by Shannon Penfound, Staff Writer and Event Coordinator, All Habs Hockey Magazine

WINNIPEG, MB. — With a few new faces on the Canadiens’ bench this season, a lot of attention has been given to team relations and dynamics. With eight games and  seven wins under their belts, it is safe to say that the Habs are off to a great start.

When it comes to team sports, I am a firm believer in the ability for group dynamics to either make or break team performance. But how does a team grow and develop over the course of a season? More importantly, how do new teammates fit into the mold? I like to lean towards a pendulum perspective, where teams move back and forth between feelings of increased versus decreased team cohesion¹. Here are the basics:

Stage 1 – Training Camp Begins

• Players meet (in some cases, for the first time)
• Morale and excitement are high

This year’s training camp saw the return of many prospects, along with the addition of this year’s draft group. Excitement amongst the youngsters was evident in their energetic play and post-scrimmage interviews.

Stage 2 – Training Camp Continues

• Competitive feelings amongst players who are vying for the same roles begin to increase
• For some, the excitement felt at the outset of camp has worn off

Stage 3 – Preseason Begins

• Athletes once again experience high levels of morale & excitement
• Players work together against a common threat (the opposition)

I want to note here that the Canadiens’ preseason record was 3-3-1. The Canadiens were victorious in their first three games during the preseason. Fans also got to witness a young core beat out NHL-calibre teams like the Colorado Avalanche and the Chicago Blackhawks. Again, it was clear that the players were excited, worked well together, and were ready for the regular season to begin.

Stage 4 – The Regular Season Begins & Continues

• If a season goes well, team cohesion is high
• If a season does not go well, team cohesion is low

As of today, the Canadiens are 7-1 . I’ll give you a moment to relish in that…

While this appears to be a very clean cut way of explaining how group members work together during training camp, preseason, and regular season, we as fans need to understand that every athlete reacts differently to working with various members of their team. For example, the Habs’ social media team recently posted a clip of veterans Carey Price and David Desharnais joking around on the ice during practice, showing that while this team works hard, they know how to relax around one another too.

That being said, it is also easy to see that while this group holds each member in high regard, they also ensure that each member is held accountable for their performances. Jarred Tinordi, one of the Habs’ new regulars on the blue line, had this to say during the pregame media session on October 23,

“It’s a good thing to live by. You should be accountable for your teammates, for what happens on the ice².” – Jarred Tinordi

Brandon Prust also spoke briefly during the pregame warm-up on October 21 on how he feels everyone is getting along,

“We’re supporting each other and we’re just going to continue to do better.” – Brandon Prust

While these quotes give the illusion that everything is perfect behind the scenes, we have to understand that creating chemistry does not happen overnight. Andrei Markov was recently asked about his chemistry with his line-mate, Tom Gilbert. Markov’s answer caused some concern amongst Habs fans, mostly because Markov awkwardly stared into space for a solid 30 seconds before mumbling something about how it takes time to form connections with new teammates. RDS followed up with Gilbert on Friday, and Gilbert flat out said that Markov is a man of few words, but that their communication on the ice is just fine.

There are certainly still a few kinks in the Canadiens’ system. The Habs’ starts, as well as their power-play, seem to be slowly improving. In my opinion, their defensive play has definitely improved from the start of the season, but with the addition of Gilbert and Tinordi as regulars in the line-up this year, it will be interesting to see how our veterans, like Markov, respond over time. We are just eight games into the regular season and things can only improve from here. Carey Price gave his defense a bit of credit after their 3-1 win against the New York Rangers on Saturday night,

“Things are coming around. Guys are letting me see the puck. Those little short rebounds I’m letting out are getting gobbled up by my d-men, so I gotta give the guys in front of me a lot of credit too³.” – Carey Price

Group dynamics certainly play a key role in team performance and success. I think we can all agree that the Habs’ success early on this season is not based on luck, but rather a group of athletes who respect one another, hold one another accountable, and communicate on & off the ice. Their already strong team dynamic can only get stronger and, hopefully, will continue to improve their performance throughout the year.

1. Weinberg, R.S., & Gould, D. (2011). Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology. (5^th). Champaign,IL: Human Kinetics.

2. Montreal Canadiens. (October 23, 2014). RAW: Jarred Tinordi. Retrieved from http://video.canadiens.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=652939&catid=66.

3. Montreal Canadiens. (October 25, 2014). Postgame: Carey Price. Retrieved from http://video.canadiens.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=652939&catid=66.