With Boivin, Gainey, Gauthier and Jacques Martin now gone, a new era has truly begun for the Canadiens and fans alike. This is not an incremental sideways step like Gainey to Gauthier was, or like Martin to Cunneyworth was. Those were shuffled deck chairs. The front office clean sweep that was so badly and clearly needed is nearly complete, and a new culture is about to be implemented not a moment too soon.

Let’s just say it now, because it’s stunningly obvious: winning breeds fun. And so in that regard, Bergevin’s only true mandate is to turn the Canadiens in to a consistent winner. But beyond success on the ice, it would be wise for Bergevin and the brass of the Canadiens to recognize the many errors of the previous regime, specifically when it comes to how the organization presents itself. Under Gauthier, the Canadiens came to resemble a secretive cult shrouded in a veil of lead-lined curtains. Impenetrable, inaccessible, unlovable. Fortunately for the Canadiens, fan devotion is as close to an renewable resource as it gets, but they came to take it for granted. Under the previous regime, the outsiders were kept out, and sometimes even the insiders were kept out. I cannot think of a GM and Coach tandem so lifeless, drab and moribund like the Gauthier/Martin tandem was. The Canadiens went from a team that was once the epitome of class (there’s that overused word again), excellence, and flair. This is not to say that the Canadiens downfall is all Gauthier’s fault, or any one single person’s fault, but Gauthier, through his dour methods helped ensure that the Canadiens were a constant source of scorn, frustration and emptyness for its fans, and a laughing stock for everyone else.

If the team was winning, some of that would have been left by the wayside and forgiven or ignored, but in addition to being a joyless dud, Pierre Gauthier was also a bad GM who has his fingerprints all over one of the worst trades in NHL history, and is guilty of the worst player acquisition of this past season in the entire NHL.

With the newly hired Marc Bergevin, the Canadiens are getting a self-professed “people person” and someone with a legendary history of pranks. The man has presence, personality and at least for now, a desire to want to share that with his employer, and with Habs fans. This injection of flair and personality, although not mentioned on a job description, is an important part of reinvigorating a franchise that was getting by with glossy marketing. If teams get their identity from their leaders, then it’s no wonder why the Canadiens offered up so many poor performances void of energy, life and care over the past couple seasons. Marc Bergevin’s personality alone, if it filters down through the organization, will minimize, if not eliminate those corpse-like performances entirely. Of course, much of that will also depend on who he appoints as Head Coach, but that’s another story for another day. Or you can visit the links to the right and probably find that discussion.

A few years ago Bob Gainey described Montreal as a city with spice. What he meant in his statement was that this city has an energy and passion for Canadiens hockey that is unrivaled, a thirst that is unquenchable. Why the front office and coaching staff didn’t reflect that statement is anyone’s guess, but they went ahead and put people in place that were “professional” and button-up. They only said what needed to be said, and expressed it as frostily and formally as possible. Thankfully it looks like Geoff Molson is now trying to change that in a big way. Montrealers want to have fun. Montrealers love a good party, and love to celebrate. Montrealers detest a loser. Montrealers abhor the bland. The Habs should be fun. The Habs need to be fun. With such pricey and exclusive tickets, shelling out tons of hard-earned money to go to a Habs game often felt more like a task rather than something to be joyful about, because you simply didn’t know what you were going to get aside from the pomp of the ultra-loud sound system.

While nobody listed “energetic” or “ebullient” as qualifications for the General Manager’s job, a contagious sense of positivity, leadership and joie de vie will go a long way in putting this team back on the right path, and getting fans in a more upbeat mood. People tend to wholeheartedly support people that they like. Bergevin seems to possess all of these qualities, and seems to be a genuinely likeable guy, while his predecessor expressed none of those qualities and was almost universally despised. It’s no wonder why the Habs sunk to such low depths – and I’m not solely referring to their recent 28th place finish.

The Marc Bergevin era will one day come to an end, and what his legacy will be is anyone’s guess, but if he can make the Canadiens fun to watch and fun to follow once again, while ending the constant cycle of drama that engulfs the team, the epitaph will be infinitely kinder to him. By being personable, transparent and accessible, Bergevin is going to put a much different spin on how this team presents itself, and that’s a great thing on its own.

Just make sure the team wins, Marc. And don’t do anything stupid.

Another work week is just about in the books, and as is usually the case, the sports world has given us plenty to talk about. Here’s some brief thoughts on what’s gone on, starting with…

Marc Bergevin as Habs GM. Without knowing the guy, or much about his body of work, I really like the hire. He comes from a winning organization and was an integral part of transforming it from a laughing stock to a recent Cup winner. Here’s hoping that he brought a lot of knowledge with him so that he can do the same in Montreal. He has oh so much work to do, and not a lot of time to do it in. Read more on what I think he has on his task list here. Did the Habs get the best man for the job, regardless of politics? Hard to say, but given the realities (self-imposed realities or not) of the Montreal market, you’d be hard-pressed to find anybody who doesn’t like the hiring. He made a terrific first impression at his press conference, and seems to be the opposite of the life-sucking Pierre Gauthier, which already is an improvement.

L.A. Kings roll. Raise your hand if you thought the Kings would not only beat the President’s Trophy winning Canucks, but be on the verge of sweeping the third overall St. Louis Blues, the league’s best defensive team. What the Kings are doing is nothing short of remarkable. Of course, any team with Mike Richards, Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Drew Doughty, Jonathan Quick, and Dustin Brown should never be written off, but it’s the lesser known role players who are chipping in at key times, which is critical in the playoffs. Are they a team of destiny? They are poised to dump the Kings, and whoever advances between Nashville and Phoenix is going to have their hands full. Let’s look ahead to a future that sees the Kings knocking off the Rangers in the Cup finals. It would be the most remarkable Cup win in history (or one of the most remarkable). Who else could boast knocking off the top 3 teams in the league during the regular season? That said, the last 15 consecutive Cup winners started the playoffs with home ice advantage, so the smart money is still on any of the remaining 1-4 seeds.

Shame on Radulov, Kostitsyn. No, I’m not going to play the “they’re Russian / Belarussian, what did you expect?” card. That’s nonsense and if you subscribe to that theory, kindly take the down the Don Cherry poster that is hanging from the ceiling above your bed. Still, these two offensive talents were brought in to add scoring punch to a lineup that has everything else. That they decided to break curfew in order to stay out drinking – on the eve of a playoff game – is a supremely arrogant and selfish act. It shows disrespect to the team and organization that put their faith in them at the most critical time, and it’s a slap in the face to teammates who would probably also to prefer to be out having a good time, but put the team first by adhering to the team curfew. The Predators are equipped to go all the way, and now these two selfish turds have put their coach and GM in a really tough spot. They won game 3 handily without Radulov and Kostitsyn, and the popular refrain is that you do not alter a winning lineup in the playoffs. Another loss will push the Preds to the brink and at that point you’ll see both back in action. But it would likely be too late. Depending on your point of view, Coach Barry Trotz has an easy call in front of him – let them sit in the press box. Should the Preds lose tonight, however, there will be no shortage of people who say the punishment extended beyond it’s original definition, and that Trotz hurt the team. In the end, the blame falls squarely on two players (one of whom I defended quite vehemently) who put their Coach in a position he should never have to be in come playoff time. Here’s hoping they both land in the KHL next season, which is where their selfish actions will likely land them anyway.

Unfitting end of a great career? I’m no Yankees fan, but when I heard that Mariano Rivera, hands-down the greatest closer to ever play the game blew out his knee, I was really sad. I can’t think of a more unfitting and unfair end to a stellar career than shagging fly balls in Kansas City. Yet another reason to loathe the perpetual machine of failure called the Royals. Could he not have done it falling awkwardly off the mound instead? At 42 years old, it’s hard to imagine Rivera will want to put in the hard work required to rehab a shredded knee, just to play another season. He was already contemplating retirement after this year and this injury may have forced his hand. It’s a pity. He deserved to go out to a chorus of cheers at Yankee Stadium, in the post-season after striking out some hapless, knee-buckled chap with his devastating cutter pitch. That likely won’t happen now, and baseball is the biggest loser for it.

Powerless Pujols. The last time Albert Pujols went this long without hitting a home run, he was in his mother’s womb. I don’t think I’d be concerned if I was an Angels fan – yet. He’s still this era’s most feared hitter and it’s just a matter of time before he finds his stroke. He’s only hitting .204, which is way, way, way below his standard of excellence but again, this guy is a beast and will get it back. He’s patient, poised, has a great eye, a terrific swing and has been as consistent as it gets. If he doesn’t get it back, the Angels will have another 9 years to figure out what to do with him, and it would be an even more mysterious drop in an elite level athlete than Tiger Woods’ own collapse. With the Angels scuffling at the bottom of the AL West, the pressure will continue to mount on Pujols as his power outage drags on. But if there’s one guy who can weather this and then carry a team on his back, it’s Pujols. Hey, at least he hasn’t made an error yet, right?

Junior Seau’s suicide. Not much is sadder in sports than learning about the death of one of the greats. Usually we hear about them passing away at a ripe old age after living a full life, but in recent years it seems that players from hockey and especially football are dropping like flies – by their own hand. That’s even more tragic. The connection between head trauma caused by contact, punches, collisions leading to eventual depression and finally suicide is going to be mentioned again and again, and while leagues try to cover their butts, it’s becoming clearer and clearer that they are facing a serious issue that they need to get to the bottom of. Because if they don’t do it by voluntarily, there’s a little thing called the government that will make them do it, and then we’ll be really unhappy. The NFL already has a boatload of lawsuits against them to deal with. There will be more. Many more. They can’t avoid this forever, and the NHL would be wise to get out in front of this issue instead of trying to preserve what seems to be rotten.

After 32 days, the Montreal Canadiens have finally chosen the man tasked with the responsibility of leading the most storied and respected hockey franchise in the world out of arguably all-time lows in on-ice performance, league-wide respect and public perception.

On the surface, Marc Bergevin looks like a man who deserves to be trusted with the keys to this classic car in dire need of restoration. Upon his retirement in 2004, Bergevin, a born and bred Montreal boy, progressively rose through the front office of the Chicago Blackhawks, one of the more respected franchises in the hockey world in recent years. There’s file footage of the guy hoisting the Stanley Cup from this decade. Good enough for me. Even as far as physical appearances go, Bergevin just LOOKS like he knows what he’s doing with managing a professional hockey team’s roster.

I’ll admit, Bergevin wasn’t “my guy” throughout the search, though I didn’t really pick a horse in this race. I read a lot about the qualifications and profiles of the various candidates but took everything with a grain of salt because quite frankly, I don’t run in NHL front office circles and I don’t know exactly who has been instrumental behind the various successes around the league. There’s a lot of politics and agenda-pushing in the world of sports media so in realizing that, I just decided to back whoever ended up winning the job because that person deserves to be judged on the decisions he will make rather than the friends he’s made along the way. I have no doubt that a certain segment of media wanted someone who regularly appears in the tacky blue chairs on RDS’ L’Antichambre for personal reasons just like I have no doubt that another segment wanted a guy who supported The Team/TSN 990 since its inception for personal reasons.

