Habs Face Leafs In Crucial Season Finale, Price/PK struggling, Kristo To Represent USA And More...

Good Morning Addicts!



Carey Price will need to be on his game tonight if he gets the
start against Toronto.

 The Montreal Canadiens are in Toronto tonight to face the Maple Leafs in the final game of the season for both teams. Toronto has owned the Canadiens this season winning three out of the first four meetings including two blowouts.

Montreal has already clinched home ice in the first round of the playoffs but will need to give all they have tonight regardless to prove to themselves they can keep up with the Leafs. There is a very high probablility that these two teams will meet in the first round of the post season and there is no doubt that Toronto will try to make a statement tonight.

It's no secret that the Leafs are a bigger and tougher team and I would be surprised if they didn't bring their physicality to tonight's tilt to initimidate the Habs. Brendan Gallagher will undoubtedly be a target as he has been a pest against Toronto all season.

If Carey Price starts in goal you can be sure that there will be alot of crease crashing in an attempt to get him off his game. If the Leafs can get inside his head the Habs will have a hard time making it through to the second round.

This is one of the Canadiens most important games of the season. A playoff berth may have been clinched for over a week and home ice may be secured but it is imperative that their offence is buzzing, their defence is strong and their goaltending stellar. I do believe that once the playoffs start the season means nothing and everything resets but when one team has been as dominant as the Leafs have been over the Habs this year the importance of one last win can not be ignored.

If you were Michel Therrien, would you rest guys like Andrei Markov and Francis Bouillon to prepare them for the playoffs. Would you have Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk sit to avoid possible injury?

How about between the Pipes? Should Price sit to avoid further humiliation against a team that has had no problem putting pucks past him or would you give him the chance to prove to the team as well as himself that he is capable of leading this team past Toronto?

Habs And Hockey News

- Fred Poulin (@FredPoulin98) points out that the penalty kill also plays a factor into the Habs recent struggles.

- Andrew Berkshire @AndrewBerkshire brings up some good points in questioning whether or not this is Marc Bergevin's team that has brought success back to Montreal.

- Hamilton Bulldogs forward Danny Kristo will represent team U.S.A. in the upcoming World Championships in May.


(Photo by Bryanna Bradley/The Gazette)

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Habs' 2012 Off-Season Recap

The 2012-2013 off-season has been seen by many as the most important in the history of the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge.  The Habs were the worst team in the Eastern Conference last season, unacceptable result for the NHL’s most storied franchise. 

Pierre Gauthier was fired as General Manager on March 29^th. Much of the blame for the failures of 2011-12 were placed solely on his shoulders. For that matter, many of the questionable trades made by his predecessor Bob Gainey were blamed on Gauthier's inability to identify team needs froma professional scouting perspective.

Even the way he handled Michael Cammalleri, who was quoted as saying, “I can’t accept that we will display a losing attitude this year. We prepare for our games like losers. We play like losers. So it’s no wonder we lose.” was seen by most as a knee-jerk reaction. Cammalleri was promptly traded in the middle of a game versus the Boston Bruins two days after those comments, to the Calgary Flames .

Marc Bergevin was hired as Gauthier’s replacement on May 2, 2012. After about of month of speculation, he hired Michel Therrien as the new head coach, replacing the much maligned Randy Cunneyworth. Cunneyworth worked in the most uncomfortable circumstances, but eventually was let go, along with his assistant Randy Ladouceur. Therrien filled those vacancies with Clement Jodoin, Gerard Gallant and JJ. Daigneualt. Larry Carriere returned to the front office, after his brief stint behind the bench, to resume his roles as an assistant GM and GM of the Hamilton Bulldogs. Bergavin then chose to hire Scott Mellanby, Patrice Brisebois, Martin Lapointe in the front office, along with Rick Dudley, to act as Bergavin's right hand man.

Bergevin began making on ice changes at the 2012 NHL Draft. As a result of their awful 2011-12 season, the Canadiens had the third overall pick. Bergevin and his staff used that pick to draft American/Russian center Alex Galchenyuk. Galchenyuk, is both a talented and big  center, a definite need from an organization perspective. Galchenyuk has played this season with the OHL's Sarnia Sting, and leads the team in scoring. He was also part of Team USA, in their conquest of this year's World Junior Hockey Championship. Along with Galchenyuk, the Canadiens drafted RW Sebastien Collberg and D Dalton Thrower in the second round, LW Tim Bozon in the third, C Brady Vail in the fourth and LW Charles Hudon in the fifth. Their sixth round and final pick was LW Erik Nystrom.

Bergevin further put his stamp on the club through free agency, by acquiring wingers Colby Armstrong, and Brandon Prust, as well as goaltender Cedrick Desjardins, and bringng back defenceman  Francis Bouillon. 

Bergevin must now address what to do with high priced, and failing veterans, Scott Gomez and Tomas Kaberle. The two amnesty buy-outs proposed in the new NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement should see the departure of both of them. 

There is defintely more work to be done. There is still the P.K. Subban contract that needs to be addressed, but overall, the Habs line up is tougher and have a ton more character than they did just a season ago. Along with his players acquisitions, Marc Bergavin has restructured the entire organization, giving it a totally new identity. 

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Habs' Toughness, Gauthier to Hawks, TSN Radio and More

Good AM Hab fans!

Some time ago, I took the odd step of actually defending Pierre Gauthier.

Don't get me wrong, Pierre Gauthier handles public relations about as well as ice handles flame.

But, from a hockey standpoint, he has made some intelligent moves.

And, apparently, the Chicago Blackhawks feel the same way, hiring Gauthier as Director of Player Personnel.

Mind you, I'd make the Bergevin-Gauthier swap anytime, wouldn't you?


Habs News
HabsAddict - The Montreal Canadiens Are Just Not Tough Enough

HabsAddict - Montreal Canadiens Offseason Player Profile: Lars Eller

HabsWorld - Writers Weigh In: Pondering Price's Contract

Hockey Inside/Out - TSN 990 to become French radio station

RDS - Une demande afin de créer RDS Radio

RDS - Pierre Gauthier à l'emploi des Hawks

TSN - Bartlett: Bergevin, Canadiens still have summer work to do

TSN - Report: Blackhawks hire former Canadiens GM Gauthier

Hockey News

The Hockey News - Rory Boylen: Overrated Lightning, hard-headed Flames and Mason Raymond

TSN - Maple Leafs sign D Holzer to one-year contract

TSN - Report: Senators sign Neil to three-year contract extension

USA Today - Blues re-sign Langenbrunner, trade Crombeen

USA Today - Purcell gets extension; Halpern joins Rangers

USA Today - Shane Doan plans to whittle his list of suitors

(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)

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Patrice Brisebois and the Habs Player Development

For the first time in years, the Montreal Canadiens have rolled into the offseason with a (seemingly) clear plan and direction.

By now you've certainly heard about the successful haul Montreal had at last weekend's draft.

However leading up to draft weekend, new GM, Marc Bergevin, made several strong moves to bolster his management team.

One gets to know a GM's philosophy through their actions whether that is through trades, contracts they hand out, or people they hire.

For me, the thing I appreciate most about Bergevin's still young tenure, is his approach to player development. Or rather, the fact that so much emphasis is being put on that facet of the organization.

