All Habs Headlines: Thursday January 26, 2012

On this day in hockey history…1961 – Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky born in Brantford, Ontario. 

COUNTDOWN TO GAMEDAY: All Habs Headlines

►Relocation reports ‘just speculation’: TVA Sports’ recent reports that the Baby Habs may be ready to move to Laval as early as the summer of 2013 have been vehemently denied by Hamilton Bulldogs’ owner Michael Andlauer.

“As long as I’m the Bulldogs’ owner, we’re not going anywhere,” he told the Hamilton Spectator on Wednesday.

The Bulldogs’ lease at Copps Coliseum ends after next season, 2012-13. However, Laval has yet to provide a fully AHL-ready arena, despite plans having been in the works for years now.

Read more: Andlauer insists Bulldogs not moving

►They took out my what?: You know the story about the guy who goes into the hospital for a tonsillectomy and wakes up after surgery missing a kidney? Some wondered if the same thing happened to Canadiens captain Brian Gionta as a headline appeared on a Montreal newspaper website reading “Montreal Canadiens Captain Brian Gionta recovering from hip surgery.”  Fortunately for Gionta and Habs fans everywhere, it was simply another gaffe by our mainstream friends.  Gionta is recovering from biceps surgery.

►Gionta hopes to return this season: Brian Gionta was on hand on Wednesday to present scholarships to Quebec athletes as part of the Montreal Canadiens Bursary Program. 28 student athletes between the ages of 14 and 17 competing in men’s and women’s hockey received $1,500 each.  Gionta joked, “They are supposed to be midget players, but I was the smallest of them.”

Gionta had surgery to repair a torn bicep suffered in a game on January 10 during a routine clearing play.

“I’ll be away for a long time, but I still hope to return before the end of the season.” — Brian Gionta

Read more: Gionta: “J’ai encore espoir de revenir.” (French)

►And if Erik Cole was the man?: Who are the leaders on this Habs team?  Brian Gionta, Tomas Plekanec, Hal Gill and Josh Gorges are all part of the leadership group.  But Mitch Melnick posed the question, “Is there a player like Robinson, Gainey or Nilan anywhere near this edition of Canadiens? Sure would be helpful for Subban.”

All Habs staffer Lyse says that the answer is clear to her, “It’s Erik Cole.” Lyse points to Cole’s post-game interview with Pierre McGuire to help make her case.