Those who follow hockey know that the Montreal Canadiens simply aren’t a hockey team to the people of Quebec. They represent so much more. While, the governments of Quebec and Montreal continually raise taxes, roads and overpasses crumble, public transit is in a constant state of confusion, and the health & education systems are a mess. Some people get upset and send letters to the editor of the local paper, or phone in to the local AM talk radio show to offer up their anger and suggestions, but overall, these issues are met with a collective shrug. Very few things can move the needle among the population, but the Habs are undoubtedly one of those things. From the Richard riot of 1955, to the 1993 Stanley Cup riot, to the ”Bring Back Kovalev” protest of summer 2009, people mobilize in celebration, anger and randomness in the name of le bleu, blanc et rouge.
In case you missed the bulletin, let me refresh your memory: Bob Gainey stepped aside as General Manager of the Canadiens, passing the torch to the “man he trusts the most”, Pierre Gauthier. The move has people scratching their heads. The biggest question on the minds of Canadiens fans now is why was Gauthier handed the General Manager’s position without the team conducting a thorough search for the best replacement available. In what is perhaps a classic case of fence sitting, or public relations posturing depending on your view, Canadiens President Pierre Boivin strongly asserts that the Head Coach, General Manager, and President at the very least be bilingual, if not Francophone altogether. According to him, given that the majority of Quebecers are Francophone, hiring people that can communicate in both languages at that level of the organization demonstrates the “minimum of respect” to the majority of French-speaking Quebecers. I’m sure people here appreciate that. But to suggest that the talent pool of bilingual candidates is a wide ranging one is cockeyed optimism at best. The result of Boivin’s policy is that now the Canadiens are stuck with Pierre Gauthier and Jacques Martin; two men who define mediocrity no matter how you spin their careers. These two are a package deal, each with 3 years left on their contracts. Perhaps when that day comes for the Molsons to give them both the axe, they will also fix their gaze on President Pierre Boivin, who clearly cares more for marketing, politics and profitability than excellence on the ice. Perhaps that’s his job description, but if the team realizes any on-ice success, it is merely a bonus. This philosophy has trickled down the Habs org chart, right down to the coach and players, who, to a man seem happy and satisfied with just making the playoffs. If, as most believe, they are summarily bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Washington Capitals, we can expect to hear the same old platitudes: “We’ll work hard in the off season and come back fresh, strong and re focused for next season”. If you are unable to distinguish if that comes out of the most of a player, coach or executive, you would not be alone.
I always thought that excellence was the expectation of the Canadiens. With Boivin’s current policy, he is probably eliminating 90% of candidates that would be be otherwise qualified to work for 29 other teams in the league. I can willingly accept the notion of having a francophone/bilingual coach, under the condition that he be the best man for the job, and not someone who benefits simply by virtue of being a Quebecer (when Guy Boucher becomes Head Coach, I will be among the first to roll out the red carpet for him). But to suggest that the General Manager and President must be bilingual is silly. Ask yourself this: Would Pierre Gauthier be on any other team’s shortlist if they were looking for a new GM? Highly unlikely given his track record, unless the NHL expanded to 45 teams. I believe that while the 29 other teams go after the best personnel available, the Canadiens are tying one hand behind their back with their self-imposed restrictions. Would shareholders of a company search far and wide to hire the best qualified CEO, or would they settle for the best guy from their own backyard?
It goes without saying that the bond between Quebecers (not to alienate the legions of fans outside of Quebec) for their Habs is deep and undying. Being able to understand the words that come out of the mouths of the men who lead the organization is important to many native Francophones who may not speak any English. But I would venture to guess that winning transcends any linguistic boundary. It certainly did when Bowman, Blake, Selke and Pollock were hoisting banner after banner after banner to the rafters at the Forum. I would wager that fans of any language would prefer to see a multilingual team popping champagne corks together in celebration rather than a bland, passionless, morose, sullen, platitude, cliché-ridden press conference expressing disappointment at how the season just didn’t work out the way they had hoped. Again.
