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Opportunity booms: Habs promote Blake Geoffrion

boomboomblake

James

Just about any player carries pressure with him when he puts on that beautiful Montreal Canadiens sweater. Still, it’s say to say that Blake Geoffrion will probably feel the boom of fireworks more than most when he makes his Habs debut tomorrow.

The Canadiens colors run deep for him and - let’s be honest - this an incredibly cool moment. Geoffrion is the first fourth-generation player in NHL history and a member of each generation spent at least some time for the Montreal Canadiens:

Howie Morenz (great-grandfather) - Won three Hart Trophies, died at age 34 due to complications from a broken leg suffered during his final NHL game.

Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion (grandfather) - Popularized the slap shot, won six Stanley Cups and one Hart Trophy.

Dan Geoffrion (father) - Played 32 of 111 career NHL games with Montreal.

So to review: his grandfather and great-grandfather both had their numbers retired, with Morenz’s No. 7 being the first Habs sweater to receive that honor. (At least his dad eased the pressure a bit by not being a Hall-of-Famer, though.)

Geoffrion’s lineage makes it a truly special story, but Blake has a chance to make a mark of his own. It’s not like he’s just some guy with a famous last name, either. The Nashville Predators made him the 56th choice (second round) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft before packaging the young player in the Hal Gill deal.

It’s a great story that could get even more fascinating if he makes an impact in more direct hockey terms. At 24 years old, he still has plenty of time to do just that.

(Meanwhile, Louis Leblanc was sent down to the AHL. Judging by his last name, he probably knows his fair share of scrutiny in Montreal, too ...)