Naturally, there are candidates I met with more skepticism than others. I shuddered at the thought of Vincent Damphousse taking the job for the obvious reason that he simply didn’t have any management experience. The same reason should’ve applied to Pierre McGuire but over the years, his logic and arguments gave me a sense of calm and confidence when envisioning him as the general manager.

In the end, the man who’s worked alongside respected hockey minds like Dale Tallon and Scotty Bowman for the last several years sure seems like a safe, and maybe the best, option. Even if he isn’t “your guy”, you’re stuck with him now so you may as well just get on board. Haven’t you had your fix of general manager-bashing for a lifetime by now?

Follow Me on Twitter @HeyMyNameIsWill

I didn’t want to blog anymore about the continuing rampant violence in the NHL, especially with the King of Conflict of Interests Colin Campbell at the helm. It had become a pointless exercise. Any more broken record jabber by me about headshots and excessive violence would have been useful if I got paid to write for this site, but I don’t, so I stopped talking about it. I’ve written about it plenty in the past, and my stance is quite obvious for anyone who’s been reading this site.

But the NHL’s continued incompetence has forced my hand once again, and like hundreds of other hockey blogs, I feel the need to sound off on what has been going on in these NHL playoffs.

Last night, notorious madman Raffi Torres set his crosshairs on Blackhawks winger Marian Hossa’s head and sent him to the hospital. Thankfully Hossa has since been released from hospital, but again, the culture of hockey that needs to change is so resolutely set in stone that anybody with a chance to change it either doesn’t want it changed (because they’re afraid and/or cowardly), or is content to ride out their careers and leave this mess for the next generation to clean up. This is not to let the on-ice officials off the hook. The quality of officiating in hockey today is in such a sorry state of disrepair. As the top-shelf hockey league in the world, the NHL needs to be embarrassed about the depths of stink that the referees have sunk to. Barely a night goes by without hearing a hockey fan somewhere groan when they learn which officials will be working their team’s game. Blaming the refs, a loser’s lament, has become an inescapable part of game analysis.

Throughout history (both real and fictional), there have been countless entities charged with protecting an institution. The NHL itself, the General Managers, the Board of Governors and the NHLPA all form an ecosystem that sets the direction for the sport and is responsible for ensuring the game’s growth and protecting its integrity. Over the last 20 years, hockey has grown in leaps and bounds, but I’m not so sure we can say the same about the integrity of the game. Perhaps in the NHL’s opinion, the ends justify the means. Integrity takes a back seat to profits, so it appears. Last year in the wake of the Chara/Pacioretty incident, Brian Burke waxed poetic about not wanting to change the “fabric of the game” with outright bans on headshots. Right. So instead, we’ll compromise the fabric of the game in other ways, most notably watching players leaving on stretchers for hits that should not be happening in the first place. It’s simply inexplicable that lewd gestures, and critical opinions are more offensive in the eyes of the league than is a shot that sidelines marketable star players for months on end.

When the execrable Colin Campbell was replaced by Brendan Shanahan, hockey fans rejoiced, or at worst were cautiously optimistic. Shanahan got off to a strong start as the czar of discipline, but it seems that before long, he received complaints from the powers that be, and his desire to mete out proper justice was once again, as it was with Campbell, thrown in to a state of confusion, disarray, and arbitrary justice. What was a 3 game ban for one player was a flaccid $2,500 fine for another. The famous two-tier system of different rules for stars vs grunts has once again come home to roost. Between Shea Weber turnbuckling Henrik Zetterberg’s head against the glass and James Neal’s Seal Team 6 mission to kill, a total of a 1 game ban and $2,500 in fines were dished out. Yet Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw gets 3 games for clipping a goaltender that was in the “hitting zone”. Arbitrary indeed! Everybody understands that a lot is at stake, especially in the playoffs. But if teams are free to eliminate the other team’s stars, then it won’t be long before we go from the bloodsport of today, to mutually assured destruction. (For the “I didn’t know the Titanic was real / Who is Paul McCartney” crowd, please click here to learn about Mutually Assured Destruction before continuing.)

There’s an old guard in hockey that passes the torch down from one generation to the next. The old guard exists at the league’s head office, within each team, within the NHLPA, and within the media. Those with access to a microphone seem to get off on telling fans who are fed up with the escalating violence to either go watch another sport, or to “man up”, because hockey has always been this way and should always be this way. What garbage. What an utterly myopic, dogmatic black and white view. Yes, hockey is a tough sport and nobody ever wants that aspect of the sport to change, but I didn’t know that headshots and tough, hard-hitting hockey go hand-in-hand. I didn’t know that clean play, and hard-nosed hockey were mutually exclusive. I guess I haven’t yet devoted enough time to the history of the game, or spend enough time watching hockey to know the difference.

The problem is that the dinosaurs are too thick-skulled to comprehend what people are saying. If you’re going to take a stand against reckless hits to the head, then be consistent with punishment, otherwise there’s no point in any of it. This old guard, usually a loud, boisterous, and opinionated group quickly reverts to chiding (usually of the emasculation type) whenever the topic of violence in hockey comes up. These people likely have shrines to their Rock Em, Sock Em collection, complete with VHS player that demonstrates just how out of touch and stubborn they are. They also like to tell us that “if we’ve never played the game at that level, we can’t have a real opinion”. That’s the last resort of somebody who lacks the intelligence to participate in a civilized discussion. What they’re in efffect telling us is that only current or former NHL players are allowed to opine on the sport, and that their word is gospel. If you ever find yourself in the presence of one of these people as they tell you how bad a particular movie is, kindly remind him that they’ve never held a job in film production, and they should therefore shut their pieholes.