I’ve been asking myself if the linguistic abilities of the managers, coaches and players on the rosters of other deeply important teams matters to their local fans. To get an idea, I’ve asked a couple friends that I follow on twitter to answer some simple questions. This is about as small and unscientific of a process that you’ll find. While these are the opinions of a couple of dudes, they are nevertheless well informed sports fans.
I’ve asked Michael Carter, who hails from England, to answer on behalf of Manchester United fans; and Howie Sussman to answer for the New York Yankees, two teams who I think you would agree mean as much to their local fanbases as the Canadiens do in Quebec.
1) Here’s a classic “would you rather” scenario: A championship-caliber team year after year, with a mix of nationalities, or a mediocre team (that is as likely to be successful as they are to fail) loaded with with guys that you can understand when they speak, and come from your own backyard?
Michael:
In my own opinion, the well-being of the team should be the priority rather than just which languages the coach can speak, although I realise that having a grasp of the French language would benefit a Habs coach during his media duties. I know this first hand after getting lost over in Gatineau, QC in November and not understanding anything anyone was saying to me!
From my soccer team’s (Man U) point of view, we have a long standing coach of 24 years who is from Scotland and a wide mix of different nationalities, including home grown British talent as well. If a overseas coach were to eventually succeed our current coach I would welcome them as long as he were the right man for the job.
If any coach over here only had limited English then it would only be scrutinized by the media here if he were not getting results. If the team were playing well and winning then it would not be an issue where he was from or which language was his mother tongue.
The British media made a big issue a few years ago when Arsenal fielded a whole first 11 for a game which did not include a single British player. Whereas I would always like good homegrown talent coming through for my team too, I would not like the whole team to be made up of overseas players, but then I guess it all comes down to how the team is performing.
From a Habs point of view I think it’s important for the club to always remember the French roots of the team and the region, but not to make this the only option for a coach and/or players.
Howie:
I want the best team possible and am not concerned about where they come from since to me that has no bearing on how well they play.
2) Is the mother tongue of your team’s roster, coaches, and management a topic of discussion among fans and media currently? To the best of your memory, has it ever been an issue?
Michael:
This has never been an issue at my club, but the only times I can remember it has been an issue is as stated earlier when Arsenal fielded a whole team of overseas players for a game, and to a lesser extent when Chelsea hired an Italian coach around 5-6 years ago who had very limited English and needed an interpreter during interviews.
The latter issue did not dominate the press pages too much as the team were not exactly struggling because of this, for instance his team already had Italian players who could speak English so I don’t believe it caused too many problems.
Howie:
I don’t think that’s the case, I believe that the team goes out and tries to acquire the best talent available, whether through trade or free agent signing. They also try to draft the best players they can at their position, regardless of where they come from. I really don’t think it matters where a player comes from; if they can play their position well even if they don’t speak the native language, that is the only thing that should.
3) Do you think your team proactively seeks talent that can communicate with the fanbase so that this doesn’t become an issue, or will they take on the best player, coach, or manager, period? In other words, is the focus on politics and public relations, or winning?
Michael:
The majority of clubs in the Premier League do spend a lot of time and money on their academy systems and bringing young British players through the ranks and up to the first team, but at the same time there is a good mix of overseas players in 95% of the team rosters over here, which has helped the league here become one of the best in the league. There is a great belief here that if British players are good enough then they can break into the team rosters here regardless of the overseas talent available.
If you asked most fans here, the bottom line is performing well and winning. It’s not much enjoyment for anyone in any sport just to keep it to a homegrown roster while the team is failing miserably. British players aren’t always the best policy in improving the team in soccer, and I guess the same can be said about French Canadian coaches and players in hockey.
Howie:
I don’t think that’s the case, I believe that the team goes out and tries to acquire the best talent available, whether through trade or free agent signing. They also try to draft the best players they can at their position, regardless of where they come from. I really don’t think it matters where a player comes from; if they can play their position well even if they dont speak the native language, that is the only thing that should.
