"He's the one who kicked me out of Montreal"

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Jeff Drouin
September 28, 2022 (10:22 PM)

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In an interview with Jean-Charles Lajoie earlier today, Quebec forward Phillip Danault, true to form, was extremely direct, honest and transparent when asked about his history with Marc Bergevin and the Montreal Canadiens.

In a very interesting interview, Danault first mentioned that he is very happy in Los Angeles, that he does not regret his decision to sign with the Kings, and even added that it is the best decision of his career.

He went back to the famous statements he made after leaving Montreal, when he said he wanted to join a team that believed in his offensive abilities (unlike the CH):

"Until you do, you don't believe in it. But I believed in my ability to generate offense. I believed that I could be better exploited on the ice and used differently (than in Montreal). I had Anze Kopitar in front of me. I wasn't just taking face-offs in defensive territory. I was extremely well exploited. They saw the same thing I saw in myself. Everything just clicked."

- Phillip Danault

In his final season with the Tricolore, he already knew the end was coming:

"From the beginning of the season, I knew it. There was nothing going on in negotiations. We had no feedback and things were coming out in the media. It was tough mentally the first 20 games. Plus, my offensive production wasn't there. I had been in Montreal for six years. At some point, it starts to sink in mentally. For sure, it was magical to play in Montreal and I loved it, but there were other things about my game that I had to go exploit elsewhere."

Asked about his reaction when Marc Bergevin was hired by the Kings, Danault provided a very interesting and transparent answer. We love it!

"I wasn't jumping for joy. He was the one who kicked me out of Montreal. He didn't believe in the side of the game that I wanted to continue to develop. He was going in a different direction. We talked again. We had ice cream and everything is okay now."

Transcripts from TVA Sports

A very direct answer, just the way we like them. It leaves no room for interpretation. According to Danault, it was Marc Bergevin who kicked him out of Montreal, and he doesn't hide from it, even though Bergevin is back with the Kings.

Danault, 29, has 51 points, including 27 goals, in 79 games with Los Angeles in 2021-22. He earns $5.5 million a year through 2027.

See the full interview in the video below: