US ambassador to Canada talks hockey: ‘Halak’ is French for ‘gigantic contract’

US envoy: ‘Halak’ French for ‘gigantic contract’

MONTREAL — Montreal Canadiens goalie Jaroslav Halak has an unlikely ally in his efforts to negotiate a pay raise: U.S. Ambassador David Jacobson.

Jacobson saluted the Canadiens’ surprising playoff run during a speech in Montreal on Friday. The Obama administration’s envoy also joked that, with his limited French, he understood the word “Halak” to mean “gigantic contract.”

The goalie became a hero during the Canadiens’ unlikely run, which ended when they were eliminated by the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday.

The Slovak netminder earned $800,000 last season. He is expected to receive a much more lucrative contract as a restricted free agent.