Rene Bourque is out of Montreal -- for now.
On Monday, the Habs announced the veteran forward cleared waivers and will be sent to AHL Hamilton, a dramatic fall from grace for a guy who, earlier this spring, led the Habs in playoff goals (eight) en route to the Eastern Conference Final.Michel Therrien says #Habs are not closing any doors on Rene Bourque. Want him to find his game in Hamilton.
— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) November 10, 2014
“After what we saw in the playoffs, we had hope for this season. But that’s not what we saw.” - Michel Therrien on Rene Bourque.
— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) November 10, 2014
Bourque, 32, had no goals and two assists through 13 games this year while averaging a career-low 12:21 TOI per game. With his demotion, the Habs will be partially relieved of his $3.33 million cap hit -- $925,000, to be specific -- but Bourque still has this season and the next remaining on his six-year, $20 million deal.
This move wasn’t all about finances, however. Therrien alluded to the fact that demoting Bourque would open up an opportunity for Jiri Sekac to get more playing time; Sekac, the 22-year-old Czech rookie, has two goals and three points in eight games this year and has impressed with his skill set and offensive capabilities.