Mike Cammalleri joins the Habs

MONTREAL — For the Montreal Canadiens, it was one Jewish player in, another out. Calgary Flames’ forward Mike Cammalleri, a native of Richmond Hill, Ont., at age 27 made huge news after signing the richest contract in the Habs’ 100 years – a reported $30 million (US) over five years.

Mike Cammalleri

Meanwhile, veteran “offensive” defenceman Mathieu Schneider – now considered a bit long in the tooth at age 40  – became an unrestricted free agent after playing the 2008-09 season with the Habs, after coming in from the Atlanta Thrashers.

“I’m extremely excited – it was a crazy day, but to end up in Montreal, I couldn’t be happier,” Cammalleri told the Globe and Mail.

“You think of places where a hockey player would want to play and Montreal’s it.”

 While Cammalleri’s father has Italian roots and is not Jewish, his mother, Ruth, is.

The Globe story described Cammalleri as a “younger, higher-scoring version of outgoing captain Saku Koivu.”

Last season with the Flames, Cammalleri’s regular season stats were 39 goals and 41 assists in 81 games – the second highest on the team.

In the National Hockey League, Cammalleri, a five-foot-nine left-winger, played mostly for the Los Angeles Kings before joining the Calgary Flames for the 2008-09 season.

Habs general manager Bob Gainey brought free-agent Cammalleri in as five other teams were also vying for him, according to news reports. Overall in his pro career, Cammalleri has played 364 games, with 132 goals and 155 assists.

He will sport the No. 13 sweater for the Habs

Schneider, who was No. 24 with the Canadiens in 2008-09, is one of the very few Jewish players in the NHL, and his return to the Habs last season capped a 20-year career he could rightfully be proud of.

Born to Sam and Aline Schneider in New York City, the five-foot-11 star defenceman played on six NHL teams, including the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and, of course, the Habs. He played with Montreal for 13 seasons off and on, starting in 1987, including 1993, when the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup.

Schneider also played in the 1996 and 2003 NHL all-star games.

Over his career, Schneider laced up for almost 1,300 games.

In a 2005 profile in The CJN, Schneider stated proudly that he felt “very fortunate throughout my career to play in cities with tremendous Jewish communities.

“I feel as though I’ve been a role model in each city that I’ve played in. There are very few Jewish hockey players, and it’s been a nice role for me and I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Besides Cammalleri and Schneider, the only other known active Jewish player currently in the NHL is Jeff Halpern of the Tampa Bay Lighting.

Two Jewish Montreal NHL players, now retired, are Steve Dubinsky, who played for the St. Louis Blues, and Ronnie Stern, who played for teams including the San José Sharks.