The Alumni Lounge: A Montreal Canadiens Podcast

Dressed in their finest turtlenecks, Chantal and Breezer welcomed Tomas Plekanec to The Alumni Lounge. Pleky discussed life in the Czech Republic with partner and former WTA superstar Lucie Safarova and their one-year-old daughter and playing in the Czech Extraliga. He spoke fondly about his time in Montreal and his thoughts on coaching after he retires and his favorite -- and least favorite -- players to play against.

Show Notes

0:00 Introduction
7:47 Plekanec on his turtlenecks
9:43 Raising his daughter
11:00 His sons love sports
12:39 Plekanec loses to partner and former WTA superstar Lucie Safarova on the tennis court
14:06 Living with a retired pro athlete
14:48 Playing hockey during the pandemic
16:12 Missing fans
16:30 Thoughts on playing pro hockey next season
16:58 Taking it one year at a time
17:20 Brisebois on Plekanec’s rookie camp
18:37 Plekanec developed his work ethic in North America
19:50 Waiting for an NHL call up
21:15 Transition from Europe to North America
22:55 Learning English from Seinfeld
23:33 Thoughts on a career in coaching
24:21 Plekanec on his time in Montreal
24:50 Staying in touch with players and staff in Montreal
26:00 How his role as a center evolved over his NHL career
27:20 Alex Kovalev and Mike Cammalleri are the best players he’s played with
27:56 Hard time playing against Ryan Kesler, Sidney Crosby, and Evgeni Malkin
29:35 Being paired with struggling players
30:08 Challenge of playing with different line mates
32:00 Memories with teammates
32:35 Brisebois praises Plekanec
35:02 Plekanec loved the pressure of playing in Montreal
36:18 Coaching style
37:10 Being traded to Toronto
38:28 Desire to return to Montreal
39:07 Battling injuries
39:52 Finishing his career as a Hab
41:00 Playing his 1,000th game
42:10 Favorite memories as a Hab: 2010 Playoffs
43:35 First big purchase: a computer
44:10 Life advice 
44:51 Playing for Guy Carbonneau, Doug Jarvis, Claude Julien and Michel Therrien
46:00 Alain Vigneault was Breezer’s favorite coach
46:25 Breezer’s impressed by Plekanec’s work ethic
48:54 Message to the fans
49:33 Conclusion

What is The Alumni Lounge: A Montreal Canadiens Podcast ?

Step inside "The Alumni Lounge" for unfiltered stories from the legends who built the legacy of the most storied franchise in professional sports. Hosted by former Canadiens defenseman Patrice Brisebois and comedian and longtime sports reporter Chantal Desjardins, The Alumni Lounge, which is presented by Scotia Advice+ from Scotiabank, features in-depth chats with popular Habs players of the past, touching on everything from never-before-heard tales from the dressing room to the struggles high-performance players face after they hang up their skates.