I still find it stunning how little of a focus Bob Gainey then Pierre Gauthier put on this pivotal area of any successful team. I mean, all of the shenanigans that Carey Price, Mike Komisarek, Chris Higgins and the brothers Kostitsyn went through in this city were the result of not being properly insulated.

These were young millionaires playing in a market where you are idolized as a God off the ice for what you do on it.

Yet management saw no reason to put in place any checks and balances. Worse yet, there was no one whose job it was to guide these young players, to show them the ropes and let them know how to maintain an even keel.

It was just "Here you go Mr. Nineteen-year-old...have a million dollars and go have fun at the strip clubs."

Umm, ya. Brilliant.

Enter Stage Left

If Gainey and Gauthier's failing was providing the proper framework for young players to develop in, then so far, it is looking like Bergevin is their antithesis.

By his actions and decisions, everything shows how much importance he places on drafting and properly developing young players.

Let's face it, this is the salary cap era and you can't continually buy players in order to win. No. You need a mix of veterans and young, supremely skilled, and cap friendly players on your team.

Under Gainey and Gauthier, we saw player after player show promise but eventually fizzle under the bright Montreal lights, only to find success elsewhere.

I have a feeling this will change under Bergevin.

Reading Dave Stubbs' excellent feature on Brisebois this morning, it is clear that Bergevin wants his young guns to know what they are getting into.

While Montreal can be the best place to play (when the crowd is behind you), it can also crush the strongest of souls when things are not going well (and the crowd turns).

What Brisebois will bring to the Habs plentiful array of young, stud defenseman, is not only an understanding of what it takes to be a winner on the ice, but also off it.

Moreover, he can prepare these 18 and 19-year-olds for life in Montreal and what that means (on and off the ice).

A Bright Future

Think back to, say, Carey Price.

Can you imagine him having had the luxury of speaking with Patrick Roy before joining the big club? Now imagine him working with Roy on a regular basis over the course of a few seasons, before being called up.

Picking his brain to learning about Montreal, about living with the weight of history, about the raucous party life, and about what it means to be a star in this city.

But, almost more importantly, learning about how fickle the Montreal crowd can be, and how they can rip you apart when things go bad.

Don't you think that advice and experience would have helped him through his second (brutal) year with the team? That was the year that ended with Price giving a Roy-like two-hands-up salute to the braying crowd.

This is exactly the kind of experience that Brisebois—a boo-bird favorite for several years in Montreal—will impart to young players like Nathan Beaulieu, Jarred Tinordi, Morgan Ellis, Darren Deitz and others.

And that experience will make them that much more prepared for life in Montreal. Moreover, it can only help them to be more successful.

While we have yet to see how Brisebois' player development role unfolds, it's safe to say that Bergevin understands how to build a modern team.

Your prospects are your wealth, and without them you have nothing and are nothing. So protect them, take care of them, guide them and, ultimately, do everything in your power to make sure they are ready for the big stage, whenever they finally get there.

There's still lots of things to happen this summer on the Habs front but, so far, the new management team is giving Hab fans a reason to smile.

---
Kamal is a freelance writer, Senior Writer/Editor-in-Chief of HabsAddict.com, and Montreal Canadiens Blogger on Hockeybuzz.com. Kamal is also an on-air contributor on TSN 990, CJAD, and LiveSport New Zealand.

Follow Kamal on Facebook and Twitter

(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)

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Geoff Molson: 12 Steps to Recovery

Hello fellow Hab addicts, my name is Bryan Willey and it has been almost 2 months since my last confession... errrrr blog.

I apologize for the delay. Quite frankly though, this season has been a complete write-off for me.

I am fan through and through just like the rest of you. But my complete and utter lack of confidence in Pierre Gauthier — and especially Bob Gainey — made me nauseous to the point where I found myself hating the game and the team that I grew up loving.

100 years of class and pride was almost completely erased because of a complete mismanagement of assets, a complete lack of respect for the fan base and, especially, a complete lack of respect for the CH itself.

I, like many of you out there, have been preaching for change for many, many years but those wishes often went by the wayside. Ownership simply did not want to hear, nor admit, that there was a problem.

As such, the organization continued to spiral out of control, seeing only occasional periods of success — namely the 2010 playoff run. The arena was full, sweaters were selling and the coffers were full of the hard earned money of the average fan. But then it happened. President and owner Geoff Molson stepped from the shadows and did the unthinkable.

A confession was made. A confession of guilt and wrong doing. A confession that something was in fact wrong with the management of the team and that change was needed.

Shhhhhhhh, be quiet for a second and listen hard. Can you hear that?

“My name is Geoff Molson, and I have a problem.”

And, just like that, Molson begun his much needed 12 step journey to recovery.

I apologize if I offend anyone because addiction is no laughing matter. Frankly, I have nothing but respect towards anyone who takes the leap to battle their demons. However, if you know me well enough, then you certainly know that I try to find humour in everything.

It's my coping mechanism for an otherwise sheltered and difficult life. O.K, not really.

Think about this for a second though. Do you not see the correlation between the 12 steps of enlightenment for AA and the path to enlightenment that Geoff Molson now embarks on?

Right off the top, before one can even begin the journey to recovery one must find a mentor.  A person to serve as a guide through the difficult times. A person who has been there and has succeeded.

Enter Serge Savard.

Once that mentor has been found, it is time to cleanse.

Step 1: Admit to being powerless over the situation. Essentially admitting there is a problem.

Mr. Molson not only acknowledged there was a problem but sought immediate means to part with that problem by firing Pierre Gauthier and Bob Gainey.

Step 2: Come to belief that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

Remember the words of Mr. Molson himself who publicly cited that he is not a hockey man and, as such, will leave the hockey decisions in the hands of someone more qualified.

Step 3: Make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of someone who understands.

Although that person has not yet been determined, Mr. Molson vows to have someone in place in the very near future. This person will be a qualified hockey mind who’ll reform the current image of the Bleu Blanc Rouge. I've recently heard that the search has been narrowed to Marc Bergevin, Claude Loiselle, Julien Brisebois and Pierre McGuire.

Step 4: Make a searching and fearless moral inventory of the situation.

Although the moral inventory started with Pierre Gauthier, it is widely admitted that this team is small, the coaching is questionable, the farm team lacks the depth to compete and the organization has gone more than 10 years in search of the proverbial big powerful center. Now it is a matter of ending the discussion and acting.

Step 5: Admit to ourselves, and to another human being, the exact nature of our wrongs.

Exact nature of our wrongs? Are you kidding me? The nature of our wrongs became the entire Gainey Era. If it was not for the superb work of Trevor Timmins to fill this roster with NHL calibre players then we would be a heck of a lot worse off. This organization has continued to be set back by poor personnel and pro scouting errors.

Step 6: We are entirely ready to remove all these defects of character.

Straight from the horses mouth, Mr. Molson is prepared to do whatever it takes. Whether that means burying a $7.4 million per season mistake in the AHL or hiring the most expensive Manager-Coach tandem in the NHL. All errors will be remedied in order to achieve betterment.

Step 7: Humbly asked to remove our shortcomings.

Do you not remember the year in review press conference? A public apology and a formal printed apology in the newspaper for the 2011-12 fiasco ensued.

Step 8: Make a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

To the 21,273 fans in the Bell Centre every game and the millions at home watching. To Mike Cammalleri for parting ways with like a piece of yesterdays trash. Without having the testicular fortitude to treat him with respect when he was traded from this organization. To Saku Koivu who gave all that he could to a city and to a franchise but who in reciprocation did not even get a phone call to tell him his services were no longer required.