This is about nothing but fear and cowardice on the part of the NHL, and of the vanguards of “old-time hockey”.

• Fear of seeing hockey evolve to the point where they don’t recognize it without the sheer brutality and over-the-top violence.
• Fear of becoming irrelevant and out of touch.
• Cowardice in that the powers that be circle their wagons and deflect all responsibility so that the status quo can resume.
• Cowardice to take the heat from the dinosaurs once real, meaningful change is enacted.

The NHL shuffles deck chairs and continues to play the shell game in terms of player safety. They like to keep us in a state of flux, somewhere between angry, confused and sedated. They fast track new rules to deter head shots and are all too eager to show the world what a progressive group they are when that happens. They drop moderately heavy hammers on bottom-feeding players in an attempt to persuade us that they are serious about player safety. Nonsense! We are back to square one. Back to that prickly limbo where everyone is left guessing as to what will happen next. The only guarantee is that the next devastating head shot is only hours away.

Surprisingly, the way to fix this is not all that hard. For the most part, hockey’s rules make sense. Referees are armed with the authority to curb much of happens on the ice, from elbows to the head, to savage hits from behind, to unsportsmanlike conduct, to post-whistle nonsense. For some reason – whether through legitimate confusion, incompetence or marching orders – referees are not calling games properly. Raffi Torres will be suspended for his filthy hit, yet he was not penalized on the play. If the officials can get their act together (and that’s a big, perhaps impossible “if”) and if the powers that be can let Shanahan do his job without meddling in his process, then perhaps some level of consistency can be attained.

But things have spiralled so far out of control already, with the old guard watching as it happens. Through their indecision and ineptness, they’ve encouraged it to happen. Case in point is the rampant retribution for clean hits that has become recently engrained in the game. Clean hits were never punishable to the extent that they are today, and this is in large part because officials refuse to crack down and enforce rules. The old guard, now more than ever seems content with cashing fat paychecks until retirement, leaving the next generation of NHL leaders to do what this current old guard is too scared and cowardly to do.

With six months of misery is now behind us, we can look forward to much brighter days. But Canadiens fans and especially the Canadiens organization itself can never be allowed to forget the embarrassment and damage that this season has inflicted. The old adage that those that ignore history are doomed to repeat it very much applies. Time to start getting things right.

The bookends to the last 4 seasons have been absolute gong shows (the pathetically meek centennial sweep, and this year’s 6-month clown show). It doesn’t take long to sully the name of a once respected brand – just ask Jim Balsillie and RIM. We Habs fans may not see it, or may not want to admit and acknowledge it, but the rest of the world certainly sees it, which is why so many fans bristle when we hear “outsiders” giving the team anything short of a verbal tongue bath.

What does it take to build (in the case of the Canadiens, rebuild) a lasting legacy of excellence, respect and prestige? The Habs once had these elements in spades, but through feckless management, and constant distraction, have totally lost their way. Where once upon a time anything but the Cup was seen as failure, now 8th place is viewed as an accomplishment. As a fan fed up with hapless mediocrity, it felt like winning was treated as something that was great if it happened, as long if politics and profits were taken care of first and foremost. Over the past few seasons, the performance of the team has not matched the presentation and marketing. During the press conference in which the firing of Pierre Gauthier was announced, Molson alluded to raising the organizational standards. No longer would 8th place be the measuring stick, or the goal to shoot for. Who can blame him, when the last 15 consecutive Cup winners started the playoffs with home ice advantage.

How long does it take to rebuild a legacy? One season of being back in the playoffs in 2012-13 won’t restore the Canadiens’ name. It will merely be one more step in the up-and-down pattern that this team has succumbed to. Even if the Canadiens somehow win the Cup next season, it will be an aberration until they cement many years of concrete results to make the Habs relevant and powerful again. This is why hiring the best people for the vacant GM job, and the quasi-vacant Head Coaching job is so important. You want to be the best? Go and hire the best.

The common template for success today is the Detroit Red Wings. They are in a class far above that of the Canadiens today (don’t try to tell me that the Canadiens beating the Wings 7-2 in a meaningless regular season game means they are actually pretty close to each other). The Red Wings have missed the playoffs twice since 1986, the year that the Habs won their 23rd Stanley Cup. The year Patrick Roy, who is now long retired, was a lanky rookie. The Wings often enter the playoffs as a favourites, as evidenced by 16 first place division finishes since 1986, and resulting in four Stanley Cup parades since 1997. They have just reeled off their 12th consecutive 100-point season (by contrast, the Habs have had two 100-point seasons since 1986). The Wings scout well. They draft well – without the benefit of selecting from the cream of the crop. They develop their youth well. They are well run – Habs fans are salivating at the idea of the Canadiens merely talking to their assistant General Manager Jim Nill! They transitioned from the free spending era to the salary cap era seamlessly and have never wavered. They are well coached, as virtually no Coach in the league is as respected as Mike Babcock is. They hire the best personnel, without exceptions, and surround them with even more top-notch talent. They make the thought of not being a Detroit Red Wing unbearable by being the embodiment of the environment that every other team wants for their organization, but to which most fall way short of.

In summary, the Wings are what the Habs used to be.

The Canadiens 2012-13 season went off the rails right from the very beginning. A poor preseason and a glacially cool start saw the Canadiens with one foot in the grave before Halloween. Injuries kicked the legs out from the other still-standing, but wonky limb, an ill-suited coach was replaced by an unprepared Coach who was immediately undermined, and the coffin was closed. The rest was just waiting for the oxygen to run out. Various players on the roster played their hearts out as if there was hope – Josh Gorges, Carey Price, Erik Cole, Max Pacioretty, P.K. Subban to name a few. But tidal wave after tidal wave of distraction washed over this group, and the frustrating part is that most of it was self-inflicted. Clearly, the Canadiens were not reading the Detroit Red Wings manual on how to run a team.

