CHICAGO _ Andrew Shaw greeted the media throng awaiting him in the hallway of the United Center with a hearty "bonjour."
The forward's transition from the Blackhawks, with whom he won two Stanley Cups before being traded to the Canadiens last summer is ongoing. Learning a new language is just one step in the process. Another step has been helping his second Original Six team to the top of the NHL standings.
"Those are memories you're never going to forget and you don't want to forget," Shaw said of his five seasons with the Hawks. "You've just got to use them to inspire you to do it somewhere else as well and create the chemistry through the team and go out there and play hard."
With the Hawks in their ever-present salary-cap crunch, Shaw was traded to the Canadiens on June 24 for two draft picks. Entering Sunday night's game at the UC, Shaw had two goals, four assists and a team-high 20 penalty minutes in 15 games for the 13-1-1 Canadiens.
"I made this place my home, and obviously it's always tough to leave," Shaw said. "But with new opportunity comes new success. We have a great team and a great group of guys. They've welcomed me with open arms, so it's been a great transition."
Before he was dealt, Hawks coach Joel Quenneville called Shaw "irreplaceable." On Sunday morning he waxed poetic about the scrappy veteran.
"You're not going to find the same ingredient that 'Shawzy' provides, whether it's the game-to-game consistency of being an agitator, net-front presence on your power play, good in the room, good on the bench, good on the ice, smart hockey player, makes plays, brings that nastiness you appreciate and comes ready to play every game," Quenneville said. "It's what you want and he brings it. You have to love him for it."
So far, Shaw is loving Montreal and the challenge of playing for a new team _ and learning a new language.
"It's new but it's fun," Shaw said. "It's a different culture, and I'm happy to be a part of it."
