Hockey Hearsay compiles stories from around the hockey world and runs weekdays, 12 months a year.

HABS’ EX-GOALIE COACH RESPONDS TO CRITICISM

The Montreal Gazette recounts how Pierre Groulx, fired as goaltending coach of the Canadiens June 3, was then subject to heavy criticism from Vancouver Canucks counterpart Roland Melanson. Those comments were published in the French daily L’Acadie Nouvelle.

Among Melanson’s quoted comments: “Carey hasn’t stopped deteriorating since I left.”

Also: “(Price) is all over the place now,” Melanson added. “At some point, there has to be some accountability in the schoolyard. The position requires a lot of work and Carey hasn’t been consistent. He let things slide in practice and it caught up to him during games.”

Groulx defends Price by noting “what Melanson said (of Price’s numbers) was totally untrue.” Groulx also tells The Gazette what irks him even more was Melanson’s charge that the coach’s personal relationship with the franchise goalie undermined their work together on the ice.

“People think that Carey and I were close buddies,” Groulx said. “We had a professional and personal relationship. A personal relationship needs to be built so that there’s trust between the goaltender and his coach.

“Did Carey and I go for beers? No. We didn’t go for dinner unless it was once or twice in Kelowna when I went out (to Price’s off-season home) in the summer. We weren’t best friends, we just had a really good working relationship.

“You don’t know what’s going on in a hockey locker room unless you’re inside. I cannot criticize any other coach in the NHL because I do not know what’s going on behind closed doors.

“In Montreal, any fan can watch practices (in Brossard). You can say you’re watching, but you’re not listening to what’s being said in the room.

“That’s the thing that pissed me off the most,” Groulx said of Melanson playing the friendship card with a thinly veiled agenda. “I was floored by it because in the business we’re in, you do not do that.”

‘PROVE IT’ CONTRACT FOR FLAMES’ BRODIE

The Calgary Herald notes that Flames GM Jay Feaster calls defenceman T.J. Brodie’s new two-year pact a “bridge contract.” The breakdown is $1.75-million in 2013-14 and $2.50-million in 2014-15.

“It says to TJ: ‘We’re very happy about the direction you’re going,” Feaster explained Wednesday evening. “You’re an important part of this team. We need even more from you. We think you have more to give. We think you’re going to become an even better player. But, before we pay you in that fashion, you have to step up and actually perform.

“I think it’s a fair deal for T.J. and a fair deal for the club. It puts us in a position where we can evaluate T.J. at the end of this coming season or midway through the next season and see exactly where his development is and continues to go.”

Feaster added this: “We recognize that the body of T.J. is not that great. It’s only 104 games. So, it’s very much a “prove it” situation for us. We talked about a one-year deal but we have to be mindful of what the marketplace is. We have to recognized next year, T.J. would be up for salary arbitration and so, we looked at the comparable contracts and if we went to salary arbitration next year, what would we be looking at if T.J. replicated the minutes played per game this year? All of that goes into it for us.”

OILERS WON’T RUSH NUGENT-HOPKINS’ RECOVERY

The Edmonton Journal offers a Q&A form of Oilers general manager Craig MacTavish’s press conference Wednesday, which had a number of interesting tidbits.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins may not be ready when the season begins as the calendar turns over to October, but his return shouldn’t be delayed more than a month if that’s the case.

Q: Are you comfortable where you are up the middle, especially with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins maybe not being ready for the start of the regular season?

A: “That’s a big hole if he’s not ready, but we’ll overcome through that through depth and some of the additions we’ve had. Arcobello will get a good look, Andrew Miller, Will Acton, Anton Lander. I’m sure we’ll be able to offset Nuge’s absence in the short term.”

Q: Is there a timeline for his return yet?