This off-season will be a particularly long one for Habs fans, but in typical Montreal fashion, this summer is going to be not only eventful and controversial, but also critical to the team’s future success. Geoff Molson has to put his money where his mouth is and set this team back on the right path. This is his biggest chance to get it right. The team will be going in to it’s 20th season without a Cup parade, and it won’t be long until Habs fans start becoming the butt of the same jokes that Leafs fans have been for 45 years running.

We look forward to the draft lottery, the draft itself, free agency, and finally the golf tournament that officially launches the pre-season. But if Molson doesn’t find a way to change the culture of the organization by hiring great hockey minds, then we can look forward to another year of the same old, same old, and find yet more convenient excuses to explain the team’s misfortunes.

There are certainly reasons to be “all in” for the Canadiens future, but until Molson takes charge and starts doing things the right way, I’ll only be cautiously optimistic.

It’s finally over and the page is ready to be turned. One of the most disastrous seasons in the history of the Montreal Canadiens has mercifully been put to an end. The debates about whether it’s acceptable to root for your team lest any success they have lessen their chances at a top draft pick can now stop. We can all finally agree that from this moment forward, we want a new regime that can lead the team back to perennial success.

Though my support of this team never waivered, it was hard to stand behind many of the decisions Pierre Gauthier made over the past few years. What happened this past year both on and off the ice has been well-documented so there’s no need to go over it once again. The important thing to realize is that significant damage has been done and a carefully though-out overhaul is desperately needed. The Montreal Canadiens are known as the classiest organization in hockey but little they did this season seemed to reflect that. Quite frankly, the team became a laughing stock, a punch line. When Gauthier was finally dismissed, it seemed to represent that long-awaited turning point. Geoff Molson spoke frankly about his disappointment with what his team has become and won many over with the passion and pride he exhibited for the team he has supported since his childhood. ”Just qualifying for the playoffs cannot be our goal and our standard,” Molson said. “Not for this team. This organization going forward must set its sights on competing for the game’s ultimate prize every season and no lesser standard should be accepted. Our fans and our tradition demand nothing less than this.” Those are the words every fan who lives and dies with this team with each passing game wanted to here. Fans want the man whose opinion actually matters and who has the power to act on those opinions to care and win as much as they do.

Last night was a nice start. With nothing to play for other than pride in front of their home town fans for the last time for several months, the Habs destroyed their traditional rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Prior to game time, the team aired a video essentially apologizing for what went on the last six months and promising to return strong next season. After the game, players, both healthy and injured, along with coaches offered their heartfelt thanks to the fans for supporting them unconditionally. Geoff Molson oversaw the entire thing from the player’s tunnel with a look on his face that he was proud that at least some of the prestige of his organization was being restored before his very eyes.

Now begins one of the more eagerly anticipated off-seasons in recent team history. The seventh floor of the Bell Centre and the Habs locker room both figure to have a lot of new faces in it by the time September rolls around. Molson has inspired confidence that above all, he will hire who he feels is best-equipped to take his ship and steer it towards success.

Whoever is put in charge will inherit many good pieces already in place but also a heaping load of problems. Carey Price, Max Pacioretty, P.K. Subban, Josh Gorges, Lars Eller, David Desharnais and Alexei Emelin represent a solid core that any new coach will be happy to inherit. Unfortunately, the new general manager will have to deal with the albatross contracts of Tomas Kaberle and Scott Gomez along with some tough decisions to make about what he’ll want his supporting cast to look like.

This team alienated a lot of fans this year but in the end, the resolve of Habs fans is strong and they’ll be following along from this point forward eagerly wanting the organization to redeem themselves. That’s what unconditional love is all about.

Follow Me On Twitter @HeyMyNameIsWill

Once again, Paul Branchaud has lent his voice to this blog, and presents a nicely written defense of hockey analyst Pierre McGuire’s candidacy as Habs GM. Paul’s opinions are his own, and not necessarily endorsed by cowhideandrubber writers, but either way you are encouraged to leave a comment below with your thoughts, or to contact Paul personally via twitter with thoughts.

After suffering through the most dismal season in the 40 years I’ve been following the team, the announcement yesterday that Pierre Gauthier had been relieved of his duties as the General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens came as a great relief to fans of the team everywhere. The indictments against Gauthier are plentiful, so I won’t perform an autopsy on Gauthier’s tenure as GM (or Gainey’s role as special advisor) and the way the team was run.

As the clock runs out on the 2011-12 season, I’m left with a feeling that, despite the basement-dwelling record, this isn’t the worst team I’ve rooted for. What truly made this season unbearable, without a doubt, was Gauthier. For a guy who did his level best to be invisible, running the team with secrecy and impunity, he managed to be front and center for most fans’ anger, frustration, and vitriol. If, on a scale of 1 to 10 of camerawhoredom, Brian Burke is a 10, Pierre Gauthier was a minus 15. I can’t think of any other team where the General Manager has worked so hard to remove himself from public view while also being the lightning rod for what ails the team.

The desire to be rid of Gauthier was so strong that lists of possible replacements (and the requirements the candidate should meet) have been discussed for months. Now that the Canadiens are in the “post-ghost” era, speculation on who will be the next GM will run more rampant than a 6-year old fueled by Red Bull and Timbits.

One of the frequently mentioned names is Pierre McGuire, and, of all the potential Habs’ GM candidates, his candidacy seems to be the most polarizing. People either feel that he should be given a chance or kept as far away from the Bell Center as possible.

