Jake Evans proudly wears the colors of the Montreal Canadiens and the center continues to provide proud service to the team that selected him in the seventh round during the 2014 draft.
However, Evans grew up a big fan of the Canadiens’ lifelong rivals, the Maple Leafs, as he was born in Toronto. His favorite player was Mats Sundin.
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“Every Saturday I watched Maple Leafs games on TV and cheered them on. On the other hand, as soon as I was drafted by the Canadiens, it was easy for me to change my allegiances. I like wearing the Canadian colors. Now the Maple Leafs are one of my least favorite teams,” he told me with a smile during our interview.
Evans admits he experienced several disappointments when he was a die-hard Maple Leafs fan. He recalls the team’s consecutive years without a playoff appearance and the team’s historic collapse in 3e period against the Boston Bruins in the 7e game of the series in 2013. “It was painful,” he recalled with a smirk.
-Life arranged that the second game of Evans’ NHL career was against his childhood team. Evans says he will long remember the evening of February 8, 2020, when he faced the Maple Leafs for the first time. “It was truly a unique feeling to play a game against my youth team.”
Now 28 years old, Evans has become an important member of the Canadiens’ rebuild. In addition to his role on the ice, the no71 is aware of the leadership he must exercise over the youngest members of the team.
“I’m still learning every day. I am placed in scenarios that allow me to learn and that will increase my confidence level. In my first years, I played less, but I learned from other players around me. Now it’s my turn to lead by example.”
Night after night, Evans faces a colossal challenge. He faces the best offensive elements of the opposing teams and he has a crucial role in numerical inferiority. “The challenge is to find consistency. In an 82-game schedule, you have to continue to make good plays despite fatigue, travel and injuries. Against the best in the league, there isn’t much room for maneuver. In my opinion, you have to repeat the right actions and develop good habits.”
Evans’ next contract will receive attention in the coming months as he will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He has already publicly stated that he wants to stay in Montreal, which is good news in itself. For its part, the Habs staff also demonstrated its interest in keeping Evans. Now both parties must find the right price.
