Former Canadien Phillip Danault surprises Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield - Montreal Gazette

Has a pizza delivered to them while they were guests Monday night on Julie Snyder’s television show.

Author of the article:

Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette

Phillip Danault left the Canadiens last summer as a free agent, signing a six-year, US$33-million contract with the Los Angeles Kings. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette

Phillip Danault hasn’t forgotten his old Canadiens teammates.

New Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield were guests Monday night on Julie Snyder’s TV show, La Semaine des 4 Julie.

Danault, who signed with the Los Angeles Kings as a free agent last summer, recorded a video for Suzuki and Caufield that was played during the show.

“Boys, I want to wish you good luck this year and I’ll see you on the ice,” Danault said. “Until then, I got something delivered for you. Enjoy.”

A pizza was then delivered to the two Canadiens players on stage with Suzuki wearing the “C” on his new Canadiens sweater. Suzuki was named the 31st captain in franchise history earlier in the day at the Canadiens’ golf tournament at Laval-sur-le-Lac. At 23, Suzuki also becomes the youngest captain in Canadiens history.

Danault played six seasons with the Canadiens, but couldn’t agree on a new contract with former GM Marc Bergevin and decided to leave for Los Angeles as a free agent last summer, signing a six-year, US$33-million contract with an annual salary-cap hit of $5.5 million. Danault played a key role the previous season in helping the Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup final before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

After each playoff series victory before reaching the Stanley Cup final, Danault would celebrate by eating a slice of pizza while doing post-game interviews.

The 29-year-old Danault had a career year last season with the Kings, posting 27-24-51 totals in 79 games, posting career highs in goals and points. He was also plus-14 and won 53.6 per cent of his faceoffs while averaging 18:08 of ice time per game.

During his final season with the Canadiens, Danault was upset that details of a six-year, US$30-million contract offer that Bergevin had given him were leaked to the media. Danault struggled that season with 5-19-24 totals in 53 regular-season games, but found his game in the playoffs while shutting down the top centres on opposing teams.

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“I think it affected me,” Danault said after the Stanley Cup final about his contract offer from Bergevin being leaked. “Even if you say it didn’t affect me … but it affected me because I wasn’t playing that good. I wasn’t playing my best hockey at that time at the start of the year.

“With everything that was going on it was tough … it was tough mentally,” he added. “But you know what, I got way stronger mentally and I really believe that’s why I played that type of hockey in the playoffs. It got me stronger mentally.”

Danault said his decision to turn down the original contract offer from the Canadiens was about more than just money. He never received another offer.

“Yeah, absolutely,” he said. “It was all about the role. In playoffs, I said that my role was changed, but I was also scared a little bit that (Suzuki) and (Jesperi Kotkaniemi) were going to take more minutes. But I think we saw around the league that if you win you need three really good centres.

“I found my game,” Danault added. “I know who I am, I know what I can give, I know what I can bring to a team and I know I can win.”

The Kings will play the Canadiens twice this season — on Dec. 10 at the Bell Centre and on March 2 in Los Angeles.

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