MONTREAL -- Once Patrice Brisebois spoke to general manager
Bob Gainey, he heard all he needed to come back to the Montreal
Canadiens.
Brisebois, who won a Stanley Cup ring with Montreal in 1993,
signed a one-year deal with the Canadiens on Friday. The
36-year-old defenseman spent the past two seasons with Colorado
after leaving Montreal, where he played his first 14 NHL seasons.
Frequently booed at the Bell Centre during his first tenure with
the Canadiens, Brisebois never forgot that Gainey publicly defended
him shortly after the Hall of Fame forward became the GM.
"That was something special," Brisebois said. "I always
appreciated what he did for me that day and that's something I
really recognize."
Brisebois, who had back surgery after being limited to 33 games
with the Avalanche last season, told agent Don Meehan not to bother
negotiating with any other organization after Gainey invited him to
lunch recently to discuss the unrestricted free agent's plans.
He will also rejoin head coach Guy Carbonneau, his first
roommate when he joined the Canadiens in 1990-91.
"That's another guy I have so much respect for," Brisebois
said. "He was my captain and now he's going to be my coach. He
knows what I can do. He knows my abilities."
The 16-year veteran has 90 goals and 301 assists in 904 regular
season games.