HabsWorld.net -- 

Craig Rivet is the latest Canadiens player to sign on with a European team. Rivet will join fellow Hab Saku Koivu on the Finnish Elite team Turku. Rivet, the Canadiens NHLPA player representative had earlier been staying in shape by playing with the now finished McDonalds Caravane charity tour.

Turku is also expecting another good friend of Koivu, former Habs forward Mark Recchi to suit up for the team in the coming days. With the additions of Koivu, Rivet and Recchi, Turku is considered a favourite to win the league title.

With the Rivet signing today, and Pierre Dagenais’s signing with a Swiss league team yesterday, this leaves Mike Ribeiro and Steve Begin as the only regular Hab players not under contract with European teams. 

Begin, meanwhile, will likely not be signing anywhere soon, as he recently underwent another shoulder surgery, his 4th in the past 2 seasons.  He is currently receiving his full NHL salary ($700,000).