Tag Archives: Geoff Molson


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Beyond Winning: Bergevin’s Mandate to Make Habs Fun Again

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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.

Random Friday Musings – May 4th

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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.

Looking Back, Looking Ahead, Looking Elsewhere

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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.

Pierre Gauthier Kicked to the Curb!

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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.

 

Time for a Long Nap

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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.

Limbo Champs

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As the Habs continue to fight against the current, one thing is becoming more and more clear: this team is not living up to anyone’s expectations. Not the fans’, not the media’s, who, although they didn’t peg the Habs as elite, didn’t have them as being this bad, either. Most importantly, they aren’t living up to their own expectations. We hear it repeated over and over in post game scrums and press conferences about how they we not prepared, not focused, not playing as a team. Now they’re griping about seeing the standings every day in their own locker room and not being pleased with what they see. As the writing on the wall starts to take shape, the mood in the room sounds decidedly flat and negative. A once jovial and tight locker room seems to be fraying at the edges. It’s hard to believe that they’ve turned on one another, given that their good character guys, but it’s not hard to believe that they no longer believe in the game plan that is being forced upon them.

It’s clear that the Canadiens are currently not living up to their own expectations. After all, they were the ones who came up with the “Rise Together” marketing campaign. What, exactly were they implying by that? Rise to where, exactly? To 8th place? 6th place? After a 2010-2011 year in which the Canadiens showed great promise, fueled by Price, Subban and Pacioretty, the team’s Marketing department may have made their first misstep in actually trying to RAISE the bar for once. They finished 6th last year, and, as the refrain goes, if they had Markov, Gorges and Pacioretty all year, they could have done better. So I assume they had higher targets this year.

Oops!

You might tell me that injuries have derailed the best laid plans, but I think that’s nothing but a lazy, old and tired excuse. Markov has been out for so long that he should no longer be factored in to the team’s plans or fortunes until he’s back in the lineup. Same goes for Campoli, a wildcard player left on the free agent scrap heap until late September. Surely, such saviours don’t rot on the scrap heap do they? The only thing we can say is that we don’t know how he would have fit in to this roster. Maybe he would have helped, maybe not. Scott Gomez, another big name and cap hit on the shelf wasn’t producing and was a drag on the team, so don’t tell me about him. You can spin the injury argument all you like, but the Penguins hummed along without Crosby, Malkin and Staal for long stretches so save the injury excuse for the apologist round table discussions. Mismanagement of resources, weak bench management, puzzling choices, lack of coach-to-player communication, motivation, outdated and ill-fitting systems, unprepared (and yes, underachieving) players are the real problems of the team. Many of these can be fixed by putting a Coach in place that puts talent in position to succeed, armed with a game plan that matches their skill sets. That hasn’t happened for much of the last 2+ seasons.

Ask yourself this: What other organization can steeply raise prices across the board and deliver such an average product? Even worse than losing is that they’ve become BORING. From the General Manager, to the Coach and now finally tricked down to the ice, the team is void of flair, personality and FUN. That’s perhaps the biggest knock against the brand of hockey that the Jacques Martin era will be known for. Montreal is a city teeming with flair, fun and personality, and given how tightly woven the Habs are in the fabric of the city, their current state is a loose thread on the tapestry. Yet legions of people are willing to accept it? I understand “accepting it because you’re virtually powerless to change it” (you’re not, by the way), but I cannot comprehend anybody “accepting it because you think it’s good enough”. By the way, the Canadiens have played many poor games this year, and currently have the worst home record in the league. Some reward for those people who scramble to find ways, despite the rapidly escalating prices, to go to the Bell Center and buy up all things Canadiens.

Rise Together? I guess if you’re at the bottom, then there’s nowhere to go but up, right? Maybe this has been the plan all along.