In the interests of disclosure, I am part of the former group; I feel that McGuire can bring a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to the position and, if Geoff Molson is to be believed that the “organizational culture is to support and adopt this passion for victory” and that “nothing else matters”, he can set the course for a ship that has been rudderless for too long. That said, I don’t think that McGuire is the ONLY choice, or even the BEST choice (my preferred candidate is Jim Nill). Short of Patrick Roy (who I feel is too tightly wound and emotional), I will defer to the Canadiens’ selection team and accept their decision, trusting that they are serious about restoring the team to a winning path.

Rather than discuss McGuire’s qualifications, though, I want to examine some of the most commonly used reasons people don’t want McGuire as GM. As I stated above, McGuire elicits strong opinions, and the mere mention of his name often brings out the haters. I’ve always found it interesting that listeners to TSN Radio 990 have, in general, been McGuire proponents, whereas people on Twitter and hockey message boards tend to pan McGuire. The six arguments I’ve heard most often against McGuire’s candidacy are:

• He’s been out of hockey for too long
• He has no front office experience/hasn’t paid his dues
• His public criticisms of teams/players affect his credibility
• He changes his opinion too often
• He’s regularly undervalued Canadiens’ talent
• If he’s so qualified, why hasn’t he landed a job before?

They are all valid points and I would fully expect the Canadiens to grill McGuire on these and many more points if he is indeed granted an interview.

He’s been out of hockey for too long

I don’t get this argument at all. I can’t think of anyone who has been more omnipresent at as many different levels of hockey as McGuire has been over the last 18 years. Since he was fired from the Hartford Whalers, he had a few jobs as a scout and coach for various pro and minor-pro teams before finding a niche as a color analyst.

I believe his advancement in television is due to his ability to recognize talent and identify what differentiates one player from another—in other words, his ability to scout players. His network of contacts in hockey and knowledge of players can’t be denied, and I doubt that anyone who’s supposedly been “out of hockey” as long as McGuire has would have quite the same Blackberry address book.

He has no front office experience/hasn’t paid his dues

A fair argument and one that Habs fans like to equate with the regrettable Réjean Houle reign of error. But for every Reggie Houle and Mel Bridgeman, there are successful counterpoints: Steve Yzerman has done a great job in Tampa and, despite a record that is barely better than the Canadiens, Garth Snow has been slowly improving the New York Islanders after taking over from the wasteland that Mike Milbury had left behind.

Previous front-office experience, especially in a winning organization, is important and can’t be discounted, but neither should an inexperienced candidate be denied the chance to show that his plan can bear fruit. Variants on the lack of experience argument include McGuire hasn’t “paid his dues” or that he feels he is “entitled to the job”. If everyone had to “pay their dues”, the road to an NHL GM’s post would be long and would probably feature more recycling than is already happening. The entitlement comment speaks to what goes on inside Pierre McGuire’s head and I’m not paying Miss Cleo to tell me that. Who hasn’t applied for a job that they lacked experience for, but still felt that they could do? If you’re not dreaming big, you’re wasting your potential.

His public criticisms of teams/players affect his credibility

I might buy this argument if McGuire’s criticisms were in any way personal. For the most part, I find his criticisms are not malicious; he calls things as he sees them. People may not agree with his opinion, and that’s their right. But I don’t believe that McGuire has ever set out to humiliate or demean with his comments. He is an observer of the game he loves, and puts good hockey ahead of rooting interest for any specific team.

People also need to keep in mind that, as a hockey analyst on TV and radio, he has to voice his opinions—good and bad—about what is happening on the ice and within the league. The role of broadcaster is vastly different from that of hockey executive even if they use many of the same basic evaluation skills. At the moment, McGuire (the analyst) is paid first to entertain, second to educate, so the comments and opinions need to follow his job description. To question McGuire’s credibility based on the comments he makes as a media personality, and to use it as an argument against his ability to be a GM, is comparing apples to chopped liver.

He changes his opinion too often

Herein lays the beauty and curse of our current media age. Everything is recorded and saved. No doubt that McGuire has stated one opinion only to change it a few weeks, months, or years later. We all change our views and opinions; this is not a failing unique to McGuire or to any other candidate for the Canadiens GM post. Let he who hath never changed their mind cast the first puck.

I do see where this argument comes into play, though. Because he changes his opinion, it means he misjudged the first time and, therefore, he was wrong or made a mistake. Context is important, though: did he change his opinion quickly? Did he change his opinion as a result of a player’s injury? Did he change his opinion based on an unexpected change in a player’s performance? Hindsight is 20/20, and the comments anyone makes today are subject to change at a later date based on additional information.

McGuire changing his opinion is no more of a concern than any other NHL executive’s. I can’t recall an instance where McGuire, upon changing his opinion, refused to acknowledge his previous statement, or otherwise denied having made a contrary opinion. I may be wrong, but if I am, I’d like some evidence of such a denial before I believe it would affect his ability to make decisions for a hockey team.

Final point about McGuire’s changing opinions: he’s making his statements as a media analyst, without the benefit of a team of scouts, and he has a limited amount of time to cover specific topics in his radio hits and television spots. I’d like to see any long-tenured NHL GM work under the same pressure and not make the occasional mistake.

He’s regularly undervalued Canadiens’ talent

I’m of two minds on this. On one hand, as I’ve previously stated, McGuire is a fan of hockey first, so the perceived undervaluing or criticizing of any Canadiens’ players is tough love. On the other hand, it’s never easy to hear someone make less than favorable comments on your favorite team or players, but if that offends, then you need thicker skin. People often hear what they want to hear, so anything that doesn’t validate a decision made by the team can be perceived as being negative.

A favorite example of changed opinion/undervalued talent is the 2005 draft of Carey Price. McGuire’s puzzlement at the draft choice was based more on what the team needed more at that time: a big centerman. At the time of the draft, the Canadiens were fairly stable in goal (the book on Cristobal Huet had yet to be published), but small and weak down the middle. Almost 7 years later and the Habs still need a big body at center. He never said it was a bad pick, just not what the team needed at the time.

I also believe that McGuire, as a Montrealer, has a soft spot for the Canadiens. His employers, TSN (Toronto) and NBC (New York), could care less about any deep-down love or allegiance he may have for the Habs, so it’s possible that he overcompensates to remove possible accusations of homerism. (After yesterday’s federal budget, that may be my last chance to throw in my two cents’ worth.)

If he’s so qualified, why hasn’t he landed a job before?

On my drive into work this morning, TSN690′s Price and Starr took calls on potential GM candidates and when McGuire was mentioned, this very point was brought up. It would have been interesting to be a fly on the wall for those final meetings with the shortlisted candidates, but sadly everything is speculative and, very likely, subject to non-disclosure agreements.

Of all the arguments against McGuire’s candidacy, this is the hardest one to counter because it requires the least amount of effort to use and cannot be deconstructed due to a lack of any public information. I can only guess, but possible reasons McGuire not selected could include:

• He had set out a plan that ownership felt would take too long to bear fruit
• His view of hockey operations was too far afield from the owner’s
• He wanted an organizational restructuring that was not well received
• His salary demands were outside of the team’s set budget
• He had a different view of the hockey market and how to draw/increase/maintain fan support

McGuire has made it fairly clear that if he were to return to an NHL team, the fit had to be right. He has a good career in broadcasting; one that affords him summers off and probably a salary that he’d be hard-pressed to match in the NHL. I understand that he would only jump if the conditions were perfect—and who knows if that opportunity will ever come?

So What Now?

I would bear no ill will towards Pierre McGuire, and would totally understand if the Canadiens came calling and he turned them down. This Montreal hockey market is nothing but self-chumming, shark-infested waters and it would seem that only a masochist would take on such a thankless job. That said, I think that McGuire might make an excellent GM because he is a solid communicator, his hockey knowledge is sound, and I’m pretty sure he’d surround himself with talented people to ensure not only a return to, but the long-term, continued success of the most storied professional hockey team.

Habs nation rejoice! The man who helped run this franchise ashore has been canned, or resigned. Who cares- the point is he will no longer be a part of this team.

But before we pop the champagne corks, it’s important to note that the removal of Gauthier from the Habs GM chair is only one part of the equation. The ball is now in Geoff Molson’s court to find the best replacement, and not simply to bring in a guy who checks a bunch of politically-driven boxes.

With Bob Gainey still reportedly in the picture, it makes sense that the long awaited regime  and culture change that the Canadiens need, and that fans want to see is not a guarantee. If Gainey sticks around, you can bet that it will be the same old, same old, and that somebody with prior experience with the team and market will be brought in to fill Gauthier’s vacated office. Won’t that temper your excitement? I would certainly squash my excitement. Bob Gainey, as great a player as he was and as great a man that he is, his reign as Habs GM was only mildly successful. He is at least partly responsible for the mess that is this Habs organization. His time has expired with this team. It’s time for Gainey to move on.

EDIT: With reports today that the Canadiens suspended their 2012 exhibition game in Quebec City, it’s a strong clue that the Nordiques are going to back in the NHL. While the timing has some scratching their heads, the move is not only symbolic, and an olive branch to the fans – it’s the waving of the green flag – off to the races! If the Nordiques version 2.0 are in fact on their way back to Quebec City, then it stands to reason that they may also be in the hunt for a new General Manager (even though their current one has done good work). It would serve the Habs well to make sure they have the pick of the litter before local competition arrives to usurp potential candidates.

The day has come for Pierre Gauthier, and now it’s up to Molson to prove that he means it when he says that the Cup is his ultimate goal. Only a laser-like focus on excellence can bring the Cup back to Montreal, and hiring less than the best – for any reason at all can only lessen those chances.

It’s nearly time to separate the wheat from the chaff. The NHL playoffs are around the corner and in what is normally a hopeful time for Habs fans, this season, there’s nothing. Nada. Zippo. Nothing to do but root against the Bruins, laugh at the Leafs as they cruise past 3000 days since their last playoff game, and take a long summertime nap. But around here, hockey never sleeps and we’re already asking if it’s October yet; the assumption being that there is confidence in this team’s ability to regroup, reload and reorient itself in hopes of a playoff appearance…or better next year.

Is it foolish to think that this team can rebound so quickly? The Flyers did it a couple years ago, and the Senators did it this year, after being terrible last season. The pieces are already in place for the Canadiens to be a competitive team on the ice, so why can’t the bleu-blanc-rouge rebound next year? Well, look up….look waaaaay up! It’s behind the bench and in the front office where the deep, dark questions lie. What becomes of Randy Cunneyworth? How long will it take for Geoff Molson to punt Pierre Gauthier to the curb once game 82 ends? In my view, before any changes on the roster take place, the coaching and management group needs to be rectified, and they need to be rectified without the restraints of politics and sociology attached to them. If the focus is on anything other than hiring the best people for the job, then the Canadiens are in for more mediocrity. And fans, who have become adept at telling themselves whatever they have to in order to maintain sanity (to no avail!) will be left hoping for things that never come true.

It will be up to Geoff Molson, his next General Manager, and his next coach to ensure that this team breaks free from the shackles of mediocrity that have rendered the Canadiens an afterthought in the NHL. The Habs used to be a model franchise, and used to have clout among the ranks of players and league executives. Those days are long gone, and if they are to be restored, it has to come from years of excellence on the ice, not from winning the “league’s most profitable team” award (though the Habs aren’t tops in this regard, either).

If you’re like me, you’re hoping that Geoff Molson has already begun targeting potential candidates for the soon-to-be vacant General Manager position. You’re also hoping that names like Patrick Roy and Bob Hartley are kept far away from the team. While many would be doing cartwheels to have an ex-legend behind the bench, we should be cautious. Certainly a boost of emotion after the sleep-inducing ways of Jacques Martin would be welcome behind the bench, and Patrick Roy could deliver that. But his greatest asset is also his weakest link. His volatile nature would consume the team and he would be the leading story every day. That’s not what “team” is about. In a city like Montreal, it’s a match set to a pool of kerosene.

Before we cast our collective gaze to the prospect pool, and to the list of free agents, we need to acknowledge that it is all for naught if the right suit-wearing men are not in place to steer the ship. Period.

The Habs will finally (hopefully?) be selecting in the top 3 at the amateur draft in June, so fans can hope that Trevor Timmins will wave his magic wand and pick the large, skilled centerman that the team has so desperately needed for so many years. Many have already zeroed in on Quebec Remparts standout Mikhail Grigorenko as the best bet, but even a teen fresh out of junior should not be parachuted in to the Canadiens’ franchise-saviour role so quickly. That’s a recipe for failure and the Canadiens cannot afford to see this draft pick go to waste.

We can hope that Markov remains healthy throughout the summer, and that he returns to form next fall. Together with P.K. Subban, the Canadiens will have 2 healthy, legitimate top-flight defensemen capable of playing 22 or more minutes per night. Buffered with the likes of future captain Josh Gorges, Alexei Yemelin, and hopefully a free agent addition such as Brad Stuart, the back end should be solid, if not spectacular.

It will be interesting to see what any given sportsbook review will think of the cellar-dwelling Canadiens when the preseason bets start rolling in. Will they give the Canadiens’ talented roster a pass for this abysmal season, or will they come down hard on them for this disaster and cast them as long underdogs yet again? It shouldn’t matter, as in past years the Canadiens have thrived as underdogs while choking like dogs when expected to succeed. That’s a cultural thing that must change, and usually takes time to accomplish. But with the right “win at all costs” attitude, at least you’ve given yourself a shot.

It doesn’t happen often, but from time to time somebody asks to have their thoughts and feelings on a particular topic hosted on cowhideandrubber, and I’m grateful that they thought of this site as a voice for their opinions. Today, native Montrealer Max Harris explains why he can’t and won’t support MLS’ newest member, the Montreal Impact. Max can be reached on twitter, or by leaving a comment in the area below.

As a sports fan, it’s my belief that you should always root for your hometown teams, unless you can provide a good reason not to. For instance, if you’re a transplant or the descendent of a transplant with roots to another team, you get a free pass.  I grew up a die-hard Expos fan, I consider myself to be a loyal supporter of the Canadiens and I pull for the Alouettes (I’ll admit I watch very few of their games, but I wish them well). I take pride in my hometown even though we’re among the worst sports town in North America (largest Canadian/American market without an MLB or NBA franchise is not exactly something to be proud of). That being said, I have not watched a second of either of the Montreal Impact’s first two MLS games and I have no intention to start any time soon. Despite being my hometown team, the Montreal Impact do not have my support. Trust me, I have a good reason.

Full disclosure: I am not a fan of soccer, but I do not detest it. I played the game a little bit when I was younger but the sport has failed to capture my imagination like the “big four” have. The only time I regularly watch soccer is during the World Cup and European Championships, which are global spectacles more than anything else. This is not a diatribe against the sport of soccer; my ambivalence towards the game does not explain why I am not rooting for the Impact.

Ever since the Expos have departed in 2004, I have wanted nothing more than to see Major League Baseball return to my hometown. The fact that Montreal is now a part of a second-tier professional soccer league provides little solace. Throughout the city, youth enrollment in baseball has sharply declined, while more kids are turning to soccer. Meanwhile, local diamonds have been plowed in favour of soccer fields, which require a lot less maintenance. (The above Statistics Canada link shows the nationwide increase in organized soccer, along with the decrease in organized baseball. I have to imagine the numbers are fairly similar for Quebec).

In an ideal world, baseball and soccer could both successfully co-exist in Montreal. Unfortunately, the ascent of one sport is directly correlated with the decline of another. In a city with crumbling infrastructure, the two sports compete directly for scarce resources, namely: land, city maintenance and of course, kids. Our relatively short summers, combined with a general decline in parental commitment to youth sports has made it nearly impossible for kids to play both. I can give you several reasons why it’s better for your children to play baseball, rather than soccer, but if the infrastructure is not in place, it unfortunately becomes a moot point.

I know that we’re a long way from seriously contemplating the return of Major League Baseball to this city. Given the way things are going, I can’t help but have my doubts as to whether or not I will live to see that day. One thing’s for certain, it cannot happen without the support of future generations. Without our children and their children having baseball in their lives, the sport will never return to our city. So without sufficient infrastructure, future generations will be unable to play this game, which means it is even less likely that we will get a team back. My friend Dave Kaufman does a great point of communicating this point in the following Gazette op-ed piece.

I’m a big believer that every action has consequences, even though most of them are often unintended. Whether we like it or not, the proliferation of soccer is killing baseball’s future in Montreal. That’s why I can’t support the Impact. It’s not because I don’t like soccer, but because I care about baseball too much to support its demise in my hometown.