Montreal Canadiens Sign Prospect P.K. Subban

The Montreal Canadiens defensive future has improved dramatically with the signing of P.K. Subban.

The Toronto native turned 20 today. What a birthday present.

Subban's father, Karl, emigrated to Canada from Jamaica and lived in Montreal where he became enamoured with the Canadiens.

Despite moving to Toronto, his father's loyalty to the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge remained strong, an allegiance and he passed on to his son.

In an interview with MacLean's magazine in August 2007, the elder Subban said he put P.K. on skates when he was still a toddler.

"He still had his Pampers on," Karl says. A friend of Karl's was so impressed by P.K.'s skating ability that he paid for the boy's first set of hockey equipment.

Although his initials stand for Pernell Karl, the younger Subban will tell you that they stand for penalty killer.

Subban is a fast, puck-moving defenseman with a blistering shot, and he is not afraid to drop the gloves.

He saw some pre-season action this year with the Canadiens and his family even made the trip from Toronto to Detroit to see their son in an exhibition game.

His defence still needs work, so expect him to play in Hamilton for now.

Subban is already a media darling in Montreal with his good-natured confidence and wise-ass comments.

For example, in the MacLean's interview he stated, "I'm going to bring another Stanley Cup to Montreal and then bring the Cup back home, parade it through the streets of Toronto."

The mischievous Subban was reminding Toronto that the Maple Leafs haven't won  a Cup in 42 years.

Please find below the official Montreal Canadiens Press Release.

PRESS RELEASE

MONTREAL  – Montreal Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey announced today the signing of defenceman P.K. Subban to a three-year contract (2009-10 to 2011-12).

As per club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Subban was selected in the second round, 43rd overall by the Canadiens in 2007.

In 2008-09, Subban ranked tied for second among OHL defensemen with 76 points (14 goals, 62 assists) and posted the OHL’s fifth best plus/minus differential with a plus 47.

Subban, who led the Bulls to the Eastern Conference Championship (98 points), was runner-up for the Max Kaminsky Award as OHL's Most Outstanding Defenseman (awarded to Ryan Ellis from the Windsor Spitfires).

The six-foot, 202-pound defenseman also captained the Eastern Conference Team in his second consecutive OHL All-Star appearance.

During the 2009 Playoffs, Subban, who will turn 20 this Wednesday, May 13, ranked fifth in the league among defensemen with 15 points in 17 games (3 goals, 12 assists), as the Bulls lost to the Brampton Battalion in the OHL Conference Finals.

Last January, the Toronto native won his second consecutive gold medal with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship, presented in Ottawa.

Subban led all skaters in the tournament with a plus-12 rating and was tied for first among defensemen with nine points in six contests (3 goals, 6 assists).   

From 2005 to 2009, Subban amassed 191 points (42 goals, 149 assists), served 353 penalty minutes and posted a plus-79 rating in 234 regular-season games with the OHL’s Belleville Bulls.

He also played in 56 playoff contests with Belleville, compiling 51 points (16 goals, 35 assists), 78 penalty minutes, and a plus-24 rating.