Yet as team owner Geoff Molson stands pat, offering his support for the General Manager, Head Coach, and Gomez alike, it seems all too clear that profits are a higher priority for the powers that be than winning is. This should come as no surprise. All outward appearances seem to indicate that making the playoffs and reaping pure profit from a couple home games is the goal. They tell us that the Cup is the goal, but as we all know, actions speak louder than words. In my last post, I’ve clearly showed that winning the Cup is a matter of home ice advantage. Without it, chances of glory are slim, yet that doesn’t stop pie-eyed optimists from believing that “anything is possible”. I don’t hold that belief against anybody, because anything is possible if you want to get in to semantics, but with just one of the last 34 Cup finalists winning it all (that’s 3%) without entering the playoffs with home ice advantage, I tend to put my stock in the overwhelming stat that has been proven over a long period of time.

And so we’ve become very good at limbo, because we happily bend over backwards to make time for this team, spend money on it and invest our hopes in it. What a pity.

Sadly, the Canadiens, through spin, media mouthpieces, marketing and PR have successfully lowered the bar to the point where making the playoffs is seen as some great accomplishment, and as a result, fans now believe that an upset or two (and even near-upsets) are highwater benchmarks of success.

Many of us know better. Unfortunately, it seems that not enough do.That, my friends, is the magic of good marketing.

Clock Strikes Midnight for Gainey

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I really wanted this to be a more varied sports blog, but the Canadiens are making this too easy (and fun)!

Bob Gainey is now the  former General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens, giving up his job today, and passing the torch to his assistant, Pierre Gauthier (so really, what has changed?).

I’m not surprised. Not at the announcement, and certainly not at the timing. Usually things like this come as a shock, but after I posted my rant on January 28th about the confusing puzzle that is the Canadiens, I was prepared for today’s press conference. After listening to the press conference it sounded as though Gainey had simply felt as though he had nothing left to give. Once the 100th anniversary celebrations were over, and once the Molsons took over, Gainey reportedly began to question his future with the team. In this case, we do have to leave room for the possibility that he has had enough of this job. Maybe he didn’t want to be here anymore, and rather than make moves with his heart and mind in another place, he’s going to relinquish control of hockey decisions. That’s a classy move, and I expect nothing less from Gainey. Of course, I’ve never pegged him as a selfish quitter, but perhaps he read the writing on the wall. We will never know if he’s simply leaving on his own terms, or pulling the chute before feeling the sharp blade of the axe on his neck. There usually is more to things like this, and with changes in ownership often come changes in culture and philosophy. Did Gainey’s views clash with the Molsons?

We have been led to believe that Gainey is leaving now because the roster freeze prompted by the Olympic Games is a natural entry point for Pierre Gauthier to take over and get acclimatized. That’s very possible. On the other hand, perhaps seeing the writing on the wall, Gainey was being denied the independence of doing his job as he sees fit.

Here’s my theory, as simple and speculative as it is: Gainey, in full survival mode, wanted to make some moves to strengthen the team before the March 3rd trade deadline in hopes to make the playoffs, and perhaps secure a new contract. On the flip side, the Molsons are looking more towards the future, and do not want have this team floating in mediocrity, as it has been for years. Obviously, this can be easily debunked if you believe Gainey’s explanation of not wanting to continue as General Manager.

Yes, I know my theory does not make sense. Why would the Molsons, who just spent over half a billion dollars choose to miss the playoffs (or at least make missing the post-season a very real possibility), thus forfeiting playoff revenues. Why? Because this team as currently constructed would get a maximum of 3 home dates. At $2-3 million per game, they would rake in anywhere from $4 to 9 million in extra money. That’s a lot of money for just about everyone. But is it a lot of money for a trio of brothers who just spent upwards of $575 million for their new toy? I doubt it. I believe that the Molsons are emotionally invested in the success of their team on the ice, given the long and successful link their family has with the club. My personal belief is that they want the team to sit at the top of the standings, and not aim for 8th every year, which is what we had under Gainey’s tenure. Maybe I’m certifiably nuts, but I think they’re in this for glory as much as for money. Many will suggest that the opposite of my theory is what’s truly afoot here: that the Molsons wanted Gainey to do whatever is necessary to make the playoffs, and gain that precious bonus revenue, and that Gainey was resistant to mortgage the future in order to do that. Gainey has never been one to give up on the post-season, and I doubt he’d start now. Evidence for this can be found in that he let many free agents walk away for nothing over the years instead of trading them and acquiring assets for the future. Making the playoffs can come at a cost, and that cost is losing free agents for nothing in return. In essence, guys like Souray, Streit, and Ryder were traded for a few playoff games and cap space. That’s what leads me to believe that Gainey is looking to add to this team, instead of look to the future.

image courtesy of Getty Images

It’s not important which one is right, or if either are right. This could truly be a case of a guy who’s had enough. Or, it could be a guy who’s quitting before he’s fired. We will never know if this is truly the case, and we will have to accept the “passing of the torch” reasoning behind his resignation.

