It was the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs and the Canadiens were in the midst of a dramatic run to the Eastern Conference final, an eighth seed that would knock off the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Capitals and the defending champion Penguins before falling to the seventh-seeded Flyers.



Standing in the Canadiens locker room at their practice facility in Brossard, Quebec, Mike Cammalleri was chatting with Chris Stevenson and I. But the forward, who scored a pivotal goal seemingly every night with an improbable 13 goals in 19 games during that run, wasn’t talking about goals and the postseason.



On this day, we were talking about shoes. Specifically, Stevenson’s shoes, with the stylish Cammalleri interested in where they were purchased, the style and the brand.



It was in keeping with Cammalleri’s personality, as he always had a striking ease in talking to the media, discussing things outside the box and beyond the game of hockey. And he seemed...