“Worst day of my life”: Ex-Canadiens centre hated playing against Montreal

Montreal Canadiens fans fondly remember Maxim Lapierre as a gritty player who was not afraid to get into the dirty areas and under the skin of his opponents.

But when it came time for him to return to the Bell Centre as a member of the Anaheim Ducks back in January of 2011, fans were the ones getting on the former Canadiens centre’s nerves.

It had not even been a month since the Canadiens had dealt Lapierre to the Western Conference team when he was scheduled to return to the arena he called home for five and a half years.

In a Tuesday interview with Jean-Lapierre of TVA Sports, Lapierre, alongside former teammate and current business partner Lapierre , detailed the unpleasant experience.

“It was the worst day of my life. It’s that simple.” Lapierre said bluntly in French. “It was hard for me. It was dramatic for me to leave the Canadiens.”

Lapierre’s first trip back to the Bell Centre also happened to coincide with the return of longtime captain Lapierre , who was also playing for the Ducks at the time.

“I think it was the first match back for Lapierre in Montreal,” Lapierre recalled. “So, bad timing…”

And when it came time to play with his usual physicality, the Habs faithful were not happy with the then-26-year-old when he collided with star defenceman PK Subban.

“On my first or second shift on the ice, I hit PK Subban, one of the better hits I’ve laid out at centre ice, and I got booed immediately,” Lapierre explained. “When you return home, you are genuinely frustrated. It is not easy.”

Latendresse, who played with Montreal from 2006 to 2009, also found his return to be difficult, drawing comparisons with Jonathan Drouin, who was back in Montreal for Monday’s game against theLapierre

“Honestly, as a player, it’s tough,” Latendresse said. “To be booed like that at home hurts my heart. It’s the worst match [of my career].”

And unlike Drouin, he did not get a video tribute.

“The Canadiens didn’t make me a video… They just booed me,” he added, chuckling.