from Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette,

Smith-Pelly was emotional when he met with reporters in San Jose shortly after the trade was announced Monday. He said he had a feeling he might be on the move after the Canadiens acquired Brown, another right-winger, earlier in the day.

When asked if he had a message for Canadiens fans, Smith-Pelly said: “I loved it here. Thanks, I guess. I really enjoyed playing here … I’m going to miss it.

“It’s a super-close team and, obviously, I would have loved to stay and be a part of the group, but you move on.”...

“It’s tough,” Smith-Pelly said while dabbing at his eyes. “Just having to go to another group and trying to fit in. I thought I fit in perfectly with this group. So it’s tough. But I’ve been around long enough … it happens.

“I loved it,” he added about his time in Montreal. “It’s always a dream come true to play for a Canadian team, and it sucks (being traded).”

more on the Canadiens...

watch Smith-Pelly speaking with the media below..