Have the Montreal Canadiens Lost Touch with the Fans? - Part I

by Willey

Happy New Year’s to all!

May 2011 bring you nothing but joy and happiness and fingers crossed, a 25th Stanley Cup!

For the past month or so I have tried to keep things positive.

Rather than dwell on the negatives of life I tried to look at what was going well for the Bleu Blanc Rouge and quite frankly, there was a lot to be positive about. Things however have taken a turn for the worse and the negatives are beginning to far outshine the positives.

Now I am not the type who overreacts to anything but rather allows things to boil and percolate until I have finally had too much. It was an attribute I believe I acquired while completing my University degree obtaining a specialization in Psychology.

While my personal accomplishments in life may not necessarily be of importance in this forum I mention them none the less as an explanation to this blog.

For about five years now I have been extremely pessimistic about the Habs. I appreciate the success that they have achieved and have rejoiced in those good times but ultimately viewed that success as nothing more than smoke and mirrors, covering up what appears to me as a complete disconnect throughout the organization.

Because of these views I have been accused of knit picking by those closest people to me, but at one point I must raise my hands in defeat and ask when is enough, enough? At what point will Les Glorieux regain the pride and success they once had?

I am fed up of mediocrity and how this team is run.

My dissatisfaction cannot be pinpointed towards one aspect of the organization but rather the whole shabang. As a result of the constant turnover of coaches and general managers this organization lacks an identity, ices a product which bores the fan base, rarely develops its players properly, liquidates all assets without truly given them a chance and more importantly could care less of what the fan base thinks, running the team as a business rather than the symbol that they represent.

So here is part one of my ire.


A Lack of Identity

Coaching Changes

I know that you are sitting there right now likely pointing out that coaching change is a part of the NHL and frankly, you are right.

The NHL is a business which demands great on-ice performance as a well as a continuous cash flow off of it. If a coach is not getting his message across and not getting the results on the ice, then ultimately he will be replaced.

Where I take particular issue is when there is a continuous change at the helm of the team.

The Montreal Canadiens have seen seven coaching changes since the 1999-2000 season with Alain Vigneault, Michel Therrien, Claude Julien, Bob Gainey, Guy Carbonneau, Bob Gainey a second time and now Jacques Martin.

Again, I realize that coaching changes are a part of any sports franchise but the amount of changes that this team has experienced is troubling.

A team like the Detroit Red Wings have been among the league elite since the 1995 season ultimately bringing home four Stanley Cup's over that span. Many argue that the success of the Wings was a direct result of going out and signing the best and most expensive UFA talent in the game on a yearly basis, however I think it's something different.

The Wings have only seen Scotty Bowman and Mike Babcock behind the bench in those 16 years. This consistency has allowed Ken Holland to acquire players he knows will fit within the team dynamic and system. The players are interchangeable whether one the first or fourth lines because the system has remained constant. Simply put, the players know exactly what is expected given any situation.

In Montreal things could not be more different.

In the past 12 season we have seen seven different coaches which represents seven different systems, seven different sets of responsibilities and seven different levels of expectation.

How can constant change lead to success?


A New System does not always translate to Success

We, as a collective fan base, expect much from the 23 man roster which is presented to us on a yearly basis. These expectations are based on previous accomplishments and results both at the junior and professional level as well as the additions that are made during the NHL offseason.

For instance, during the summer of 2009 the Habs acquired the likes of Mike Cammalleri, Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez who have all shown consistent NHL success as elite players.

These stars were added to the likes of up and coming players like Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn, to form an attack which on paper looked as dangerous as any in the Eastern Conference.

This optimism was based on the expectations of previous success under different NHL coaches and systems, which emphasized different elements of the game.

Mike Cammalleri for instance fled from the up-tempo, hard forechecking and offensive system in Calgary under the guidance of Brett Sutter. Sutter’s system suited Cammalleri’s game to the point where the diminutive left winger completed the 2008-09 campaign with the highest point total of his career ultimately landing Cammalleri a $6 million contract at the hands of the blue blanc rouge.

In Montreal, Cammalleri was added to a coach and system which frowns upon offensive flare and creativity but rather insists that players conform to a defense first mentality which emphasizes that the "safe play" be made at all times. It is a system which requires a player to battle in the defensive zone, chip the puck in the offensive zone and score goals off turnovers and off power play chances.

Is it fair to expect Cammalleri or even Gionta to perform at the level to which they were accustomed, in a system which fails to emphasize the specific skills sets which they possess?


Does the Blame Lie in the Hands of the Coach?

Jacques Martin continues to be the same coach today as he was when he started in this league 25 years ago with the St. Louis Blues. He is a coach who relies heavily on his veterans, has a hard time coaching his rookies and insists that players conform to his style regardless of past success. A coach does not conform to his players but rather demands that the players buy in to what he is preaching.

In the past 12 season our beloved team has seen seven different approaches to the game which all require a completely different skill set from his players. So how can we possibly blame a coach for not having success if the roster of players he is presented is contradictory to what is needed.

It is the responsibility of the general manager to build a roster of players and to find a coach who is best suited to lead those individuals. When your top six forwards are small, quick and offensive minded it is nonsensical to hire a coach that does not allow them that flexibility.

With a constant revolution at the coaching helm the current squad of players is a mish mash of guys who, on paper, seem to be among one of the best teams in the East but collectively lack an identity. How can you form an identity when what is required from you changes every two years?

They are a 23-man unit which consists primarily of offensive players, yet which lack the ability to collectively score. They are a group which can skate with any team in this league and yet take an abundance of interference and hooking penalties because they do not move their feet.

Can you see the conundrum?

Stay tuned for:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV

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Willey was the shinning light among the wicked growing up as the lone Habs fan in Toronto. Pray to Holy Ghosts of the old forum and all shall be answered I was told, and just like that my family was transferred back to Montreal and away from the damned. Olé Olé Olé.

Posted in: detroit red wings,habs,Jacques Martin,montreal canadiens