Although these represent just two opinions, clearly the priority is on getting the best people in to the organization, and language is not much of a consideration if the team is successful on the diamond or pitch. As I said at the outset, winning is the universal language in sports.
I’d love to hear your take. Is Pierre Boivin correct to suggest that finding bilingual people is the “minimum of respect” that the Canadiens can show to the majority of Quebecers? Is he being ignorant of the millions of fans outside of Quebec who perhaps feel as though they are being shortchanged by his policy of nepotism? After all, how could the Habs be considered a global brand if all of their global fans were driven away by mediocrity?
How would you run things if you were calling the shots?
I’d like to give a big thanks to Michael and Howie giving up their time to answer these questions. I owe you both a tall, frosty one!
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It’s almost as though you were inspired…
Point 1: Pierre Boivin frustrates me to no end. Why oh why could he not go the way of Ron Corey. And what will it take for the Molsons to send him packing? There’s an issue with your saying that he cares more about “marketing, politics, and profitability.” We all know that first and foremost, none of those things can be achieved if the product is a bum product. You want to grow your team on the world stage? People getting into the game want to root for a winning team; winning teams get air time (it’s one reason why I chose Arsenal for my EPL team). For this franchise, perennial playoff staggers are not good product; they are the reason why, when two Eastern Conference games air at the same time (WAS-MTL/BOS-BUF), I get two channels showing the same one match. We’ve discussed on All Habs that to the extent that hockey is an “international” sport, a team of excellence would put the Habs on the cusp of being an “international” team. Instead, that is quickly being afforded to Herr Bettman’s beloved Penguins-Capitals.
Point 2: Agreed wholeheartedly. As I’ve elucidated, language should be an advantageous skill for dealing with the Montreal media, not a qualification for the job. This is a business proposition and the league runs beyond the borders of Quebec. Much to the chagrin of the Montreal Sports Media, the rest of the league’s fans would take Montreal as a more serious threat if the team was looking for excellence, rather than linguistic convenience. True, I would call in Paul Revere’s ride (to use an American aphorism) if the entire organization had lost its semblance of a Francophone identity, but hiring a few top management talents does not make an English flood. So long as the Molsons own the Canadiens, that identity will not be lost (and for Godsakes, even George Gillett understood what the team meant to Montrealers).
Point 3: Those are just the guys who made Quebeckers happy that a Cup was in Montreal. I’ve said that as we’ve moved past the “Flying Frenchmen” to the “Flying Finns” and “Rocketing Russians,” Quebeckers care more about if the Cup is being paraded down Ste-Catherine, rather than if the coach holds his presser in English only. True, I understand that an English-only presser would alienate non-Anglophiles, however a generation of children has seen nothing but loss.
Now as for the scientific survey:
First of all, I grew up a Yankees fan. That was until offing to Montreal, where, after the 2000 Subway Series, I more or less offloaded my interest in baseball (I did go to several Expos games though). I also grew up straddling Yankees-Red Sox territory. 2-3 towns east or west would have solidified where your loyalties lie. You also know I’ve lived the New York city connection…. Second of all, I’m loosely an Arsenal fan (to the extent that I really only got into football about 4 years ago and only sporadically get to watch it.
Now, as for question 1) Arsenal has a French coach who can speak English. Yes, there has been media doubting his ability to bring the Gunners silverware, but as Michael says, the coach would only have a problem if he wasn’t getting results. Despite not winning any championships in recent years (thanks to the even more $$$ put into Chelsea and Manchester United), Arsene Wenger has managed to at least perennially place his team toward the top of the EPL table. Some say he should go, but it’s not because he’s French that they offer these opinions (Wenger is fortunate enough to speak decent English, though so language isn’t the problem).
Question 2) Lord knows that millions of dollars/pounds have been pumped into both the Yankees and Arsenal. The fact that they produce means that the mother tongues of rosters/coaches/management has virtually never been a topic of discussion. Lord knows, the EPL fields players from all over the world and it has seized on globalization as a result. Talent breeds talent, regardless of language/nationality. Period.
