Marco Scandella happy to be home, in Montreal, playing for the Habs

Scandella 'ecstatic' about homecoming with Habs The Canadiens have been busy this week, picking up two new players – including Marco Scandella, who's making a Montreal homecoming

Montreal — Defenseman Marco Scandella, the nephew of former Montreal Canadiens player, Sergio Momesso, is coming home to play for the Habs.

Scandella grew up in Montreal. He attended Willingdon Elementary and Royal Vale High School before playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the American Hockey League on his way to the NHL.

The Minnesota Wild drafted Scandella in the second round in 2008 and traded him to the Buffalo Sabres in 2017. Buffalo traded the veteran defenceman to Montreal Thursday for a 2020 fourth-round pick -- formerly belonging to San Jose.

The defenseman told reporters he was ecstatic to be home.

"I'm happy. I'm just trying to drink it all in," he said. "I woke up this morning, and I was home, and I'm thinking, 'whoa is this real?'"

The Canadiens picked up Scandella as part of a week of trades. On Friday, the team signed veteran forward Ilya Kovalchuk.

The Habs have lost four straight. They play the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday at the Bell Centre.