CFN – It’s really interesting watching the drama unfold on the Habs this disastrous season. Something Bob Gainey did when he pulled the trigger on the Gomez trade and sign Gionta and Cammy was send a message to agents; which was huge. Nobody expected Gomez to turn into Andreas Dackell…..
For a decade + before Montreal was not an attractive stop for free agents. Higher taxes, more media scrutiny and pressure to succeed without having the teams to succeed led to a lot of players coming in at the tail ends of their careers; usually when nobody wanted them or for more money than they could make elsewhere. In other words the buzz was for major players to skip La Belle Province.
I think Gainey started to change that; but agents are funny creatures. They only generally make money when their clients do and the more their clients make the better they do as it helps them land other clients. But when a team’s management changes direction or leadership that can change how things are done.
This season; besides being a disaster for Habs fans is not going to send messages to agents that will help the club. Trading players mid game; firing assistant coaches pre-game, and antics that led of all players Jaroslav Spacek to voice out; and to cause Cammy to initiate his departure make this team look Mickey Mouse and bush league.
The Montreal Canadiens are and always should look like the New York Yankees of Baseball. The team that’s won the most championships and has the biggest Legacy. Howie Morenz, Doug Harvey, Jacques Plante, The Rocket, those Sam Pollock 70’s teams that are probably the greatest ever in Hockey history. That’s Montreal’s legacy.
The Habs ownership should be smart enough; lord knows the fans give them enough dollars; to hire the best management money can buy so that those dollars can be used to bring more Stanley Cup banners to Montreal.
Really nothing less is acceptable. All that is right in the hockey universe is centered when Montreal is run the way it was in the bad old Reggie Houle days which is almost where this team has slid back to.
So Mr. Molson. Wake up time. If you can’t understand that and can’t manage this franchise do the city a favour and sell the team to someone who can. The Habs are not here just to sell beer, really; there’s a responsibility that comes with owning this franchise and it involves winning the Stanley Cup and being champions. It’s what the fans do best; and it’s what smart owners should do best.
I know this isn’t going to happen in one season; but it starts at the top; with the owner who hires the right management team which I’m personally hoping that you’re hard at work preparing for next season.
No more excuses. Another season missing the play offs is only acceptable if the right seeds and actions are in place. Montreal fans are anything but stupid.
And it’s time for Montreal to employ much better asset employment. If you know that you don’t want certain players then show case them, and move them.
If you want to move Scott Gomez and Mr. Kostitsyn then shine them up and move them; allowing media circus antics only diminishes their value.
It’s time to give back to the fans. Right now more hope would be a good start. There are some fine players on this team and some fine ones in the minors too. There’s some character on this team. It just needs to make better management and asset decisions.
The Return of Ryan White
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Nru8xHxQTs
And it was great to see Montreal fight back (literally) and force a shoot out against Boston after falling behind. Look at the names who forced that and you can see a bit of the future of this team.