But let’s take a look at why the Molsons would bother resigning Gainey to a long-term deal.

During the off-season, Gainey convinced the Molsons that it was possible to radically rebuild a team with tons of cap space rather that look to the future via the draft and prospects. Perhaps it can be done. But it looks unlikely that the group Gainey put in place is getting the job done. A series of free agent signings (including some puzzling signings on the blueline),  and worst of all – the hiring of a coach who’s best days are well behind him all add up to this team being in the same place as it has always been – fighting for 8th place. Bob Gainey wanted to bring in younger, durable players after guys like Koivu, Kovalev, Tanguay, etc repeatedly fell to injury or mood swings. That Cammalleri, Gionta, and Gomez were all uncharacteristically injured for long stretches this season is truly unfortunate, both for Gainey, the team and fans. But the truth of the matter is that for every positive move Gainey made, he also made mistakes. Take the signing of Alex Tanguay for example. Gainey traded a 1st and 2nd round draft pick to get Tanguay, and had no second thoughts about resigning him again for this season. 2 high draft picks in exchange for 50 games, 41 points. That’s simply indefensible. I would not have brought Tanguay back either, but nor would I have made the move to bring him in (that Tanguay is now in Tampa earning half of what he made in previous years is evidence enough that nobody else  wanted him either) in the first place. Don’t want to blame Gainey for that? Then blame his pro scouts (there’s Pierre Gauthier again), or blame Tanguay himself. Either way, the trail leads back to Gainey’s office. The hiring of Jacques Martin may very well be the most serious error of all. I’ve gone on at length about that hiring in previous entries. The fact is, in a market like Montreal you cannot continually hire and fire coaches (especially the one you claim is the best move you’ve made), bring in heartless, fragile or inconsistent talent, underachieve in the playoffs,  and not improve the “guts” of the team’s operations and not eventually face the music. Like I said in this post, he’s in year 7 of a 5 year plan. Isn’t that enough time? If not, then what is?

Let me ask this: What has transpired with Gainey as Habs GM that, in your view, warrants him staying beyond this season? I’m not talking about the “who is a better replacement?” argument. Lack of obvious options to the every day fan should not prevent the Canadiens, or Gainey, from doing what’s best for the team.

Answer these questions for yourself:

Has the farm system been improved? Yes, a little bit. Guy Boucher seems to be a future star coach, and a couple players look like they’ll have an impact in the NHL, if they’re developed properly, and if they aren’t traded away. That’s about it. The Bulldogs can now provide the Canadiens with several depth players, and are restocked in that regard. But there are no stars coming.

Have the Canadiens had any real success under Gainey? No, and don’t tell me about finishing #1 in the East 2 years ago. That was a fluke. You know and I know it, and furthermore since when was success in Montreal measured by finishing 1st in the East? And don’t bother with the 2 first round wins over the Bruins. If anything is dismissible, it’s 1st round playoff victories. Making the playoffs 4 times is also a hollow argument. Yes, it’s an improvement over the previous regime, but again, that’s not good enough for a team like the Canadiens.

Have young players developed once getting to the NHL? No. Definitely not.

Is the team well positioned for the future? I don’t know. It will take some time yet see if Gainey’s master plan from last year ever pans out, but we sure are saddled with some long term deals to players and coaches, so we likely have lots of time to figure it out.