Step 9: Make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

What can be done to remedy all the wrongs that have been made. We have been stripped of Blue Chip prospects like Ryan McDonaugh and of strong players like Matt D’Agostini, Guillaume Latendresse, Mike Ribeiro, Michael Ryder, Sheldon Souray, Jaroslav Halak, Matt Carkner, Sergei Kostitsyn, Mikhail Grabovski, Mark Streit, Maxim Lapierre, Chris Higgins and Ron Hainsey.

So much wrong. So much pain.

Step 10: Continued to take inventory, and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.

Yes, Mr. Gainey and Mr. Gauthier, you were wrong in trading for Scott Gomez and Tomas Kaberle. Yes you were wrong signing Mike Cammalleri and a bunch of other “more durable” players. Yes you were wrong in drafting David Fischer ahead of, say, Claude Giroux. You were wrong in letting Alex Kovalev, Saku Koivu and the remainder of that team depart via Free Agency without getting any assets in return.

Step 11: Sought through a long withstanding search under every rock and cranny to improve our conscious contact with the hockey world, praying only for knowledge of whom to hire with the power and ability to make us succeed.

No, a replacement to Gauthier has not been found, but there have been close to ten phone interviews and at least four face-to-face interviews to date. Geoff Molson and Serge Savard, at least in the public forum, appear to be searching for the most qualified individual to fill the void. Every rock and cranny — you know, with French speaking ability — will be analysed.

Step 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to Habs fans, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

The wheels are in motion, the promises have been made. It is now time to turn all Habs fans into believers.

---
Bryan is a Marketer by day, writer for HabsAddict.com by night and full time fan of the game. Follow me on twitter @BryanWilley78 but don't bother looking for me on Facebook, I'm just too old for that now!

(Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz)

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Montreal Canadiens Moving Forward - Part 1 - The Front Office Shakeup

Habs Need to Regroup After Disappointing Season

Hello Habs nation, It's been a while since my last appearance and while part of it is because I've been away, it's also partly because I've had trouble coming to terms with the dismal season the Habs delivered.

I've decided to skip my usual recap of their last two weeks of the season, and instead focus on their needs as they move forward.

While it's clear the Canadiens have some work to do in order to find success, I do believe they are closer than this season's results would have many believe.

Over the next few weeks I will be going over some changes that need to be made in order for the Habs to avoid any further embarrassment.

In this first installment, I will focus on the first thing the Canadiens need to do: fill the void left by Pierre Gauthier's departure and appoint a head coach.

Front Office Shake-Up

It's safe to say that whoever comes in to replace Gauthier will be an improvement. While I personally would like to see the job handed to Pierre McGuire, it's reassuring to see Habs owner, Geoff Molson, exploring all of his options before making his choice.

Current assistant GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning Julien Brisebois is an apparent front runner. Chicago Blackhawks' assistant GM Marc Bergevin has also been approached and RDS has reported that while the Canadiens were interested in Red Wings' assistant GM Jim Nill, Nill has no intention of leaving the Detroit organization

Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos reported last week that the Habs have reached out to the Los Angeles Kings with regards to Luc Robitaille, who is currently the Kings' President of Business operations, and Ron Hextall who serves as Vice President and Assistant GM with the team.

Kypreos' report went on to say that the Kings have confirmed the Canadiens interest in certain members of their organization but would prefer if things were dealt with after the playoffs.

Molson will more than likely make his choice before the June 22nd draft, but they would surely like to have their man in place sooner rather than later.

The draft would be a perfect time to bring in somebody like McGuire.

McGuire knows just about everything about anybody who has ever played hockey and his knowledge would be useful when choosing future prospects.

Whether or not it's McGuire who's appointed the team's next GM, there is no question that finding someone to replace Gauthier is the first step to improving this team.

The second step would then be finding a new bench boss.

Head Coach

Generally speaking, it's the GM who brings in his coaching staff, so it's possible Montreal will not have a new man for the job until the GM position is filled.

Although there are reports to the contrary, with rumors swirling that there is already a verbal agreement that would have Patrick Roy behind the bench next year. The idea is loved and hated throughout Montreal, as Roy's fiery temperament and controversial past is viewed as passion by some and immaturity by others.

The language issue does limit the Canadiens when trying to employ a new coach, but it's hard to believe there isn't a bilingual answer for the Habs somewhere in the hockey world. Bob Hartley and Marc Crawford are names that have bounced around along with Roy's.

Another name that will more than likely come up more often than not is Alain Vigneault. With his Vancouver Canucks down 3-0 against the Los Angeles Kings it is widely believed that he could be on his way out.

Vigneault has lead the Canucks to five playoff appearances in his six years in Vancouver, including the Stanley Cup finals last year losing in seven games against the Boston Bruins.

The Canucks have also won two Presidents Trophy's under Vigneault, who claimed the Jack Adams award as the NHL's top coach in 2007.

While language is important—mostly for the media's sake—there are other factors that need to be considered.

In my opinion the team needs somebody who can get the best out of his players, and who has the guts to hold top players accountable when necessary.

Sounds cliche I know, but both qualities are imperative for a coach to be successful.

Once these two positions are filled, the organization can start deciding what they want their team to look like, and start putting the pieces together.

How do you feel about the lack of a GM and coach right now? Do you think filling these voids should be done as soon as possible so progress can be made or do you have trust in Molson's patience?

---
Sean is a freelance writer currently contributing to HabsAddict.com. He is also a regular blogger and frequent panelist on the Habs post game show at MontrealHockeyTalk.com

Follow Sean on Twitter

(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images North America)

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Habs/Leafs, Last Day, Grapes, Budaj, CKCU and More

Good morning Hab addicts!

So, what are you doing with your Saturday?

If you said 'watching hockey', that is the correct answer.

All 30 NHL teams are in action today and, although playoff teams have been set, today's contests are rife with post-season implications.

Starting at 1 PM EST, Chicago and Detroit faceoff in a nationally televised match up and then, for us lucky Canadians, a triple-header is being offered by CBC.

In the middle of this three game treat, Montreal and Toronto meet to end their miserable campaigns. Other than marking the end of a not-so-memorable campaign for both clubs, this game is actually devoid of any implication.

Even in the jockeying for a lottery pick, Montreal is already assured of a bottom-three finish, win or lose.

What games will you be watching today?

Habs News

HabsAddict.com - Louis Moustakas on CKCU's Red Zone

Faceoff.com - Hickey: Spacek's trade hard on his family

Faceoff.com - Stubbs: Grapes flabbergasted by Habs' turmoil

HabsWorld.net - Writers Weigh In: Gauthier's Gone, Part Two 

HabsWorld.net - Not enough Budaj

TSN - Leafs-Habs meet with nothing but lottery positions at stake

Hockey News

ESPN - 5 Things: Canada, realignment, predictions

The Hockey News - NCAA Frozen Four: Boston College, Ferris State prepare for David vs. Goliath final

The Hockey News - Dr. Boucher: The myth of mental toughness

TSN - Chipman: Jets wanted playoffs but NHL return still great

TSN - Dreger's Mailbag: Leafs, Flames facing tough questions


(Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images North America)

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Louis Moustakas on CKCU's Red Zone

Good afternoon Hab addicts!

