But fret not, because we have our share of opinion and disagree often enough that we hope this will become another enjoyable part of your regular reading. We will mostly be talking Habs but, with so much going on in the league, will often be tackling other NHL and hockey related issues.
So, without further ado, here’s our first piece in which we take a look at the rumours of Patrick Roy coaching the Montreal Canadiens.
Moustakas: Rumours of Patrick Roy becoming the next head coach of the Montreal Canadiens are nothing new. However, in recent days, the speculation seems to have hit a fevered pitch, especially thanks to a piece in
The Globe and Mail.
The veracity of these many reports has been challenged, but as the old saying goes, where there is smoke, there is fire.
Regardless, one question merits to be asked: Is Patrick Roy the right fit to coach the Canadiens?
From this corner, I would say no. While his prestigious reputation and fiery temper may be an effective combination on impressionable teenagers, I somehow doubt that richly paid professionals would be so easily moved.
Further to that, as a coach, Patrick Roy has become known for his antics almost more so than his on-ice success. He has been fined four times in the last 12 months by the QMJHL. And, of course, there is also that infamous goaltender fight involving his son.
All in all, not sure any of that would fly in the big leagues.
Panesar: The Globe and Mail article aside, I think the talk of Patrick Roy joining the Habs, in some capacity, really started when the Habs retired his jersey a few years back.
At the time, it was felt that the now famous rift between Roy and the Habs had been healed. Moreover, the feeling in many circles was that the kissing and making up, as it were, would pave the way for Roy to one day return to the Canadiens in some coaching or managerial capacity.
Fast forward to this season and, with the Canadiens stumbling and bumbling on and off the ice, rumours have been rampant all season about possible replacements for GM Pierre Gauthier and co. And now, with this Globe article, among other reports in La Presse and Radio-Canada, it seems that Roy has already been hired, in secret, to take over as head coach of the team next season.
While I think having the fiery Roy as head coach of the Habs would present it challenges and, as you point out Louis, his schtick many not translate well from Junior to the pros, to me I think this whole situation brings up another important point.
If this story ends up being true and Roy has been hired, does that mean the new general manager is already in place too?
It would be beyond foolish for owner Geoff Molson to arbitrarily hire a head coach without having a GM involved in the decision. So, to me, this means that either Pierre Gauthier will continue to be the man next season—a prospect that I find highly unlikely—or Molson has already hired a general manager.
Perhaps that GM is already working with the team in some other capacity.
Can you say Larry Carriere?
Moustakas: A General Manager would have to be in place if this—or any other—hire were to be made. It is simply unfathomable for Molson to impose such a decision. Imagine a new GM having to deal with an emotional, controlling individual like Roy without having even picked him. Awkward.
What's that other old expression? A team is successful when the owner owns, the manager manages and the coach coaches.
As for Larry Carriere being the new GM, not sure how well that would play out in the eyes of fans. People are clamoring for significant change and making another internal hire may not quell those desires.
Larry Carriere could prove to be a fine choice, but, ultimately, real change can only happen if a more significant cleanup is made in the front office. The organization is rife with people who have been around for far too long and have links to previous eras of insuccess.
But, back to our initial topic, do you think Roy would be a fit behind the Habs' bench?
Panesar: The potential GM conundrum aside, if we focus just on Roy, I like the guy.
I like that he is a winner and has won at every level he has played or coached at. I like that he is bilingual and will ease and appease those who were crying foul when Randy Cunneyworth, a unilingual Anglophone, was appointed as head coach. I like that Roy has a history with the Canadiens organization. I like that he brings instant respect and credibility to the table, and I actually like that he is a fiery person who isn’t afraid to speak his mind.
He’s surely the type of coach who wouldn’t hesitate to bench a Scott Gomez or Andrei Kostitsyn. With Roy, it’s my way or the highway.
The thing I dislike the most about him potentially taking over the coaching reigns, is that it would once again be a situation where the Canadiens are appointing a rookie head coach. Aside from Jacques Martin, the Habs have spent close to 15 years letting rookie NHL coaches cut their teeth in Montreal, ultimately crashing and burning, before moving on to success elsewhere.
Names like Alain Vigneault, Claude Julien, Michel Therrien, and others, come to mind.
While my heart tells me Roy would proudly take on the role, while doing everything in his power to win, my head tells me that I wish he had NHL experience before coming to Montreal. It’s the same situation with Guy Boucher. Everyone was crying over his departure to Tampa, but not me. I recognized that he was a talented coach, but didn’t want to see another rookie running the bench. Let him go get experience in Tampa before coming to Montreal.
For me, the same holds true of Roy.
Moustakas: You make some good points about Roy. He strikes me as the intransigent type, which could certianly be a benefit on a squad that has had far too many passengers this season.
And, given his darling status with the Montreal media and ability to act as a lightning-rod for controversy, perhaps he would even help deflect some of the attention away from the players, who must be rather overwhelmed by the Montreal spotlight at times.
Having said that, I still believe his methods would not necessarly sit well with a bunch of richly paid professional athletes.
As for your feelings on Guy Boucher, I echo your sentiment there. I was more than happy to watch him leave.
Coaches get fired on a seemingly daily basis in pro sports. Montreal will get another chance to hire Guy Boucher down the road.
In the meantime, I too am sick and tired of watching rookie coaches take their first steps in La Metropole only to go on to greater success elsewhere. Let someone else do the rookie development for a while.
Panesar: One last point on Roy, or any coach, is that to a certain degree they are only as good as the personnel they have available to them.
While the Habs have some nice pieces in place, they have some work to do before becoming a contender.
I'm not sure that Roy's fiery, competitive nature is what's needed to bring an average team to the promised land.
Will he have the patience to see it through, or become frustrated by the lack of horses to get the job done.
I'm leaning towards the latter, but I've been wrong before!
