In his second stint with the Canadiens, the native of Victoriaville, Que., has revived his role as a shutdown center and faceoff specialist who has also provided secondary offense, with two goals and eight points in 15 games.
There is a long list of Quebec-born players who couldn’t handle playing for the Montreal Canadiens.
In some cases, the pressure was too big and the spotlight was too bright. There is a responsibility that comes with playing for what is considered the biggest — and best — hockey market. And it can often scare off even the most talented player.
But when things were going sideways for Phillip Danault in Los Angeles earlier this season, the native of Victoriaville, Que., reached out to his agent with one request: get me to Montreal.
Yes, he wanted to return home. But he also wanted to return to the passion.
“I’ve had French Canadian players in Montreal before, and it can be an unforgiving place for them,” said Danault’s agent, Allan Walsh. “The biggest issues are friends and family. There’s additional pressure. People you went to school with, who you played with and against in junior hockey, all your extended family, you become the centre of that universe.”
Danault had spent six seasons in Montreal, before signing with the Kings in 2021 as a free agent. Five years after playing in anonymity, Danault wanted to be back where hockey is religion. And so, with his role with the Kings diminishing, a deal was worked out to get him back to Montreal in December in exchange for a second-round pick.
“He didn’t demand a trade,” said Walsh. “We sat there and said we’ve tried this and tried that, now let’s see what’s out there. But really, it was about going back to Montreal.
“He had watched them closely. He still had good friends in the room. From afar, he adored Marty St-Louis. He made a couple of comments to me, like 'I’m exactly what they need now. They need someone to work with the younger guys, upgrade the penalty kill, win face-offs, and they need a forward who can defend.'
"They had no issues scoring goals but they couldn’t keep the puck out of the net.”
In Montreal, Danault has revived his role as a shutdown center and faceoff specialist who has a 57.5 winning percentage in the playoffs. But with two goals and eight points in 15 games, he has also provided the kind of secondary scoring that is a big reason why the Canadiens have a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference final.
“He fills in a chair — a role — that we needed,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. “We have some great young players, tons of skill. We need to have some veteran guys that can play a different role — killing penalties, good on draws, hard to play against defensively.
“It took him a little while to get acclimated (with) how we play, but he’s fitting in nicely.”
In Game 1, Danault scored a goal and picked up an assist in a 6-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes. Afterwards, the 33-year-old veteran who celebrates wins with a post-game slice of pizza, spoke about how special it is to be back playing for the Habs.
“It’s an honour,” he told reporters. “Always had the (logo) on my heart … it’s in my DNA. Just love the energy — electric, the fans. We have a great relationship with the fans, and it just means everything to me.”
Indeed, Danault has found second-life in Montreal. It's a big change from his time in Los Angeles, where after 27 goals in 2021-22 he saw his role continually diminish to the point where he wasn't sure where he belonged on the team.
But the biggest change is that he's on a winning team.
According to Walsh, that was why Danault wanted out of Los Angeles to begin with. Four straight years of losing in the first round had worn him down. He wanted out. But more importantly, he wanted a chance to win — something he finally has in Montreal.
“I don’t think he ever in his heart said goodbye to Montreal. It was always in him, it was always there,” said Walsh. “The one thing that drives him and the one thing he talks about more than with any player I represent is he wants to win a Cup.
"It was a stroke of genius from Montreal’s part.”
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