Sports: These two adore each other

These two adore each other

Vinny Lecavalier loves returning to Montreal, and the locals are his biggest fans.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO

MONTREAL -- Vinny Lecavalier stepped onto the stairs leading from the Lightning's charter airplane Sunday night and took a deep breath of the crisp, cool air at Montreal's St-Hubert Airport.

He was glad to be home.

The Lightning's captain grew up in the suburb of Ile Bizard and doesn't deny Montreal is the city in which he feels most comfortable.

"It's always a special event when I come in to play," Lecavalier said after Monday's practice at the Molson Centre. "I see old Montreal, the old buildings. You can smell it. It's exciting."

It's exciting for the city as well.

Renaud Lavoie, who covers the Canadiens for the RDS network in Montreal, said if the Molson Centre -- which holds 21,273 for hockey but has had crowds of about 19,000 this season -- is full tonight when the Lightning faces the Canadiens, "it will be because of Lecavalier. They will be watching on television for sure."

The hype began Friday, when the teams met at the Ice Palace. Reporters who cover the Canadiens swarmed Lecavalier the day of the game -- as he came off the ice after the morning skate and again in the locker room.

The pack seemed to gobble up Lecavalier as he sat at his locker after Monday's workout.

"It's a big deal when he comes back," said Pat Hickey, who covers the Canadiens for the Gazette in Montreal. "There was a time, before the draft (was instituted), he would have been a Canadien. Because of the fact the team isn't scoring, people believe it would be great to have him here."

Lecavalier grew up revering the bleu, blanc et rouge. "It would be crazy to say I never thought about it," he said. "When you're a kid, you always want to play for the Habs. It would be great to be French-Canadian and play for the Montreal Canadiens. But right now I'm happy to be in Tampa. It's a great organization. It's not like I'm looking to move."

"His heart is in Tampa Bay," Lecavalier's father, Yvon, said. "He wants to stay with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He told me he is real excited to do like they did with the Pittsburgh Penguins when Mario Lemieux got there and eventually won the Stanley Cup."

Lecavalier is in the final year of a three-year deal that pays him $975,000 a season, excluding bonuses. He will become a restricted free agent July1. Negotiations can occur before that, though the collective bargaining agreement prevents the Lightning from filing a new contract until then. Other teams can make offers, but the Lightning can match them.

It has been speculated that Montreal will come up with an offer so big, Tampa Bay will not match it. But the Canadiens are for sale and trying to control their budget, so at this time, such an offer is unlikely.

Lightning assistant general manager Jay Feaster said, "In terms of any club making an offer sheet, it would be the intention of this club to match it."

As for negotiations, he said, "What's important is that this is not coming against the backdrop of, "You are going to lose this player.' ... It's about negotiating with "the franchise.' "

The franchise, who leads the team with 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists), said he will be on pins and needles tonight. Yvon said about 200 friends and family will be in the stands. There was talk that Lecavalier's junior team, Rimouski Oceanic, might attend, though that could not be confirmed.

"I guess I'm very nervous," Lecavalier said. "The support from the fans is very flattering, but it's not going to change my game. You just have to do it like any other night."

Lecavalier smiled. "You really can't," he said. "But you try."