot which the keeper gloved. He has such a good elevation and skates well.
Samuel Montembault
Montembeault added that Guhle is impressive for a 21-year-old defender.
“You can already see that he’s a pro,” said the Canadiens goalie. He’s doing the right things off the ice and preparing well (for games). He meets the best opposing trios in every encounter and his age is nowhere to be seen. He plays important minutes for us and is constant in every game. He’s a very good player and we’re happy to have him on our team. »
Now healthy, Guhle wants to end the season on the right foot. He hopes to improve with every game until the end of the season.
“I want to improve every time I’m on the ice,” said Guhle. For now I want to stay healthy and play the rest of the season. I want to finish the season well and hope to be able to start the next season stronger. »
Guhle, a 2020 first-round pick, has four goals and 13 assists in 40 games for the Canadiens this season.
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