The end result in my view is that the team is slightly better off now than it was in 2003, and I expected more than “slightly better”. But in Montreal, the bottom line is the Stanley Cup. Always has been. The banners in the rafters remind us of that every day, yet many fans have been reprogrammed to believing that mediocre (i.e. 8th place) is now good enough. 15 years of treading water will do that to a fan base. Under Gainey, the number of years that the Canadiens went cupless jumped from 10 to 16+. Are you ok with that?

Including himself, there have been 4 coaches behind the Canadiens bench since 2003 when he took over (Julien, Gainey, Carbonneau, Gainey, Martin). Yes, yes. I know. President Pierre Boivin handcuffed Gainey in to hiring Jacques Martin. Boivin should be kept to the business side of things. He’s good at that. But this post is not about Boivin. It’s about Gainey. And the truth is this team is not in any better shape in 2010 than it was in 2003 when he was brought on board. He had huge expectations and they were not even close to being fulfilled, and all signs indicate that they are not going to be realized any time soon.

Inconsistency from game to game, season over season took place on Gainey’s watch. We can blame coaches, scouts, players themselves, media, fans and the weather, but ultimately, Gainey, like everyone else in this world who has a boss has to answer for his team’s performance. Given how it’s been such a long time since we’ve seen winning hockey in Montreal, you may not remember what a contending team looks like. You may think that if things had gone slightly differently, that 25th banner would already be hanging from the rafters. I would suggest you get the sniffing salt out. When was the last time you had confidence that this team could compete with the league’s true powers in a 7-game playoff series? Personally, I haven’t felt that way in….well…I can’t remember. Oh, wait, I do remember the Canadiens upsetting the heavily favored Bruins twice in the past few years. But I suggest you review the Canadiens record vs the Bruins in the playoffs. Regardless of their standings, the Canadiens have an overwhelming margin of victory. Playoffs or not, this team is not coming together as Gainey had planned. His plan from last summer was never guaranteed to work. It was a gamble and he knew this when he put his cards on the table. His plan has not paid off and rather than slink out of town on the heels of a 9th place finish, he’s leaving now, while it’s still his choice.

Gainey is accountable for the team’s performance, and survey says that it has not been up to snuff. Not even close. We can make all the excuses in the world for people that we like, and we like Gainey a whole lot, but at some point, the cord has to be cut and you have to move in a different direction. Today, Gainey made that decision for the Molsons. He was given the mandate to have this team contending for the Stanley Cup in time for the team’s 100th birthday. That time has come and gone, and the Canadiens still find themselves spinning their wheels in the standings. As alluded to at the press conference, Gainey began to question his future with the club when the Gilletts left, and at the conclusion of the 100th anniversary celebrations. With his mandate unfulfilled, he knew his time was up, and he is choosing to leave on his own.

If you’re still reading this (first of all, thanks!), you’re probably convinced that I don’t like Bob Gainey very much. Nothing could be further from the truth. The man is a rock, and he’s probably one of the most upstanding people you’ll ever meet (note: I have never actually met him). But in the end, he did not accomplish what he wanted, what the fans wanted, nor what was expected of him by his bosses. What many people, especially those who bore witness to the great Canadiens teams of the 70′s (I am not in this group) will have trouble with is separating Gainey the player, Gainey the captain, Gainey the hero from Gainey the General Manager when defending him. These are 2 different careers, and one should not be judged in light of the other.

This is not a day for celebration, but rather it’s a day to reflect on what this team has done, and where it is going. Gainey’s number 23 hangs in the rafters at the Bell Center among the very best to ever suit up for the team, and rightfully so. He was a great player, a great captain, and a terrific role model for many years. He just didn’t have the golden touch as GM of this team. Not many people do. His presence and voice is still valid and still respected, and I’m glad that he will remain (for now) as advisor to Pierre Gauthier.

Perhaps Pierre Gauthier is not the permanent answer, but at least now things are moving, albeit slowly. At the end of the press conference, we look at the team and what do we see? A team where the General Manager and his assistant have simply changed titles. So if you liked where this was going over the past 7 years, this should come as good news, as very little has changed. If you didn’t approve of the team’s direction, perhaps this is the start of something new.

I just have one thing to ask: Can we get please get off the hamster wheel already?


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