I have an appointment with my Dr. today and should be back around 12:45pm.

So I will play catch up if needed when I return.

In the meantime..

from Eric Engels of Sporstsnet,

Here he is now, playing for the organization he grew up cheering for — and thriving in a way he hadn’t previously, since he was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 2011.

Ouellet has notched an assist in three of his last four games with the Montreal Canadiens and he’s had a tangible impact on them collecting 14 of an available 22 points in the standings to start the season. Averaging a hair under 17 minutes per game, he’s helped the team control 57 per cent of the shot attempts when he’s been on the ice, and he’s found a way to move the puck effectively and bring a physical dimension to the blue line that would otherwise be somewhat lacking in star defenceman Shea Weber’s absence.

This is who Ouellet wanted to be in Detroit, but it’s not who he consistently presented himself as over parts of five seasons there.

“I truly am a huge believer that things happen for a reason,” Ouellet said after practice on Wednesday. “I’m not trying to find out why, or what happened in Detroit. It brought me here to where I am today and I’m really happy where I am today. I learned from it. It probably made me a better player at the end of the day and gave me experience and made me realize how nothing’s ever guaranteed or given.”

read on