Question 3) If an NHL team can draft/play players from Russia/Belarus/Czech Republic, etc, then most certainly they can do the same with coaches as well. This IS the strategy of the NHL, so if this league takes a top-down approach, it should be the same for team management as well. If winning is the main goal, politics doesn’t write the winning strategy — the winning strategy writes itself.
I understand how the Canadiens are so engrained in the province. However, the NHL is a supranational organization, inspite of the local connections. This is a league that operates in two countries, with a fanbase including many more. This is not a Quebec-only league; there are not Quebec-only fans (maybe…*MAYBE* I would consider being annoyed if my Chicoutimi Sagueneens were hiring English-speakers, but this is).
This does beg the question: does scale matter to winning? I would argue it does. As in business, there are certain fundamentals that businesses at all sizes uphold, but certain responsibilities that larger businesses are also beholden to. For instance, Google has the same profit-motive as a start-up firm, but it also has different rules, regulations, responsibilities, brand images (the list goes on) to uphold. When your constituents include the hockey community at-large, the considerations should increase in evaluating talent of all languages and nationalities.
This would not devalue the team’s ties to the provincial and local communities, nor would it invalidate the core essence of the Montreal Canadiens history. Rather, it would only strengthen the global spirit of an already great franchise. Globalization of talent has not taken away from the hometown fans of Manchester United and the New York Yankees; it’s only added more fans to their global community fanbase. It would only do the same if the Habs were equipped with the proper management necessary to win Stanley Cups again.
You are dead on when you say that the Habs organization is operating with one hand tied behind its back.
Pierre Gauthier has no business being the GM and Jacques Martin should never have been hired to begin with.
This is what I would do (and hope for) if I were the Molsons. I would do a complete housecleaning in management, from top to bottom. Gone would be Boivin, Gauthier, Martin, Trevor Timmins and the entire scouting staff and player development staff.
The next step would be to fill those positions after an exhaustive and extensive search for the best candidates no matter what language they speak. I forgot to mention that i’m bilingual (I speak french also) and I wouldn’t care if the coach could only speak Klingon.
I would fire Martin tomorrow if I could and promote Guy Boucher, not because he’s a francophone but because I believe he is a better coach by a large margin. Lou Lamierello did this late in the season with Claude Julien and they had a way better record at the time. Maybe that is not being realistic but Habs fans are sick and tired of management’s acceptance of consistent mediocrity, year after year. Stumbling into the playoffs is no way to manage an historic and once proud hockey franchise.
If Montreal manages to upset the Capitals only to lose in the second round once again, it will be considered a huge victory by management only because of the seeding position of each team. This thinking and attitude will be a huge mistake but management will be encouraged by it and continue their inept ways into the next season and so on. This is the exact same strategy the Toronto Maple Leafs used for over 40 years until somebody finally woke up and decided that they were not getting anywhere and they started cleaning house, which now has them on the right track and should get them some results in a couple of seasons.
Even Guy Carbonneau was a better coach than Martin, Which of the two guided his team to a first place division title? Claude Julien is a better coach than Martin. Martin had Stanley Cup caliber teams in Ottawa and could not get them past the first round, most of the time against those mediocre Maple Leafs. And a lot of those times, the opposing coach didn’t speak french.
@Stevo
I know that Martin’s reputation is that of a defensive-minded coach but when your team is routinely out shot (thank goodness for Halak and Price) then I would say that the players aren’t listening to him, are unwilling or unable to learn or don’t have the necessary ingredients to play his style.
I also will not stand for a coach who sits back on a 1-0 lead, no matter if there are still 2 periods to go. It’s not hard to understand how the team got badly out shot on a lot of nights and ended up losing games because they went up by 1 goal and then went into a passive defensive mode with mixed results. Carey Price deserved a better win-loss record than he had this season. When you let your foot off the gas pedal, others catch up and eventually pass you.
@Kyle
The strange thing is that Guy Carbonneau seemed to be the only only one who was not satisfied with finishing 8th. He guided the club to a 1st place conference finish and had the team in 5th place in the conference at the time Bob Gainey fired him and took over behind the bench. Gainey promptly took the club to an 8th place finish. Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t 5th better than 8th?
