My Hometown… with Brett Lernout

MONTREAL - While the Habs may call Montreal home during the season, they'll never forget where they came from. Long before Brett Lernout first hit the ice in the NHL, he was taking his first strides toward stardom back home in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Check out Brett's insider guide to the must-sees back in his hometown.

BEST HANGOUT:
The Forks. They have that Human Rights Museum that they built a couple of years ago. It's getting a lot better downtown. They're building a lot of things and there's some pretty good scenery down there now.

BEST RESTAURANT:
The Merchant Kitchen. I went there once. It's really good. You just get a bunch of dishes for the table and everyone splits it. The potatoes are great! I had some breaded chicken, and they've got really good Brussels sprouts.

BEST PLACE TO GO SHOPPING:
Outlet Collection Winnpeg. They just built it on Kenaston Boulevard. They've got a lot of new stores. It's good shopping.

HOME ARENA AS A KID:
Oakbank Arena. It's like 30 minutes outside of the city. My mom lives out that way and that's where I grew up playing minor hockey. I played for the Springfield Winterhawks.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
École Lacerte. I don't remember much about going to school there, but I was kind of the class clown growing up. It was good, though. I probably stay in touch with three people I went to school with. I still see them around once in a while. That's where I started learning French.

WINNIPEG IS FAMOUS FOR…
Cold weather. They call it Winterpeg. I get a hard time from the guys here for being from Winnipeg. A lot of guys don't like it, but I don't think they've ever been there or spent an extended period of time there. You see all those pro guys come back to Winnipeg and call it home, so it can't be that bad of a place.