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Canadiens Sean Farrell Talks Development, Future in Montreal

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Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens Sean Farrell is focused on a national championship in the NCAA, but remains excited about a potential future in Montreal.

The 124th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft has continued to improve his game by leaps and bounds since his time with the Chicago Steel of the USHL. Now in his junior season with the Harvard Crimson, the 20-year-old will be looking to bring home an ECAC Division title and national championship, while also continuing to prepare for life after school.

After representing USA Hockey for the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and the 2022 World Championships in Finland, Farrell knew he had a lot of work to do to be ready for the NHL. The 20-year-old was committed to improving his physical form and improving aspects of his game that could translate better to the NHL grind.

“I think the biggest thing was kind of getting stronger and getting better on my edges. I learned through playing at the Worlds and the Olympics that you got to be stronger on pucks and it’s hard to escape those bigger guys down low,” said Farrell about what he worked on the most this summer. “It was a mix of working hard in the gym and working on those plays down-low.”

Although the youngster remains in the present, his most recent trip up to Montreal for their development camp in July left a lasting impression on him. Having already been very familiar with the new Canadiens’ director of hockey development, Adam Nicholas, Sean Farrell was impressed with what he had seen in the city. He especially likes the changes in philosophy that have been brought on by general manager Kent Hughes and executive vice president Jeff Gorton, since they’ve taken over the club.

“Everything that they’ve done has been awesome. I saw that for myself at camp; how opening and welcoming everyone was. It was great to meet everyone there from management to coaches to the player development guys; which I’ve been a little familiar with,” said Farrell about his impressions of the new management team in Montreal. “I’m really happy with where they’re at right now. It’s been good to know them even more. I think having that opportunity to be there this summer helped a ton.”

Farrell didn’t bat an eye when asked whether he could see himself playing with the Canadiens and play the skilled and puck-possession style head coach Martin St. Louis is looking to integrate. For him, it’s a situation almost tailor-made for him as a player to come in and contribute in a way that would be both sustainable and meaningful.

“I think they emphasize playing fast and playing a fast possession game. That’s something I’ve always been good at and have succeeded in systems like that,” said Farrell about St. Louis’ new coaching approach. “I feel like, once I’m ready and my body is ready, I feel like I’ll be able to step in and help the team offensively. You’ve definitely seen flashes from them this year where they score a bunch of goals and play well on the rush. They’re really fun to watch and hopefully I’ll be able to step into that one day.”

You can watch the full interview below, as Sean Farrell answers more questions about his experience last season and even gets in on a few fan questions too: