Raphael Diaz entered training camp with eight defensemen also listed for the Canadiens' blue line. Then came one injury after another and an opportunity leading to an appearance at the All-Star weekend.
 OTTAWA - It's often said, expect the unexpected. But not even Raphael Diaz could have anticipated what has become a surreal start to his career on this side of the pond.
A recently-turned 26-year-old rookie, Diaz was thought to be AHL-bound to start the season. A few months later, he's taking in the sights and sounds of the 2012 NHL All-Star Game as a last-minute replacement among the league's first-year players.
"It's amazing. I didn't expect that," Diaz said at the NHL All-Star Media Day. "I've played 45 games or so and now I'm at the All-Star Game. It's like a dream."
It was dream that began in mid-September at Canadiens training camp. His minor-league ticket appeared to be booked, with Montreal having eight defensemen pencilled in on its blue line before the puck even dropped on the regular season. He appeared to be a victim of the numbers game.
Then suddenly, the numbers fell in his favour.
Andrei Markov wasn't ready and Chris Campoli, signed late as a replacement, was injured in the Canadiens' season opener against Toronto. Then Jaroslav Spacek joined an already battered blue line.
Diaz had also impressed his coaching staff enough that countryman and fellow defenceman Yannick Weber was bumped to a fourth-line winger to start the year, keeping a spot for Diaz on the back end.
"My goal was all the time to play for the Canadiens. I heard such good things about Montreal and about all the fans, the crowd and everything," said the Baar, Switzerland native, the fourth Swiss player to don the famed CH crest. "But I didn't expect that I'd play from the beginning and still be on the team."
It's made for a whirlwind of changes for the newcomer. He had spent his entire career - both junior and pro - prior to coming over with EV Zug and had never left his home country.
And although Diaz may still be new in town, he's no unknown in Montreal - and he's perfectly happy with that.
"If somebody asks for an autograph or a picture, it's no problem," he said. "That's the nice thing in Montreal - the whole city is living the sport and it's the best city to play for."
He has enjoyed the All-Star experience so far, an opportunity that has allowed him to rub elbows with some of the NHL's biggest names.
"There were a lot of players I was looking forward to seeing and it's nice to be able to see and talk to them," he said. "Everybody says hello and talks a little bit. It's really nice."
On Saturday, he did his part in the SuperSkills competition. He was assigned to the Challenge Relay, where he competed in the puck control portion - a role he's perfect for, in the eyes of Habs and All-Star teammate Carey Price.
"He's a pretty agile guy so he's very good with the puck," he noted.
Price, meanwhile, was the Team Chara goaltender in the Breakaway Challenge and also participated in the Elimination Shootout.
Appearing at the mid-season showcase for the third time in his young career, he knows goaltending is an afterthought. But that won't stop him from enjoying the skills portion of the weekend.
"It's fun to be able to go out there and just ham it up a little bit and be a part of it," Price said. "At the end of the day, we're just trying to go out there and put on a show. So we go out there and goof around, show some personality - that's what people want to see.
"I think it's just gravy being able to watch all the guys do their thing out there," he added. "To go out there and get scored on a few times isn't too bad."
Even if it's in the shootout, a notable problem area for the Canadiens all season long. After all, this time, he won't be getting grilled about it when the night's over.
"Yeah, it will be nice," he laughed, when asked if he's looking forward to a question-free shootout appearance. "Yeah, it'll be great."
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