Don’t get me wrong, I like Bob Gainey, as a player, GM and human being. I just think that for whatever reason, he could not duplicate what he had done in Dallas. Maybe the game was passing him by or maybe all the personal tragedy that he experienced was taking a heavy toll on his work and personal life.
One of the knocks on Carbonneau (from a few disgruntled players I might add) is that he did not communicate enough. That might or might not be true. It’s just interesting to note that a lot of those same disgruntled players were not re-signed for the following season and half the roster was filled with new faces.
@Stevo
Stevo, I agree with you that Boucher is still a far while from being promoted for the reasons you mentioned. It’s just wishful thinking on a the part of a lot of Habs fans, including myself. I would be content to let Boucher hone his coaching skills in Hamilton for another couple seasons and then get promoted. It’s just hard to take that Martin is the guy in the meantime.
I also agree with you that everyone’s job is probably safe because the Habs squeaked into the playoffs, guaranteeing the club at least two more home games.
This is what scares Habs fans. Montreal appears to have adopted Toronto’s game plan of the past 40 years which is tread water and hope there will be someone who will rescue you.
@Stevo- It’s been said that a team often adopts their coach’s personality. If that’s the case then it won’t be long before the entire Canadiens roster is a bunch of walking zombies. It’s also partly the reason why I fear what Martin will do to PK Subban, but that’s a conversation for another time.
It seems that not a week goes by that we don’t find another reason why JM is not the right man for this team. You’re right – he is a good coach. Or maybe “was” a good coach is a better term. The game certainly seems to have passed him by, and it’s pretty clear that he prefers to shove his way down the players’ throats than to be creative and find new ways to get the best of his troops. When Boivin instructed Gainey to make sure the next coach was bilingual, it made the short list even shorter. Gainey wanted a “professional” coach who could handle the media, after the last few rookie coaches fell prey to it. There were not many viable candidates around, unless you like Mario Tremblay or Bob Hartley.
We do need to be careful about elevating Boucher too quickly. We in Montreal have a tendency to eat our own. The fuse has grown so short here (despite the satisfaction with 8th place) that even he would have to have some success right away. Nobody is bullet proof in this town anymore, and this is evident by the fired men who still get a paycheque from the Habs.
Oh and to further clarify one of my points, when i said:
My personal observation would be that what started this year as a team that was energized and enthusiastic has turned somewhat bland and stale as the year went on.
I forgot to add:
It would seem as though throughout the year, the team’s energy and enthusiasm adapted to that of its coach. He’s proven he can win games in the NHL, but he’s not a proven playoff coach. He has no major accomplishments in his portfolio (that i am aware of, i haven’t seen the portfolio) I don’t feel that his style of play (defensive almost trap hockey) best suits are group of small quick forwards.
Thanks!
Stevo
Now that i’m home and not on my iPhone, i will comment further.
On upper management: It could be argued that Pierre Boivin has made some poor decisions such as committing his GM Gainey into a position where he had to hire a francophone coach, or the hiring of the Pierre Gauthier as the follow-up GM to Gainey. At the same time, Pierre Boivin for many years has done an excellent job on the business side of the NHL franchise, and although I’m not expert in evaluating a franchise president, i would be surprised if his job were in jeopardy.
As for Jacques Martin, he’s not a terrible coach, some believe that he has not adapted to the style of hockey that reigns since the lock-out, and the comment can often be heard that he is unable to quickly adjust throughout a hockey game. My personal observation would be that what started this year as a team that was energized and enthusiastic has turned somewhat bland and stale as the year went on.
All signs currently point to Guy Boucher as the next Canadiens coach. It’s almost scary how much people can’t wait to see him coaching in the big league, to the point that you wonder whether everyone is getting a little too excited here. “Oops were doing it again”. Are we again putting the weight of the world on someone who has not proven themselves in the big leagues yet? Although I’m confident he will have great success in the NHL, what if he’s unsuccessful in his debut in the NHL, just how patient will people be with him? Just ask Carey Price how that can be.
