Kanaly: Big things to come for Primeau

MONTREAL - Cayden Primeau and goaltending coach Chris Kanaly go way back.

Nearly a decade has passed since the Canadiens' prospect and Northeastern University sophomore standout first skated with Kanaly in Pennsauken Township, NJ to begin a productive teacher-student relationship that remains as tight as ever.
All these years later, Kanaly, 45, still has vivid memories of the on-ice session that started it all in the Garden State.
"I trained with him for about an hour, and the rest is history," said Kanaly, who was contacted initially by Primeau's father, former NHLer Keith Primeau, when Cayden was just 10 years old. "I remember right off the bat how calm and quiet Cayden was. Most kids at that age are a little rambunctious and pretty tough to control on the ice, but he was extremely disciplined and focused. You could tell that he wanted to please, like a little puppy dog that wanted to impress."

Not only was a young Primeau mature for his age demeanor-wise, he was technically sound as well. Kanaly was sold right away.
"His skill and raw ability was off the charts for someone that age. It was almost like you could see into the future and say, 'Wow! That kid is going to be something special as he gets older.' He listened, he was coachable, and he worked really hard," explained Kanaly. "He had that special "it" factor when it came to his ability to see a puck. You can't really teach that. You can teach technique and positional play, but you can't teach how to find a puck. You could tell early on that he was a special athlete."
That shone through during a remarkable freshman campaign at NU last season and most recently at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship as well. In both cases, it wasn't long before Primeau solidified his status as the go-to guy between the pipes.
"He's just that good," praised Kanaly, who knew full well that if Primeau was called upon by the American coaching staff in British Columbia, he would deliver. "He shines in big moments. He always has. Watching him from a little kid until now, his demeanor hasn't changed at all. He just goes out there and does his job. It's that quiet confidence he has. I've never seen a kid be so reserved and so all about the team and have such success. Everywhere he's gone, he's won.

"He's a young man of few words, but he's also a young man of his conviction," added Kanaly. "When he says he's ready, he's ready, and when he says he's going to do something, he does it."
The 19-year-old netminder's numbers at the World Juniors were nothing short of remarkable. In five games, the Voorhees, NJ native posted a 4-1-0 record, along with a 1.61 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage en route to earning a silver medal.
"What I really think the difference now with Cayden is his ability as a goalie to process the game from a hockey IQ standpoint. He can see things before they happen. It's a gift. His vision of the ice, whether it's a 3-on-2 or a 2-on-1, his feel of the game in the crease is what makes him so damn good," explained Kanaly. "It's what makes him great at the NCAA level already and will make him great in the future. His awareness in the crease and gamesmanship of how to work the crease makes him special and separates him from other goalies."

Looking back at the NHL Draft
Kanaly was in the building when the Canadiens made Primeau their seventh and final selection at the 2017 NHL Draft in Chicago, plucking him from the crowd in the seventh round, 199th overall.
As a result, Kanaly's nickname for Primeau became "199".
It didn't necessarily agree with the talented puck stopper at first, but it eventually grew on him and continues to fuel his fire.
"He wasn't happy with that nickname early on, but he embraced it and uses it as a motivating factor," mentioned Kanaly. "It was a unique situation for us both to be sitting there in Chicago waiting for his name to be called and it almost didn't. He's fiercely, fiercely competitive, which a lot of people don't see because he's so reserved. But, I've never seen someone so self-motivated and driven. His workmanlike approach at this age is what's going to make him a top NHL player."

Kanaly struggles to put the moment Primeau's name was finally announced into words. It was just that special.
"I get chills going back to that day. Cayden and his brothers Corey and Chase, and his sister Kylie, they call me "Fake Dad". It's one of those proud moments, they call me "FD" because I've been a part of their family since they were all younger. That's the only way to describe it. It was an exciting day. It was really out of this world," described Kanaly. "It was a proud moment to give him that hug and watch him put on a Canadiens jersey. It's something I'll never forget."
Summer training, top highlights
When the offseason rolls around, Primeau and Kanaly split their training two-to-three times per week between the Revolution Ice Gardens in Warminster, PA and the Flyers Skate Zone in Atlantic City, NJ.
But, they also make the most of their downtime, too.
"It's not just a goalie relationship. It's having lunch. It's going to watch games together, hanging out at the house together or even playing ping-pong together," mentioned Kanaly. "It's always a competition, even between us."

As for Kanaly's favorite teacher-student moments over the years, choosing just one is rather tough.
"Being there when he won the Beanpot. Being there after his first World Junior win. Draft day," said Kanaly. "Those were all great moments where the hugs were a little tighter."