In case you were wondering why the habitual A.M news roundup was not posted, it is because instead I was up bright and early to join Alex Liepold and Jordan Chevalier to talk Montreal Canadiens on CKCU's Red Zone program in Ottawa.

The podcast of this morning's program can be found here.

I join the guys at the 33 minute mark. Namely, we discuss the recent management shakeup, Patrick Roy potentially joining the organization, the core players on the Habs and the Ottawa Senators' surprising playoff berth.

The whole program is worth a listen. Alex and Jordan have voices perfectly suited for sports radio and they definitely know their stuff.

So give them a listen or a read on the Red Zone blog.

---
Louis is an Associate Editor at HabsAddict.com. Born in Chicago, Louis grew up in Quebec City where he earned Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Université Laval. Find him on twitter @LouisMoustakas

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Habs News, Price Concussed, Candidates for GM and More

Morning Hab fans!

As you have undoubtedly heard by now, Montreal Canadiens' goaltender Carey Price is suffering from what the team is calling "headaches".

Others are simply reporting that he will be shut down the rest of the season. Either way, it seems he sustained his injury — probably a concussion — during practice last week.

In any event, not only does this put into doubt the rest of Price's NHL campaign, but it also casts a long shadow over any potential participation in the World Championships this spring.

It also creates an opportunity for punch lines about how Price has "mal a la tete" playing for the Canadiens. But I digress.

More to come, no doubt.

Habs News

HabsAddict.com - Top Candidates for the Montreal Canadiens GM Position

HabsAddict.com - Panesar and Moustakas: Gauthier Gone, Now What?

Faceoff.com - Possible Price concussion could give new Habs' GM headaches

Faceoff.com - Hiring BriseBois would be smart move for Habs

HabsWorld.net - Writers Weigh In: Gauthier's Gone, Part One

HockeyBuzz - Damphousse and Roy as GM and Coach? My Take...

RDS - C. Price aurait une commotion cérébrale

RDS - Roy voudrait plus que le poste de coach

Hockey News

The Hockey News - Campbell: Poor management sinks Canadian franchises

TSN - Milbury sounds off on Bylsma, Crosby after brawl with Flyers

USA Today - Stamkos scores twice as Lightning top Capitals

USA Today - Flyers' Laviolette, Penguins' Granato fined

(Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images North America)

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Top Candidates for the Montreal Canadiens GM Position

Now that the dust has settled after owner Geoff Molson finally decided to fire general manager Pierre Gauthier, it's now time to look at the potential candidates for one of the most important position in the NHL.

The top candidates will need to have some experience in a managerial position or have worked in the NHL, whether in the media or for the NHLPA, to be seriously considered for the position. A renowned and storied franchise, the Montreal Canadiens will need to select the right man for the job. Despite the unexpected playoff run in 2009-10 that saw the Canadiens reach the Eastern Conference Final, Gauthier and his predecessor Bob Gainey failed to build a Stanley Cup contender over the last few years.  

This season the Canadiens are dead last in the Eastern Conference following a series of bad decisions and a rash of long-term injuries to key players such as Brian Gionta and Andrei Markov.

Below you will find a list of potential candidates in alphabetical order:

Marc Bergevin

A former rearguard who played 1,191 games in the NHL with the Blues, Penguins, Lightning and Blackhawks, amongst others, Bergevin, a Montreal native, also speaks French.. After his retirement, Bergevin was named as a pro scout with the Blackhawks' organization. Three years later, in 2008, Bergevin was named an assistant coach with the organization before accepting a job as director of player personnel in 2009. 

Last summer, Bergevin was promoted to the position of assistant general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks replacing Kevin Cheveldayoff, who had accepted the General Manager position with the new Winnipeg Jets team. While Bergevin certainly has some knowledge how to manage an NHL team, he doesn't boast a lot of experience, having worked only one season as assistant to Hawks' GM Stan Bowman.

Julien BriseBois

A lawyer by trade, Brisebois has been working with the Tampa Bay Lightning as an assistant general manager to Steve Yzerman since 2010. Very good with numbers, BriseBois, a native of Greenfield Park near Montreal, knows all aspects of contract preparation and negotiation, salary arbitration and player transaction. 

Another bilingual candidate, BriseBois worked for the Canadiens for nine years before joining the Lightning's AHL affiliate, the Norforlk Admirals in 2010. During his tenure with the Habs, he worked as Director of Legal Affairs, Director of Hockey Operations and eventually as Vice-President of Hockey operations. 

In 2007, BriseBois was named the General Manager of Montreal's top AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs. Well regarded in hockey circles, BriseBois earned a Master's degree in business administration from the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University and definitely understands the financial aspects of hockey. However, BriseBois has never played hockey in the NHL or at any high level of competition, which is certainly a disadvantage when it comes to being named as the Habs' next general manager.

Pat Brisson

The über agent — who represents the likes of Sidney Crosby, Daniel Briere, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews — is a native Quebecois and a very close friend of former Los Angeles Kings sniper Luc Robitaille. Brisson is a long shot to become the Habs' next GM because he has never acted as a GM and is currently based in Los Angeles. While Brisson played junior hockey in QMJHL, he has never seen time in the NHL. 

Brisson is also currently the agent of Habs' center Louis Leblanc.

Vincent Damphousse

A former Canadiens player, Damphousse played more than 1,378 games in the NHL with the Maple Leafs, Oilers, Sharks and Habs. Damphousse was a member of the last Canadian team that won a Stanley Cup back in 1993 when Montreal won its 24th Stanley Cup. 

Currently working as an hockey analyst for RDS, the official French language broadcaster of the Bleu Blanc Rouge, Damphousse has never occupied a managerial position for an NHL team, but was a member of the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) executive committee, serving as Vice President under Trevor Linden. 

Damphousse is a proven winner and was part of the Canadiens when Serge Savard was the general manager. We all know that Molson has appointed Savard as a senior consultant to help him nominate the team's next GM. This relationship with Savard could very well be a serious advantage for Damphousse as the two men have known each other for decades now.

Francois Giguere

A native of Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Giguere is currently unemployed after serving as the Colorado Avalanche's  General Manager and Executive Vice-President until 2009. He was replaced by Greg Sherman, who is still acting as the Avalanche's GM. 

Giguere is a dark-horse candidate as he's been out of the NHL for three years. He also worked in the Quebec Nordiques organization between 1990 and 1995 before the team moved to Denver. I would believe Giguere would be a more serious candidate if and when another NHL team moves to Quebec City in the near future as he was born in the area.

Claude Loiselle

A former center who played 616 games in the NHL for the Red Wings, Devils, Nordiques, Maple Leafs and Islanders, Loiselle has been working as Assistant General Manager under Brian Burke of the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Loiselle currently negotiates NHL contracts with the team, but has never played for the Canadiens and doesn't have a very good track record with the Leafs over the past few seasons. A native of Ottawa, Loiselle also speaks French, but he is not considered a favorite to land the prestigious job in Montreal.

Pierre McGuire

The well-known television analyst —  and former NHL assistant coach and head coach — has been working for NBC and TSN for the past few years. However, he has interviewed for general manager positions in the past without much success. Born in New Jersey, McGuire grew up in Montreal and also worked as a pro scout back in the 1990s. 

He knows the league inside out, especially since he popularized the "Inside the Glass" broadcasting position with TSN. Another advantage is that he's also bilingual, but his lack of experience as in a managerial position will most likely eliminate him as a serious candidate for the job.