That said, Guy Carbonneau is on the payroll until end of next season, Jacques Martin for 3, so i wouldn’t expect Guy Boucher to come up until after next season at least, unless the Molson’s are ready to have 3 coaches and 2 GMs on the payroll, only they can answer that one.
If Montreal had missed the playoffs, the potential would have been more there for some heavy changes in the off-season, but the fact that the Habs are in, should at least keep ‘everyone’ safe to start next season in my opinion.
As for our playoff chances, although i could elaborate very much as to why, i don’t really give the Habs a chance. I expect the Caps to take it in 5, Montreal winning the 4th game with their backs against the wall. Overall, i havn’t seen the consistency needed by the Habs to win 16 of a potential 28.
Great article Kyle.
Stevo
t: stevo_in_mtl
Thanks for the insightful commentary everyone!
@Olivier- Winning is certainly not a given. Indeed it is very difficult, especially today. But being excellent is not impossible. Giving the appearance of trying is even less hard! Look at the Red Wings, and Devils over the past 15 years. But the Canadiens don’t have to go out of their way to make winning and excellence any more difficult by cutting the talent pool down to a tiny fraction. Like I said, a French coach can make sense; bring on Guy Boucher! Over the past 15 years the Habs decided to promote younger Quebecois coaches with a measure of success in junior hockey. Boucher will be from the same background, but whereas Boucher seems like a can’t miss prospect, the other hires struck me as a desperate team looking to play the political game rather than the winning game. My opinion was vindicated when it the team fired those coaches after a couple short years each. On one hand, they wanted immediate success, or they would not of fired those guys. But they never seemed to learn their lesson by getting the most qualified man. They just rinsed, recycled and repeated the same procedures. I have no doubt that one of the coaches that have been fired in the past 15 years will one day work for the Habs again.
You are also right when you say that the Molsons will probably be content to print money while they search for the winning formula. I don’t know if anyone would blame them after spending over half a billion dollars. But at some point nepotism devolves in to the absurd. It just boggles my mind that if Jacques Martin and Mike Babcock were fired tomorrow, the Canadiens would not even consider Babcock – a man with a Stanley Cup, Olympic gold, and the stench of success all over him. Meanwhile, the Red Wings would also not bother with Jacques Martin, because he lacks these benchmarks of success. As I said, I can concede that the coach should be able to handle himself in French to a certain minimum. But I would not make it a must to have the job. With the General Manager – I go after the best man, period. Why was it ok back in the day to have Bowman, Blake, Pollock and Selke running the show? Because they WON. Often. Nobody cares who speaks what language when everyone is yelling at a parade!
@Carlos- Imagine for a second that the Canadiens instituted their nepotist policies from day 1 and kept them. Where would the team be today? How many banners would be hanging from the rafters if Scotty Bowman or Sam Pollock were not allowed to do their work? Surely not 24! I’m also relieved that you caught on to what I’m trying to get across: while the Canadiens are a treasure in Quebec, they are a global brand now. In a shrinking world, you had better be more sensitive to fans outside of your own borders, otherwise, as you alluded to, many will go and root for the Senators over the Canadiens. The Canadiens history will only take them so far. Afterall, nobody wants to root for the old man in the rocking chair who does nothing but talk about the glory days.
@Stevo- I have no idea what percentage of Sharks fans speak Spanish at home, but it’s probably fair to say that a good number of them. No question that there is nobody in NHL circles with the background that would satisfy any nepotist policies they would institute.
@UHB- I hear ya. It would be a breath of fresh air to clear out much of the dead weight within the organization. The slippery slope of that, however is that any new General Manager would have to accept Boucher as the heir apparent. In nearly every case, a GM wants the chance to bring in his own guy(s). I suppose it could work, after all, Boucher by all accounts is a star coach in waiting.
