NHL's Letter To Fans, Lefebvre, Tony Esposito And More...

Good Morning Addicts!

I guess it comes as no surprise that midnight came and went without the emergence of a new CBA. On the bright side, the NHL did issue a letter to the fans.

The letter assures the fans that despite the expiration of the CBA, both sides are "committed to working negotiating around the clock to reach a new CBA that is fair to the players and to the 30 NHL teams".

Doesn't that make you feel better?

One might wonder why, with their commitment to reaching a new CBA, wouldn't the two sides have met yesterday in the final hours to attempt to find a solution that would please the "Worlds greatest fans".

That would be a reasonable question if you had any faith at all in a man who is behind three lockouts in twenty years, and two in the last eight.

Habs and Hockey News

- Now back to non CBA related news. The Gazette had an article on Tuesday focusing on Sylvain Lefebvre as he prepares for his first season as the head coach of the Hamilton Bulldogs.

- Dave Stubbs spoke with Tony Esposito as part of the 40th anniversary of  the 1972 Summit Series.

- With no NHL hockey, the American Hockey League should be more interesting with the likes of Jeff Skinner, Jordan Eberle and Adam Henrique joining their teams respective AHL affiliates.

- Bruins forward Milan Lucic beat the lockout buzzer by inking a three year extension worth an average of $6 million.

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Habs Roundup: Assistant Coaches and Management Team Finalized

What a busy week in the world of the Montreal Canadiens.

On a nearly daily basis for the last seven days, announcements have followed each other at a seemingly unending rhythm. In the end, the dust settled and the organization's hockey operations underwent a major upheaval.

Clement Jodoin and Gerard Gallant named Assistant Coaches

The question of Michel Therrien's assistants was quickly answered, as a blast from the past and a new face completed the revamped coaching staff. Now, Therrien will also be counting of Clement Jodoin and Gerard Gallant to guide the rebuilding Canadiens.

As you will recall, Clement Jodoin was an Assistant Coach with the Montreal Canadiens between 1997 and 2003, namely working under Michel Therrien during his first tenure in Montreal. He also coached extensively in the QMJHL, compiling a 297-277-20 record over his junior career.

Gerard Gallant also comes with significant QMJHL experience, having most recently coached the Saint John Sea Dogs to back-to-back championships and the 2011 Memorial Cup. Unlike Jodoin, though, Gallant coached almost 150 games and played over 600 at the NHL level.

It should also be noted that, at some point, Gallant was even rumored to be in contention for the Canadiens head coaching position.

One almost has to wonder, should Michel Therrien's return prove to be less than a success, is Gallant in place as a bit of Plan B?

Sylvain Lefebvre named coach of Hamilton Bulldogs

The club also announced that former Habs blueliner Sylvain Lefebvre would be the new head coach of the American Hockey League's Hamilton Bulldogs. With Clement Jodoin's move to Montreal, the position had become available. 

Lefebvre was an assistant for three seasons to head coach Joe Sacco with the Colorado Avalanche after having worked as an assistant in the AHL with Lake Erie.

Patrice Brisebois and Martin Lapointe join organization

After announcing the appointments of Scott Mellanby and Rick Dudley in recent weeks, Marc Bergevin also added Patrice Brisebois and Martin Lapointe to his management team.

Patrice Brisebois, who played all but two seasons of his NHL career in Montreal, was named to the position of Player Development Coach. 

Although he appears to have little experience in the way of coaching or development, Brisebois' sometimes challenging tenure in Montreal could certainly bring welcome perspective to some of the team's younger players.

As for Martin Lapointe, he was slotted as Director of Player Development. In the past, this role was held by top amateur scout Trevor Timmins.

Up until this post, Lapointe had been professional scout with the Chicago Blackhawks since 2009. He also played almost 1000 NHL games, winning two Stanley Cups as part of the Detroit Red Wings.

What do you think of the recent slew of hirings? 

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Louis is an Associate Editor and Senior Writer at HabsAddict.com. Born in Chicago, Louis grew up in Quebec City where he earned Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Université Laval. He is also an occasional guest on CKCU's Red Zone program.

Find him on twitter @LouisMoustakas


(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)

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Habs Hire Three, Price, Parise, Goldwater and More

Good morning Hab fans!

As you may — or may not — have noticed, I have been absent around these parts for the last few days.

In fact, I tagged along with a friend for a jaunt to New Orleans. My mind, spirit and tastebuds thank me. My arteries, not so much.

In any event, I also feel like I have missed a few things in the hockey world, both with the Canadiens and at large.

So, tell me, what did I miss?

Hockey and Habs News

HabsAddict.com - Press Release - Habs Hire Martin Lapointe and Patrice Brisebois

HabsAddict.com - Montreal Canadiens Top Priorities Part 1: Carey Price

ESPN - Five biggest lies of the 2012 playoffs

ESPN - Five things to know about the Kings' win

La Presse - Pendant ce temps, chez le Canadien

La Presse - Contrat rétabli

TSN - Habs bring Lapointe, Brisebois and Lefebvre into the fold

TSN - Goldwater Institute sues to invalidate Coyotes lease deal

TSN - Devils' Parise says he won't sign with rival Rangers

USA Today - Do Flyers regret trading Richards, Carter?

USA Today - Defense the strongest position in NHL draft

(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images North America)

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