Patrick Roy

The former NHL goaltender won the Stanley Cup four times with the Montreal Canadiens and the Colorado Avalanche. A close friend of Serge Savard, Roy is currently managing and coaching the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. 

Also a native of Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Roy is obviously bilingual and has played for a decade with the Canadiens before asking to be traded following an incident with head coach Mario Tremblay in the 1995-96 season. A very hot-headed and vocal head coach, Roy doesn't have any experience at the NHL level as a head coach or a general manager. While some experts believe Roy is a serious candidate to replace Gauthier, I believe Roy would prefer to accept a position as the Habs' head coach replacing Randy Cunneyworth.

Other potential candidates: Jim Nill, Doug Risebrough, Andre Savard

A combo of former teammates Patrick Roy as Head Coach and Vincent Damphousse as GM would seem to be the perfect duo as both players were well-respected and liked when they donned the Habs jersey in the early 1990s.

Damphousse, who is a poised and calm person, would perfectly balance Roy's hot-blooded temper.

Who would you like as the Canadiens' next General Manager?

---
Follow me on Twitter to get updates on the Canadiens and the NHL in general.

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

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Habs News, Gauthier Gone, Standings, Roy and More

Morning Hab Fans!

In the continued oddity of reverse scoreboard watching, the Canadiens actually had a pretty successful day on Sunday.

Both Minnesota and Edmonton picked up two points, at once virtually assuring the Canadiens will get at least a top-five selection at the draft and pushing them down to 29th overall in the league.

According to SportClub stats, even if the Habs finish the season with a 2-0-1 record - which would be quite decent - they still would have a 79% probability of retaining the 15th position in the East.

Brutal, eh?



Habs News

HabsAddict.com - Panesar and Moustakas: Gauthier Gone, Now What?

Faceoff.com - Savard would be fine GM

Faceoff.com - Jack Todd: Gauthier will not be missed

Faceoff.com - Stubbs: Looking forward and looking back

HabsWorld.net - HW Recap: How low can they go?

La Presse - Patrick Roy: une vague de fond

La Presse - Impact-Canadien: déjà un même combat

RDS - CH : trois matchs avant les vacances

Hockey News

ESPN - Case of the Mondays: March 31-April 1

Sports Illustrated - The 2011-12 Dater Awards

TSN - Siegel: Concussion aftermath challenging for Leafs' Liles

TSN - Beyak: Jets finally eliminated from playoff picture

USA Today - Roundup: Red Wings beat Panthers 2-1 in shootout

(Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images North America)

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Panesar and Moustakas: Gauthier Gone, Now What?

With the recent dismissal of Pierre Gauthier, your new favorite debate duo, Kamal Panesar and Louis Moustakas, return to dissect the latest move in the ongoing saga known as the 2011-12 Montreal Canadiens' season.

Moustakas: Good morning my friend! The shoe finally dropped last week as Geoff Molson relieved Pierre Gauthier of his managerial duties, while Bob Gainey was also released as special advisor.

While I have defended some of Gauthier's hockey moves, his ineptitude at communicating with the fan base and the poor salary structure he bestowed on the team made his dismissal well deserved.

Although the firing itself is unsurprising, the timing is, at least a little a bit. Why now, with so little time in the season left? One has to wonder — as Francois Gagnon has speculated — if the Canadiens want to have a new General Manager in place for the April 10th Draft Lottery.

And showing that new face of the franchise is of capital importance. Not only has the team plummeted in the standings, but the organization's image is at arguably an all-time low.

Panesar: Yes, yes…your defenses of Gauthier as a GM don’t look so good now do they?

Jokes aside, it was high time the Habs parted ways with Gauthier. The fact that Molson also took it upon himself to have Gainey move aside shows, to me, that he truly understands that it is time for new blood. My fear was that he would fire Gauthier but keep Gainey on as an advisor.

I suppose reaching back into the past for Serge Savard to now advise his decisions, at least when it comes to hiring a new GM, is slightly dubious. Not that Savard isn’t a brilliant businessman and was once a great GM. But the game has changed significantly over the last 20 years and he has not been involved in hockey, on any level, over that time.

Still, he is a trusted figure to the Molson family, so I fully understand the decision.

As for the timing, well, if you watched Molson’s press conference, he said they wanted to wait till the Habs were mathematically eliminated. In addition, he said that now they have 10 extra days to find a GM.

But, to be honest, that is largely window dressing, since it is pretty well known that the search for a new GM was started, in earnest, over a month ago. To that point, there has even been speculation that the “new” GM, is already in place and that they would wait until the end of the season to announce him.

Whether that ends up being true or not, we’ll never know. But, what is clear to me, is that Molson truly does care and does want to bring this organization back to respectability. So the question is, who is the best man for the job?

Moustakas: Pierre Gauthier is a lot of things, but he is not an utterly incapable hockey man. I stand by my defenses. What can I say? Great minds think for themselves.

Geoff Molson's demeanor at the press conference was a welcome sight. After essentially hiding behind releases following the Pacioretty and Cunneyworth incidents, it was refreshing to watch Molson take ownership of the situation. Which is his role since he is, after all, the owner. See how I did that? Owner, ownership.

As for Serge Savard's appointment, it accomplishes a couple of things. It adds credibility to the hiring process and, more importantly, promotes the notion that the team will intensify its focus on Francophone talent, both on and off the ice. After the Randy Cunneyworth PR fiasco, that is key.

If a GM is already in place, though, why add Savard to the process? I would find that mighty curious.

Regardless, I am not sure I have a flat-out favorite for the position. After the combined disaster of the Gainey-Gauthier eras, any of the proposed names sound enticing. Having said that, I am not exactly keen on Patrick Roy. As we discussed last time, his lack of professional experience and fiery, imposing temper are of grave concern to me.

Forced to choose, though, I might opt for someone like Pierre McGuire. Having worked extensively in the media, he would obviously not be afflicted with the communication-related issues that plagued the previous two GMs and could build good relations with the press. Beyond that, he has also demonstrated a deep knowledge of hockey at all levels and has previous NHL experience. One could do worse.

Towards whom are you leaning?

Panesar: I think Roy is more a candidate for coaching rather than the GM position. At least I certainly hope he is! Listening to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, he said that he feeling is that Roy would be interested in a coaching position but not the GM job in Montreal.

Aside from Roy, Pierre McGuire is a name that comes up a lot, as does Tampa Bay Assistant Julien Brisebois and former Colorado GM Francois Giguere, among others. The bottom line is that there will be no shortage of interested parties, especially if they loosen the language requirements a tad.

An interesting, out-of-the-box idea that was espoused by McKenzie, was for the Habs to make a call to the Florida Panthers to find out if they would release GM Dave Tallon from his contract. They likely wouldn’t, but as the guy who built the Stanley Cup winning Blackhawks and the man who has turned the lowly Panthers into a playoff team in one season, he would be a good prospect.

Plus, he is the only bilingual GM currently working in the NHL. A long shot, to be sure, but a damn good idea.

For me, Detroit’s Assistant GM, Jim Nil, is a ridiculously over-qualified Assistant. He would be gold in Montreal, save for his lack of French speaking abilities and the fact that he is paid a king’s ransom to remain with the Wings.

