Hab at Heart: Laurent Ciman

Since establishing himself in Quebec last year, Montreal Impact defender Laurent Ciman hasn’t wasted any time adapting to the lifestyle in his brand new surroundings. A native of Belgium, where he was a dominant force for years before making his debut in North America in 2015, “The General” didn’t have any trouble fitting in on this side of the pond both on and off the playing field. It certainly helped that he had a passion for the Montreal Canadiens, of course, upon arrival. A hockey fan since childhood, and more recently a Canadiens supporter whose love for the team continues to grow with every passing day, we recently sat down with the former MLS Defender of the Year to learn more about his affection for the bleu-blanc-rouge.

Were you at all familiar with the Canadiens before arriving in Quebec last year? LAURENT CIMAN: I’d already watched two shows back home in Belgium that talked about the Canadiens. One talked about the team, the players, and just how important the Canadiens are to Montreal. They’re a mythical team. The second was all about Tim Bozon, his illness, and how he battled to overcome it. That helped me become familiar with the Canadiens before getting here, and I was well aware of Bozon’s story. I had the chance to meet him when I got to Montreal, and we’ve built a friendship along the way. So, I arrived in somewhat familiar territory, so to speak.

How did you and Tim become friends? LC: It wasn’t tough to meet him because he knew my agent. The three of us talked on Twitter. I told Tim that I saw the show about him, and later on we went out to eat together. I always enjoy talking to him on the phone and seeing him when I can.

If we had you play hockey and had Tim play soccer, who would be better at the other person’s primary sport? LC: Him at soccer without a doubt because I’ve only put on skates once in my life. It would be a lot easier for him to be on the field than it would be for me out there on the ice.

How did that on-ice experience go? LC: I tried it once before, but I was wearing figure skates. (Laughs) That’s when I told myself that I wouldn’t go back on the ice again. I was also worried about my fingers being cut off. (Laughs)

We heard that you …

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