Last year, when a player was named player of the game by his Montreal Canadiens teammates, he got to wear the team’s man-of-the-match sunglasses. It was a fitting choice for a group of young guys who were trying to have fun in the midst of a rebuild, focusing on development and getting better together.

On Saturday, after the overtime win over the Ottawa Senators, Alex Newhook was named the player of the game after scoring the overtime winner. He didn’t get to wear last year’s sunglasses, though; he was presented with a wolf pelt, which he proudly put on his head.

Canadiens: A Big Milestone For Dobson
Canadiens: Montembeault Believes He Took A Step In The Right Direction
Canadiens Prospect David Reinbacher Returns To Action

While some may not approve of that choice (granted, a wolf was killed to make the accessory), it’s quite a significant choice as well. This season is no longer about developing; it’s about playing as a team and being stronger together. Martin St-Louis keeps telling his men to play defense as a five-man unit and to adopt a pack mentality.

He wants his team to stand up for one another, and they’re doing just that. On Saturday night, when Tyler Kleven hit Alexandre Carrier with what looked like a hefty hit on the boards, with the defenseman dropping to the ice, Joe Veleno jumped on the Ottawa Senators player and dropped the gloves.

One could even say the pelt makes sense because these young Canadiens are hungry like the wolf, as Duran Duran sang in 1982, with, admittedly, a very different meaning, but still, this squad jumps on the ice every night looking for the win — and, figuratively speaking, for blood. It’s no longer about developing and learning; it’s about winning.

In a video shared by the team in the tunnel before the game, as the players are pumping each other up, there’s a lot of “wooing” out there that’s not far off from howling. You could even see that choice as a wink to the fact that Hutson won the Calder Trophy, beating Dustin Wolf to the prize; the Calgary Flames goaltender finished second in voting.

This young team has a new identity and they’re not afraid to show it.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.

Subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here.