Ultimately, for me, I have Pierre McGuire as my top choice after Nil. He is a Montrealer, born and raised, is a Habs fan deep down and wants nothing more than for this team to win. In addition, his encyclopedic knowledge of teams, leagues and players around the world is staggering. He has also spent the last 15 or so years very close to NHL organizations, GMs, coaches and the like, in an analyst role. I think that experience would be invaluable in learning how to build a successful program.

On the McGuire front though, I am amazed at how many people, mostly on Twitter, are so adamantly against him as a candidate. Chatting with a few of them, their explanation is largely due to his seeming anti-Hab slant as an analyst.

I’m not exactly sure what the has to do with his qualification level as a potential GM, but maybe that’s just me.

Moustakas: You are right about the level of popular opposition to McGuire. He seems to rub some people the wrong way and others will certainly object to his non-francophone roots. You know, if you are an Anglophone Quebecois, you are not really Quebecois, right? But I digress.

His passion and knowledge would make him a boon to the struggling franchise. Hopefully, he gets his due consideration.

Wow. Look at us agreeing. Clearly, we have all the solutions. Geoff Molson should hire us. On parle français en plus!

Until next time my friend!


---Kamal is a freelance writer, Senior Writer/Editor-in-Chief of HabsAddict.com, Montreal Canadiens Blogger on Hockeybuzz.com and featured columnist on PowerScoutHockey.com. Kamal is also a regular contributor to the Sunday Shinny segment of The Franchise weekend morning show, on TSN Radio 990 (AM 990) every Sunday from 9 - 10 AM. Listen live at http://www.tsn.ca/montreal/

Follow Kamal on Facebook and Twitter

Louis is an Associate Editor at HabsAddict.com. Born in Chicago, Louis grew up in Quebec City where he earned Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Université Laval. Find him on twitter @LouisMoustakas

(Photo by The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz)

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Habs Fire Gauthier, Fallout, Candidates and More

Good morning Hab fans!

It finally happened.

General Manager Pierre Gauthier was fired yesterday.

Although the man has made some good hockey moves, a point which I have argued before, he also proved to be an utterly inept communicator and leaves the team behind with a dubious salary structure.

Perhaps more importantly, Bob Gainey was also released from his role as special advisor. As you will recall, Gainey was the main architect of the 2009 rebuild that saw high-priced contracts such as Brian Gionta, Mike Cammalleri and, of course, Scott Gomez brought in.

In his stead, Serge Savard has been brought in to consult on the hiring of the next GM.

Its a first step. What do you think will happen next?

Habs News


HabsAddict.com - Patrick Roy's Return?

HabsAddict.com - Geoff Molson Comments Pierre Gauthier Firing - Press Conference Notes

ESPN - Debate: What now for Habs?

ESPN - 5 Things: Habs are a mess Patrick Roy?

ESPN - Rumblings: Who will be next Habs' GM?

La Presse - Sondage CROP - La Presse: les Québécois réclament Patrick Roy

La Presse - Qui sera le prochain DG du CH?

RDS - On a payé pour une reconstruction ratée

Sports Illustrated - Handicapping the candidates for next Canadiens GM

The Hockey News - Proteau: With Gauthier out as GM, Canadiens need new image

TSN - TSN scout Button looks back at Gauthier's draft record

TSN - Canadiens' Cunneyworth on thin ice after GM Gauthier fired

USA Today - Roundup: Devils, Caps stay in playoff hunt with wins


(Photo by Andre Pichette/La Presse)

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Patrick Roy's Return?

Will Patrick Roy Return to Montreal as Head Coach?

With the Canadiens just five games away from season's end and Randy Cunneyworth's inability to turn this team around since his December 17th promotion, it's time to start taking these Patrick Roy rumors seriously. And, with the recent dismissal of Pierre Gauthier, one can only expects these rumors to intensify.

Speculation about St. Patrick's return have been swirling since Jacques Martin's departure and have picked up steam over the past two weeks, namely thanks to stories in The Globe and Mail and La Presse.

On one hand, there are a number of Montrealers who still feel betrayed by the Hall of Fame goaltender after his refusal to play another game as a Hab following an embarassing 11-1 drubbing at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings in 1995, a game in which Roy was beat nine times on 26 shots.

On the other hand, there are those who believe it would be fitting that Roy be given a chance to bring life to a franchise that has gone downhill since he last spoke to his posts in the Old Forum.

As my colleagues Kamal Panesar and Louis Moustakas discussed earlier this week, the issue is whether Patrick Roy and the Montreal Canadiens can work the second time around.

Roy and the Media

Roy's Francophone background and number in the rafter's — not to mention the 1986 and 1993 Stanley Cup banners obtained in large part due to his stellar goaltending —  seem to qualify him for the job in the eye's of the media.

In addition, I'm sure that the passionate and sometimes irate post game quotes he'll surely provide will be welcomed by the press after years of dealing with the often emotionless Jacques Martin.

Patrick Roy would be somewhat of a French-speaking John Torterella. You know, minus the NHL experience and Stanley Cup ring.

No Experience Coaching in NHL

Roy's lack of experience coaching at the NHL level is a huge turn off in the eyes of many, but he has done an impressive job behind the bench of the Quebec Remparts in the QMJHL.

In his seven years as the Remparts' coach, Roy has a 307-138-32 record and, in 2006, became the seventh rookie coach to win the Memorial Cup.

While his lack of professional coaching experience Roy is a negative, there are no doubt a number of positives that St. Patrick could bring to the Canadiens.

For one thing, Roy is passionate. It's been too long since there has been a fiery coach behind the Habs bench willing to make his presence known.

In recent seasons, underachievers have rarely held accountable in Montreal, especially when it comes to ice time.

It would be interesting to see the minutes players like Scott Gomez or former Hab Mike Cammalleri would get under Roy's reign.

Roy, Subban and Price

Although the Canadiens could use some fire behind the bench, it's unsure whether Roy's temper would mesh well with the current roster.

Of particular concern are P.K. Subban and Carey Price.

Part of me worries that Roy's strong and stubborn personality may clash with Subban's outgoing ways.

Conversely, maybe Roy could relate to the cocky demeanor and high expectations that go along with P.K Subban.

Then there is Carey Price. Would he be affected, if at all, by having a Hall of Fame netminder behind the bench?

Would Roy let goalie coach Pierre Groulx have complete control over the Habs backstop or would he contribute his own two cents when it comes to the development of the Habs star goalie?

If Roy were to move in on Groulx's turf, it's unknown as to how Price and his calm, collected demeanor would deal with any outbursts that may come from the Habs legendary goalie.

If you ask me, I wouldn't mind having someone with Roy's success giving someone with Price's skill and maturity some pointers.

When all is said and done I'm torn when it comes to Patrick Roy returning to Montreal as head coach.

While I wouldn't mind having an experienced NHL coach behind the bench next year, I'm not completely opposed to welcoming a Montreal Canadiens alumni who almost single handedly won the team's last two championships.

What are your thoughts? Does experience outweigh history? Would Roy's temper bode well in the locker room? Or did Roy give up his chance to return to this franchise when he walked out on the team in '95?

---
Sean is a freelance writer currently contributing to HabsAddict.com. He is also a regular blogger and frequent panelist on the Habs post game show at MontrealHockeyTalk.com. You can follow Sean on Twitter.

