The Montreal Canadiens added a veteran presence and a dependable bottom-six forward when they acquired Tanner Pearson from the Vancouver Canucks last week.
While Pearson, 31, was likely gearing up for training camp with his former team when he got the call, the newest Canadiens player told reporters on Thursday that he welcomed the change of scenery.
āA breath of fresh air is what I needed, so Iām glad to be here,” the Kitchener, Ontario, native said.
Pearson’s former LA Kings teammate Tyler Toffoli, who spent a season and a half with the Canadiens, was also instrumental in getting him acquainted with Montreal.
“[Toffoli] was excited for me. He texted me. He spread the word faster than everybody,” Pearson said to reporters on Thursday. “He loved his time here, [a] lot of great things to say. It makes you so much more excited to come.”
Toffoli, a key player in the Habs’ run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, also took the initiative of contacting some of his former teammates in order to make Pearson more comfortable.
“He messaged a couple guys here for me already,” Pearson explained. “It’s nice to have a mutual friend going into it.”
When asked what he could bring to the Canadiens’ locker room, Pearson cited “veteran leadership,” adding that “it’ll be nice to be around young, fresh faces again and get the energy up.”
The two-time Stanley Cup champ may be the new guy but he’s already crossed paths with a few players in Montreal’s locker room, such as Sean Monahan, Josh Anderson, and Nick Suzuki.
Then there’s Brendan Gallagher, who Pearson bunked with during the World Juniors over a decade ago.
āI played World Juniors with Gallagher,ā Pearson said.
āWe were actually roommates, unfortunately,ā he added, jokingly.
Another familiar face is head coach Martin St. Louis, whom Pearson shared the ice with on multiple occasions back when the Laval native was still a player.
“It’s weird having a coach you’ve played against,” Pearson said, laughing. “I know a few guys that have played for Marty. It definitely looks like he has a passion for it, willing to help guys out.”
As for when Habs fans will see him make his Bell Centre debut, Pearson, who had been dealing with a hand injury over the past year, says he is about “90%” recovered and expects to be cleared to play soon.
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