Excellent Adventure: Lapierre
Hey, Maxim Lapierre here. Here’s the photos from our interviews on Sunday with the best captions you will ever read ever anywhere ever. http://bit.ly/MBAiup
July 22, 2012
July 22, 2012
The one about…playing in Montreal
When Maxim Lapierre was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens 61st overall in 2003, his mom jumped up and down and screamed as if the Lapierre family had won the lottery.
In a way, it did.
“They were saying I was going to get drafted in the early 20s, so when I fell so far down it was tough, but then the Canadiens took me and things couldn’t have worked out better,” said Lapierre, outside the Bell Centre Sunday morning.
“It was perfect for me to start my career here, I had my family to support me and sometimes you don’t think about it, but being 20 in the NHL is pretty young and it’s good to have your family and friends around you. My name is in the books now and my dad is proud to have his family name as part of the history. It was a good beginning and now I’m happy in Vancouver.”
The one about…Celine Dion
The first time Maxim Lapierre was in the storied Bell Centre was for a rough and tumble manly sporting event a Celine Dion concert.
“I’m not ashamed of that, I like her,” said Lapierre, matter-of-factly, and ready to pummel me with his iron fists if even the slightest smirk emerged on my face.
“I was with my whole family, in fact my parents and sister are in Las Vegas right now to see Celine.”
This Celine conversation went down at about 9:14 a.m. and with a full day of interviewing Lapierre on the horizon, I did not prod into his love for Celine any further.
Journalism lesson of the day: Don’t tick off the subject first thing in the morning, especially not about their guilty pleasure.
The one about…getting the call
“I remember when I first got called up to Montreal I was in Hamilton and I had a bad fever, I was feeling really bad, but I knew I could not say no to a call up,” laughed Lapierre. “That first moment I put on the jersey was a great moment for the family and I remember a couple of the guys were clapping in the dressing room as soon as I put it on.
“I played two minutes that night, but it was the best two minutes of my life.”
The one about…his first NHL goal
On December 12, 2006, Lapierre made his NHL debut and had an instant impact picking up his first career NHL point assisting on Guillaume Latendresse’s game-winning goal in a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins.
The very next game Lapierre picked up his first NHL goal in a 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The puck is on the mantle in his TV room, the memory is always on his mind.
“I remember seeing the puck coming right at me and it just hit my stick. When I heard the crowd I knew it was me that scored. It’s an unreal feeling, you can’t explain that. You talk about that goal for years after.”
July 22, 2012
Wanna go for a swim?
I can confirm that we did swim in Maxim Lapierre’s pool. I can confirm I did a cannonball. I can confirm Joey Kenward wore a male swimsuit. I can confirm it was pink.
July 22, 2012
To the Max
It’s 4:21 p.m. in Montreal as I type this. Joey, Rory and myself just got back to the hotel after spending the day with Maxim Lapierre; as those of you who were following our day via @VanCanucks know, it was a fantastic experience.
I have quotes to transcribe, stories to write, photos to cut and food to eat, so give me an hour or two and some of the best content Canucks.com has ever seen will be up.
Here’s a teaser of what you can expect: Celine Dion, Montreal police, Ben & Florentine, Jean-Francois, Montreal riots, Batman Bob, karting championships, batting cages, the Canucks duck, and last but never ever ever least, Jessica Alba.
Intrigued?
July 21, 2012
Joey, Jory & Rory’s Excellent Adventure
What do you do all summer?
That’s the question I’ve been asked quite a bit over the past few months. My answer: what the Vancouver Canucks do. Get away from hockey, travel, relax, refocus and recharge.
But is that actually what the players do in the off-season?
We’re all about to find out.
What is being called Joey, Jory & Rory’s Excellent Adventure begins today as CanucksTV’s Joey Kenward, Canucks cameraman Rory McGarry and myself, Canucks.com’s Derek Jory, hit the road for four hometown player visits, beginning Sunday in Montreal with Maxim Lapierre.
What you can expect from our week on the road is access to the Canucks like never before – and I’m not just saying that because it sounds good. We’ll be in their homes, meeting their family and friends and touring the hometown areas that made them who they are today. Everything will be turned around for your viewing and reading pleasure on Canucks.com, CanucksTV, Fort Nucks, @VanCanucks on Twitter and on the Vancouver Canucks Facebook page.
And you thought we were in the middle of the dog days of summer. Think again.
July 3, 2012
Canucks Prospect Camp Photo du Jour - Day 6
Cain Franson, Kenton Miller, Stefano Momesso and Dalton Sward, the first four Canucks prospects up the Grouse Grind, celebrate in the rain.
Click here for the full report on the Canucks versus the Grouse Grind
July 2, 2012
Canucks Prospect Camp Photo du Jour - Day 5
The prospects were expecting to attend a Vancouver Canadians baseball game today, as you can tell from their hats. Instead, it rained. A tour of the HMCS Vancouver was the backup plan. It was wicked.
July 2, 2012
Canucks Prospect Camp Photo du Jour - Day 4
Hockey in the summer = awesomeness
June 30, 2012
Canucks Prospect Camp Photo du Jour - Day 3
“Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape”
June 29, 2012
Canucks Prospect Camp Photo du Jour - Day 2
Brendan Gaunce, already feeling blue under the media spotlight.