(Photo by Richard the Canadian Press)

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Geoff Molson Comments Pierre Gauthier Firing - Press Conference Notes

Well, if you didn't hear it, Habs owner, Geoff Molson, just finished his press conference discussing the firing of Pierre Gauthier as GM.

And man did he ever hit it out of the park. Molson said all the right things while truly showing the he cares. This press conference comes full circle from his comments when he took over the team, showing and stating that he is and was a fan.

Here's a quick, point form, break down of what Molson had to say:

-We play in the best hockey market in the world
-Fans want and deserve a winning team.
-Ownership will accept nothing less than a winning culture in the organization.
-Likes core of team
-Injuries decimated team this year, but this is not an excuse
-Over next month will deal with contracts and prep for draft. (Sounds like Price and Subban talks will start before WHC.)
-Molson says in a mutual decision Bob Gainey no longer with the club as an advisor
-Serge Savard will help Molson find a new GM
-Molson: "...this organization must set its sights on competing for the games ultimate prize, every season. And no lesser standard should be accepted. Our fans and our tradition demand nothing less than this."
-Molson thanks fans for suggestions in email, twitter, etc.
-Attention will now be turned to hiring a new GM. "...Until the decision is made, the process and list of candidates will remain confidential."
-Molson: Decision to act now was a) when 100% sure the playoffs were out, the moment was right and b) acting now means they have 10 additional days more to find a new GM
-Molson: "...We'll narrow search down to best candidate, preference is to have someone who speaks French..."
-Molson said, several times, that the preference is for a GM that speaks French but being the best candidate is the priority.
-Molson: ..."when it comes to hockey decisions, I rely on hockey professionals. It is not my area of expertise."
-Molson: "...the last time I spoke to Patrick Roy was when his sweater was retired."
-Molson: Larry Carriere will be assistant GM/interim to search for a New GM, plan for the draft and prepare post-mortems, Pierre Groulx replacing him behind the bench for the next five games.

Here is video of his press conference, in English:


Great, great presser by the Habs owner. He has given Habs fans a reason to smile with only a few games remaining in this dismal season.

Moreover, he has given them something to look forward to.

So what do you think of the move and his presser? Also, who do you think will be the best candidate to take over as GM?

---
Kamal is a freelance writer, Senior Writer/Editor-in-Chief of HabsAddict.com, Montreal Canadiens Blogger on Hockeybuzz.com and featured columnist on PowerScoutHockey.com. Kamal is also a regular contributor to the Sunday Shinny segment of The Franchise weekend morning show, on TSN Radio 990 (AM 990) every Sunday from 9 - 10 AM. Listen live at http://www.tsn.ca/montreal/

Follow Kamal on Facebook and Twitter

(photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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Montreal Canadiens Fire GM Pierre Gauthier

This is all we have from the Habs so far:

"Pierre Gauthier relieved from his duties the search for a new General Manager is underway Press Conference with Geoff Molson today at 11: 45 a.m.

MONTREAL (March 29, 2012) – Geoff Molson, Owner, President and CEO of the Montreal Canadiens will hold a press conference, today, March 29, at 11:45 a.m. in the Bell Sports Complex press conference room in Brossard."

More details to come...

UPDATE - 11:30 AM - Darren Dreger, on TSN 990 and Twitter, says that..."Some suggestions Bob Gainey may be stepping away from Canadiens as well."

Kamal's Note: Atta boy Goeff Molson! If this ends up being true, it shows the Molson truly understands what ails this franchise and is ready to part ways will all who had associations with former eras.

I think aside from Larry Carriere and Trevor Timmins, it is time to clean house.

UPDATE - 11:36 AM - Again from TSN's Darren Dreger, this time on Twitter..."Serge Savard will be involved with the Habs in an advisory capacity."

Kamal's Note: Interesting. The plot thickens!

(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)

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Panesar and Moustakas: Would Patrick Roy Be a Good Coach for the Habs?

 

Greetings puck addicts!

We have a new treat for you this morning. In the spirit of great debates between such names as Burnside and LeBrun, Marek and Wyshinski, we at HabsAddict.com bring you Panesar and Moustakas.

No, this isn't an Indian/Greek fusion recipe column.

Rather, its two guys who know pretty much the same about hockey as the aforementioned names, but who are not even remotely as well connected or well known!

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!

---
Kamal is a freelance writer, Senior Writer/Editor-in-Chief of HabsAddict.com, Montreal Canadiens Blogger on Hockeybuzz.com and featured columnist on PowerScoutHockey.com. Kamal is also a regular contributor to the Sunday Shinny segment of The Franchise weekend morning show, on TSN Radio 990 (AM 990) every Sunday from 9 - 10 AM. Listen live at http://www.tsn.ca/montreal/

Follow Kamal on Facebook and Twitter

---
Louis is an Associate Editor at HabsAddict.com. Born in Chicago, Louis grew up in Quebec City where he earned Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Université Laval.

His writing has also appeared on HabsWorld.net. He currently resides in Ottawa and works for the Coaching Association of Canada. Find him on twitter @LouisMoustakas

(Photo by Le Soleil/Steve Deschênes) 

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Habs by the Numbers: Why is Scott Gomez Still Playing?

 

Greetings HabsAddicts!

I have decided to tackle a dangerous task today.

That task is trying to explain the logic of the Montreal Canadiens' coaching staff regarding Scott Gomez's presence in the lineup.

As best as I can remember, since Gomez arrived in Montreal, he has never once been a healthy scratch.

Naturally, this has infuriated more than a few fans. After all, the one better known as "Gomer" has a mere two goals in his last 67 regular season games, and a total of only 20 assists in the same time frame!

The only Canadiens in history to come close to such poor numbers — in terms of goal production — were Darren Langdon's zero goals in 64 games in 2003-04, and Tom Pyatt's two goals in 61 games last year. This isn't the kind of company Gomez was expected to be among.
So, then, why on earth are they playing Gomez every single game? Is it because he's everyone's friend in the room?

The answer

The answer, I believe, lies in some rather simple stats. Simple enough that, if you're the coach or General Manager of this team, you cannot logically afford to NOT dress everyone's favorite Alaskan centerman.

The first and most shocking stat goes as follows: in the last 20 in which Gomez has collected at least one point, the Canadiens record is an astonishing 19-0-1 (.975).

I now hear the question from here: that's all fine and dandy, but about the other games besides those last 20? It does get a bit worse. But does it, really?

When Gomez scores at least one point, the Habs' record is 38-14-4 (.714). That's the equivalent of a 117 point season. Not too shabby.

Finally, when the Mexican-Alaskan forward collects one or more powerplay point, Montreal's record is 27-8-7 (.726).

What was Gainey thinking?

I often hear people complain, reasonably enough, about the Gomez trade. After all, Montreal gave up, in Ryan McDonagh alone, a solid 2 way defensman who gives plays over 20 minutes per game and is currently second in the league — right behind Josh Gorges — in blocked shots.

In that deal, the Rangers also acquired Pavel Valentenko, who should be with the Rangers next year, Chris Higgins and Doug Janik That's a hefty price to pay for Gomez.

But, to Gainey's defense, when he acquired Gomez, he was the seventh centermen with  the most points in the ten previous seasons:



Back in the summer of 2009, this was a pretty nice list of names to be mentionned with. And I remember that most columnists and reporters were asking Gomez if he was willing to learn French, in order to validate the potential they saw in him of possibly being the next Hab captain.

What to do now?

This is where I stop. I'll leave this to people who can assess talent much better than I.