I’ll also agree with you that if the Canadiens pull off a miracle and topple the Capitals, almost everyone would be satisfied with how the season unfolded, even if they were reamed in the 2nd round. No matter what though, the Habs have set their sights on 8th place, ensuring the cycle of mediocrity will go round and around forevermore, barring a tremendously fortuitous run of luck. I guess if the ’06 Oilers could do it, anyone could, right?
I want to thank everyone for their insight. This is a very very sensitive topic and I’m happy and relieved that it’s been nothing but positive talk so far!
You are dead on when you say that the Habs organization is operating with one hand tied behind its back.
Pierre Gauthier has no business being the GM and Jacques Martin should never have been hired to begin with.
This is what I would do (and hope for) if I were the Molsons. I would do a complete housecleaning in management, from top to bottom. Gone would be Boivin, Gauthier, Martin, Trevor Timmins and the entire scouting staff and player development staff.
The next step would be to fill those positions after an exhaustive and extensive search for the best candidates no matter what language they speak. I forgot to mention that i’m bilingual (I speak french also) and I wouldn’t care if the coach could only speak Klingon.
I would fire Martin tomorrow if I could and promote Guy Boucher, not because he’s a francophone but because I believe he is a better coach by a large margin. Lou Lamierello did this late in the season with Claude Julien and they had a way better record at the time. Maybe that is not being realistic but Habs fans are sick and tired of management’s acceptance of consistent mediocrity, year after year. Stumbling into the playoffs is no way to manage an historic and once proud hockey franchise.
If Montreal manages to upset the Capitals only to lose in the second round once again, it will be considered a huge victory by management only because of the seeding position of each team. This thinking and attitude will be a huge mistake but management will be encouraged by it and continue their inept ways into the next season and so on. This is the exact same strategy the Toronto Maple Leafs used for over 40 years until somebody finally woke up and decided that they were not getting anywhere and they started cleaning house, which now has them on the right track and should get them some results in a couple of seasons.
Even Guy Carbonneau was a better coach than Martin, Which of the two guided his team to a first place division title? Claude Julien is a better coach than Martin. Martin had Stanley Cup caliber teams in Ottawa and could not get them past the first round, most of the time against those mediocre Maple Leafs. And a lot of those times, the opposing coach didn’t speak french.
I hear that southern california is very Hispanic, do the sharks for example have to hire Spanish speaking management? I would think not…
Being a Mexican Habs fan (yeah, I know… weird), I think I am in a unique position for most hockey fans: I hail from a country where NOBODY plays hockey; which might have to do with the fact that there’s not enough ice here to put one skate on, let alone two… because of this, I have no real attachment to any hockey nation or race.
I think the Canadiens are such a tradition in Quebec that it goes well beyond being one of the most successful franchises in professional sports. You will rarely find sports fans as devoted to their team as Habs fans. This is something the franchise should preserve.
And they very well can do it by winning another 24 Cups, instead of creating nepotist policies that have led them to this point. For the Head Coach position, especially, is really important to pick the RIGHT man for the job, not just the French man for the job. I don’t know who is really behind this, or who is turning a blind eye on it; but they better wake up before we start supporting (gasp!) the Senators or something crazy like that.
Two things:
- First and foremost, you have to accept that the first counter-point to those very interesting points you bring up is “What if they don’t win?”. I think Boivin is going that way because he considers that winning is never a given. This is a competitive league and having a staff selected without language concerns doesn’t perclude a loosing team. Staffed with people unable to speak french, just the current set of results would be, er… problematic. They did it once in the early 80′s and won’t do it again. Marketing-wise, it’s digging a pretty big hole and they won’t allow it. I mean, the whole thing is a freaking money-printing press as it is, and I think they’d (and here I include the Molson group who just shelle 500+ millions in the middle of a financial crisis to buy the club) rather rake in wads of cash while searching for the winning combination.
- No offense meant to anyone, because this is valuable and interesting insight, but… Seriously, who would doubt language is an issue in Manchester and New York? Montréal is a whole other bag of bagels, if you ask me.
Anyway, this is a thornful issue and I think it’s pretty gutsy of you to go at it. Always fun to have an intelligent conversation about those issues.