Mathieu Perreault stumbled a bit when asked about Mark Scheifele
Mathieu Perreault got his first taste of the media today as a member of the Montreal Canadiens. The 33-year-old forward agreed to terms on a one season contract worth $950,000.
Perreault seemed very proud to say he was now a member of the Canadiens, with a Habs jersey hanging on his wall behind him.
He mentioned that as soon as the free agent market opened, the Habs showed interest. A situation with which Perreault was visibly very happy.
"As soon as I became an unrestricted free agent and Montreal showed interest, a flame lit in me," he said.
Like most Quebecers, Mathieu Perreault's dream was to play for the Canadiens. He admitted that the Habs most recent performance was a big factor in his decision.
He was also asked about the Mark Scheifele / Jake Evans incident. Remember that Scheifele had dangerously checked Jake Evans following a goal scored in an empty net.
Perreault responded with great class, having been around Scheifele for the past 7 years.
"Mark is a guy with no malice in his life. It was a surprising move on his part. We never like to see that happen. It was a disappointment on our end to not have Mark Scheifele for the rest of the series."
From my perception, Perreault seemed very uncomfortable with the question, looking very nervous, due to his body language. However, you could tell he was not in agreement with Scheifele's act, without criticizing his former teammate.
You can see the segment at about the 17 minute mark:
