Montreal Canadiens
Artturi Lehkonen With Heartwarming Words For Ex-Canadiens Teammates
Former Montreal Canadiens forward Artturi Lehkonen won the Stanley Cup last night, and had some heartwarming comments about his former teammates as he looked back on the last few years.
After the Colorado Avalanche clinched the third Stanley Cup in their history, Lehkonen joined TVA Sports‘ Renaud Lavoie for an interview while celebrating on the ice.
Lavoie asked Lehkonen if he had any thoughts for his former teammates, as they had come just short of winning the Cup themselves last summer. Lehkonen’s response was an emotional one, but he admitted that his former teammates were on his mind as he took in the joy of finally getting his hands on the holy grail of hockey.
“Yeah, for sure. We went through something special last year and came up short,” said Lehkonen on his journey to the Stanley Cup Finals with the Montreal Canadiens last season. “They’re really good friends of mine; I hope my boys are going to get this feeling someday soon.”
In a separate interview with RDS‘ Patrick Friolet, Lehkonen was asked if he had any thoughts for his former teammates as he looked back on his win. This time, Lehkonen couldn’t hold back the tears, as he tried to process what was going on around him.
“For sure I have thoughts about them,” said Lehkonen with a tear streaming down his face.”It just feels unbelievable right now.”
Since his trade to the Colorado Avalanche at the NHL Trade Deadline, Artturi Lehkonen quickly became an integral part of the team’s success. The Avalanche paid a hefty price for the gritty winger, sending former 1st round pick Justin Barron, along with a 2024 2nd round pick, to the Canadiens for his services. Lehkonen was a player that Avalanche GM Joe Sakic had targeted as the type of guy that could help put his club over the edge, and he was proven right on Sunday night.
To take the time to reflect on his teammates and express his desire to see them hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup one day speaks to the character and passion of Lehkonen. It was a well-deserved achievement for a player that gave everything for the Bleu, Blanc Rouge.