But hopefully, this short analysis will have helped answer the "why are they always playing this guy" question.

Are you surprised by these numbers? What's your take?

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Frank Dumais is a freelance writer, currently contributing to HabsAddict.com “Habs By the numbers” weekly column. He writes on current Habs topics, but with a “numbers twist”.

Follow Frank on Twitter

(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)

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In Defence of Pierre Gauthier

 

Pierre Gauthier often gets a bad rap amongst Montreal media and fans.

And why shouldn’t he? He is at the helm of the worst team in the Eastern Conference and his cold, professorial demeanour is most off-putting. His whole treatment of the Jacques Martin firing and Randy Cunneyworth hiring leaves much to be desired as well.

But, when one looks behind the frigid facade and inability to deal with the media, it becomes clear the Gauthier deserves credit for making moves that will benefit the Canadiens in both the short and long ru.

From the beginning of his term, he has sought to make the Canadiens a bigger team – a point which has been argued in this space before. The likes of Michael Blunden, Rene Bourque and Brad Staubitz have been added to the squad while the team’s system is populated by sizeable players such as Alexander Avtsin, Andreas Engqvist, Alain Berger, Joonas Naattinen, Nathan Beaulieu and the hulking Jarred Tinordi. Over the last two drafts, only two of the team`s 12 picks are listed as shorter than six feet tall.

Speaking of size, Gauthier also managed to lure the perpetually indecisive Alexei Emelin over to North America and convince long-time Habs nemesis Erik Cole to join the team for four years.

Both acquisitions have proved fruitful thus far.

In spite of sitting out games earlier in the campaign, Alexei Emelin ranks ninth in the entire NHL with 215 hits.

Second in goal output behind Max Pacioretty with 26 tallies, Erik Cole also leads the Canadiens with four game winning goals and eight power play markers.

Most importantly, though, Pierre Gauthier made the right call when it was time to choose between Jaroslav Halak and Carey Price.

Although many, if not a majority, of fans and pundits advocated for Halak’s retention, Gauthier made the decision to keep Carey Price.

In fact, Price has played so well since Halak’s departure that he has been named to the NHL All-Star team twice and is currently in the conversation for Team Canada’s Olympic roster in 2014.

Mind you, Jaroslav Halak is certainly not a bust. The Slovak netminder has posted solid numbers since arriving in St. Louis and is having a superlative season this year. Then again, the Blues are also the best defence in the league, having allowed the fewest shots and commited the fewest giveaways. That kind of support helps any keeper.

Overall though, both netminders present fairly similar statistics over the past two seasons. Since the trade, Jaroslav Halak has a combined save percentage of .917 while Carey Price presents a .919 save percentage.

However, Price has shown he can maintain his strong play over much longer periods, having played over 30 more games than his former teammate.

In addition, not only did Gauthier make the correct decision, he obtained good value for Jaroslav Halak, fetching both Lars Eller and Ian Schultz in return.

While the jury is still out on Ian Schultz, who appears to be a longer-term project, Lars Eller is slowly emerging into a legitimate top-nine forward. 

With a bit of good fortune, the Danish centre could obtain 20 goals for the first time in his career this season. It certainly is not unreasonable to expect him to hit that plateau on a yearly basis.

Nonetheless, it has become painstakingly obvious that the Canadiens are in need of an organizational makeover. The sense that the team is lacking clear direction permeates many of management’s more recent decisions.

Yet, Pierre Gauthier deserves some credit for his work. By adding size to most positions in the organization and shrewdly handling the goaltending dilemma, he has set a very good table for his successor, whoever that may be.


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Louis is an Associate Editor at HabsAddict.com. Born in Chicago, Louis grew up in Quebec City where he earned Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Université Laval.

His writing has also appeared on HabsWorld.net. He currently resides in Ottawa and works for the Coaching Association of Canada. Find him on twitter @LouisMoustakas

(Photo by André Pichette / La Presse) 

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Roz's Rant: The Montreal Canadiens' Double Edged Sword

There is a double edged sword that goes along with being a fan of the Montreal Canadiens lately.

On one hand, it totally sucks. It is maddening and unacceptable that the team I fully expect to at least scrape its way into a playoff berth will not manage it this year. On the other hand, if they start winning now they'll blow out my wishes for them to pick high in this year's entry draft.

I'm unaccustomed to wanting my team to lose.

It feels all wrong and it seems I'm not going to get used to it. Also, the Habs are hell bent on making me crazy, mounting near comebacks that have me yelling at my TV for them to simultaneously win and lose the game.

I can't have it both ways but I accept that for the near future I'm going to be walking this fine line of hockey madness.

What I find more concerning is what will happen after this nightmare of a season is finally finished — not a moment too soon.

Will Geoff Molson finally oust Bob Gainey and his cohorts once and for all, preventing them from continuing to make a hash of this organization? Your guess is as good as mine.

Gainey has made a hash of things for years now, and his disciple hasn't fared much better. I'll grant that Pierre Gauthier has made a few nice moves, but he's made some questionable ones as well. Often, his main goal appears to be not getting fired.

If Gauthier has a detailed plan, an actual strategy, to fix what is arguably one of the worst incarnations ever of the Montreal Canadiens then I'll gladly eat some crow. But this guy's big focus seems to be almost exclusively on "fixing leaky roofs".

The acquisition of Tomas Kaberle to aid the power play is his latest patch job and not a particularly good one at that. Chris Campoli was another patch that didn't hold out the water.

Then there's his sacrificial lambs of Perry Pearn, Jacques Martin and the mid-game trade of Michael Cammalleri to the Calgary Flames.

Regardless of what good Gauthier may have thought he was doing for the team with these moves, how he executed them hardly instills faith in the man. His actions do not leave the impression that he knows what he is doing or fully appreciates the legacy of this organization or the high standards to which its fans hold this club off the ice.

A rudderless ship will always run aground.

While I may have a modicum of faith in Trevor Timmins and his scouting abilities, I lack faith that this team will not pick another David Fischer or a defensive prospect when they've been needing a true number one center for far too long.

I lack faith that any desirable unrestricted free agent will actually want to sign here because of the language laws that impact their children, the higher tax bracket and the intense public scrutiny.

Erik Cole signed here despite all that, partly because of how the Habs routinely make the playoffs, and less than a year into his contract that hasn't worked out so well. That makes Montreal an even harder sell for other UFAs now.

I lack faith that Geoff Molson will keep his word and make this team great again, or tamper with it in any meaningful way while he's still turning a substantial profit. It would take years of tanking before the Habs losses would have to be addressed.

Then there's his boyhood connection to Canadiens legends like Gainey whom he no doubt reveres and defers to regardless of the his actual track record in hockey management. If Molson's a loyal fan like me, as he has claimed to be, then Gainey and the pack of underlings he has compiled to run the Canadiens are more untouchable than Carey Price.

So while I watch the players continue their attempts to thwart my wishes for a top five draft pick, I'll exercise some more of my sorely tested patience. I'll try to enjoy watching the kids play, and enjoy the online interactions of my social networks.

Just don't expect me to have much faith that this is all going to get magically fixed in the summer.


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Rosalyn used to frequent the old Forum during her early childhood when her father was a corporate season ticket holder, where she fell in love with Larry Robinson, so her lifelong obsession with the Habs is entirely his fault.

(Photo by Getty Images North America)

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