A: “We’re still operating under the same forecast we had initially (before the shoulder surgery). All things are very optimistic now … but the timeline before was that he’d be ready Nov. 1, in a very pessimistic timeline, and optimistically he’d be ready to start the year. We’re going to stay with that and let his progression dictate when he’s ready. We won’t be hurrying him, that’s for sure.”

HEMSKY MAY THRIVE IN NEW OILERS’ ENVIRONMENT

Also from Wednesday’s press conference with Oilers GM Craig MacTavish was the news that trading Ales Hemsky may not happen, at least for the time being. The Edmonton Sun illustrates how Hemsky may start the season with the Oilers.

“I have spoken to Ales and I have spoken to (agent) Jiri Crha, over the last number of weeks,” MacTavish said. “These things happen in the game of hockey today and we may be the beneficiary of this.

“We all know how good a player Ales is. We all know what an impact he had the last time the Oilers made the playoffs. We’re hopefully giving him this new environment and a more competitive team going forward. We believe that’s going to play to Ales’ skill set and his ability to help us.”

Earlier in the press conference, MacTavish had alluded to there being too much supply on the NHL market and not enough demand with the declining salary cap.

“I think it’s a product of the times to a certain degree,” MacTavish said. “I know one thing, he’s a real, good player and given the right opportunity and the right situation, he’s going to score 65 points in this league if he stays healthy. Those guys are normally pretty highly coveted.”

SENATORS’ BOROWIECKI SEEKS TRANSITION TO NHL

The Ottawa Citizen projects that barring a trade or injury, the Senators’ top six will be Erik Karlsson, Chris Phillips, Marc Methot, Patrick Wiercioch, Joe Corvo, and Jared Cowen.

That’ll leave Mark Borowiecki and Eric Gryba fighting it out to be the seventh defenceman.

“I think I have my defensive side down, but I think the big thing now is having more confidence with the puck,” he said. “I know what I can do and I’m sure management knows, too. Obviously the game is different up here. It’s a bit quicker and there’s more structure, but you have to stick to your strengths and try to play your game.

“For me, it’s just a matter of time and sorting a few things out. But I hope it’s sooner rather than later.”

FLAMES’ REBUILD PROVIDES YOUTHFUL OPPORTUNITIES

The Calgary Sun points out that as he tries to re-stock his team’s recently barren cupboard of young prospects, GM Jay Feaster is aware that those opportunities are a selling point.

“Anytime you’re going after free agent players, it doesn’t matter their status … I do believe players look for opportunity, and they want to see where they’d be on the depth chart,” Feaster said. “They want to see how many guys are ahead of them, and there’s no doubt in our minds that, you know, as a result of our committing last year to a rebuild, we are a team that offers tremendous opportunity.”

The Flames will need to ensure they maintain high standards for their prospects in the years to come in order to avoid any sense of a losing culture setting in. But Feaster says so far the young faces have come in eager to prove themselves.

“It’s one of the reasons that our development camp was so good this year,” Feaster said. “It was a hard camp, and it was a spirited camp with lots of competition, and I think that’s why (it was so good) because guys saw it as a chance to make an impression.

“You always say there’s spots available, but certainly, when you look around at our club this year, there really are opportunities.”

WHAT THEY’RE TWEETING ABOUT

Only a rookie who knows nothing about science would say science takes away from faith. If u really study science it'll bring u closer to God — David Booth (@D_Booth7) July 31, 2013

Gorgeous day to be out camping with family, hanging with the niece and nephews! @JodiKuntz pic.twitter.com/ZeBBi6RB1n — Brooks Laich (@brookslaich) July 31, 2013

Night at the ball game! pic.twitter.com/O5tXUr3vlw — Derek Stepan (@DerekStepan21) August 1, 2013

Little man ready for hockey season to start!! pic.twitter.com/FiUk6DcJzX — john erskine (@johnerskine04) July 31, 2013

Baseball trade deadline was just as exciting as the recent Bachlorette's personality. #dud #zzzZzzzZzzz — Eric Tangradi (@ETangradi) July 31, 2013