Is carbonneau truly the coach we need in Montreal ?

[Doc Holliday]

Who cares where the next coach was born? As long as he has a basic knowledge of the language to speak to the press everything should be fine. Anyone who even considers Partick Roy as a head coach for the Habs is dreaming or maybe having nightmares. Maybe as goaltending coach, but not head coach.

I totally agree with you. As long as he's billingual & he's a pretty good hockey man with NHL experience, he'd fit the bill. I also think considering Patrick Roy as head coach needs to get his head checked out. As for Robinson being offered an assistant coach position, i'd be surprised if this happens since it would appear like Lever (or anyone else) would have to be looking over his shoulder everytime & if ever he falters, Robinson would be asked to step in as head coach. No coach wants to be put in that position.

If it's Lever (or any other coach), he'd likely be allowed to chose at least half his assistant coaching staff. There might even be people we've never heard about who would be offered the jobs. You shouldn't force assistant coaches on a head coach, even though it's been done many times in the past. As for Don Lever, one of my sources who grew up with him & his brothers just told me that as far he's concerned, the Levers never spoke much french while growing up in South Porcupine, Ontario (which is just next to Timmins). Personally, i think it'd be more important that they acquire or draft more french-speaking players than be concerned what language the head coach speaks. You don't get the best coaching candidates if they absolutely have to speak french.

 

[Hypocycloid]

The mother tongue of the head coach is irrelevant, Felipe Alou did not speak French, he did just fine as Expos manager. Perhaps that is what is wrong with the franchise to begin with, the same people who demand a francophone coach probably think Quebec should have its own national team, and that the players names and numbers on the jersey need to be twice the size of USA or European players, in compliance with the french language police. The official language of the NHL is English, the league offices are in Toronto and NYC, the Habs should hire the best coach they can find.. period.. Ivan Hlinka (RIP) did not speak French or English, nobody cares. Hockey is not a language, its a sport, Mario Lemieux rarely speaks French these days, there are not that many teams left in Canada, and only 1 left in Quebec.

that being said.... what is Scotty Bowman doing these days, what about Craig Patrick as coach, too bad Herb Brooks is dead, he would have been the ideal candidate. Mario tremblay is out of the question, after all he triggered the series of events that has led us to where we are now!

 

[Techman]

Actually I think having Robinson around would take part of the fear of being replaced off of Lever. Robinson would never accept being put in a head coaching position in such circumstances, or any circumstances really, especially in Montreal. In fact Robinson would probably have it put in his contract. Being a head coach almost destroyed him once and I don't think it would interest him to be one again.

I would like to see Lever get the job though. He's a proven winner with Hamilton and has a rapport with many of the players on the current roster. But then once again we have a head coach with no NHL experience. Is that really the way they want to go? It almost reminds me of the old Expos days when they were effectively the farm team for the entire league. Are the Habs turning into the 'coaching farm team' for the NHL?

 

[Doc Holliday]

Are the Habs turning into the 'coaching farm team' for the NHL?

Good point. Having no NHL head coaching experience & then being named head coach of the Habs must be a hell of a crash course in coaching for anyone. No wonder most ex-Habs coaches do well elsewhere. Being head coach of that team must cause premature aging, at times not much different from being elected President of the US. Carbonneau has aged considerably over the past couple of seasons. Bush & Clinton terribly. Now even Obama's hair is starting to turn grey (now you'll hear black folks complaining he ain't black enough for them! lol).

 

[G1GBallday]

Eventhough one of Bob Gainey's biggest qualities is that he doesn't let himself be influenced by the media, you will never see another unilingual English coach in Montreal.

Marc Crawford could be a candidate if they decide to go with a non-francophone. He's a Jack Adams Award and Stanley Cup winner and was taking French lessons while in Quebec and was getting pretty good.

As far as Patrick Roy goes, I still say he'll be the one since both ownership and the media love him. He was also a Memorial Cup winner as a rookie coach and would command respect from all players. Lastly, who better to guide Price than him? Oh and did I mention that the media loves him.

 

[Techman]

G1GBallday, I don't know where you get the impression that the ownership love Roy. The ownership doesn't even know him beyond the events surrounding his number retirement! And while certain elements of the French media may love him, I don't think that all the media feel the same. Especially after the incident with his son last year. Just consider the controversy that retiring his number raised recently. Many fans and media felt that it should not have been done and I doubt that he would be widely accepted as head coach. And with the temper the guy has, I doubt he would command respect from the players. Hatred maybe, but not respect.

Goalie coach, yes. Head coach, not for a number of years if ever.

 

[G1GBallday]

I doubt he would command respect from the players. Hatred maybe, but not respect.

Goalie coach, yes. Head coach, not for a number of years if ever.

It's a very fine line between fear/hatred and respect.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Marc Crawford could be a candidate if they decide to go with a non-francophone. He's a Jack Adams Award and Stanley Cup winner and was taking French lessons while in Quebec and was getting pretty good.

As far as Patrick Roy goes, I still say he'll be the one since both ownership and the media love him. He was also a Memorial Cup winner as a rookie coach and would command respect from all players.

I'm not 100% certain Gainey will be the team's GM next season. As for Crawford, he's burned too many bridges already. I also heard him speak french even before he ever coached Quebec, so that wouldn't be a problem. He is from Cornwall, Ontario, after all...just near the Quebec border.

Patrick Roy is a ticking time bomb. All he'd do is attract controversy anywhere he'd coach, not just in Mtl. The man has an ego the size of planet Earth!

 

[Techman]

Not as vital as it used to be, evidenced by the ever decreasing number of French-speaking players.

During the Molson years, the Habs served to give visibility to Molson products. In this view, the importance given to French was part of Molson's marketing strategy to increase its market share within the French-speaking population.

Conversely George Gillett in American and, besides hockey tickets and TV rights, has nothing to sell.

You don't think so? I guess you haven't been listening to any of the French sports shows in the last day or so. All they are talking about is how the next coach should be French. The team doesn't need any more controversy and they will do what they can to avoid it. If they choose a unilingual anglo coach I'm sure he will be taking French courses over the summer.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Not as vital as it used to be, evidenced by the ever decreasing number of French-speaking players. During the Molson years, the Habs served to give visibility to Molson products. In this view, the importance given to French was part of Molson's marketing strategy to increase its market share within the French-speaking population.

True, but let's not forget that in those years prior to the entry draft, the Habs had territorial rights to players from the province of Quebec. So it's no wonder so many wound up playing for the Habs. It was often the case of Quebec-born players playing for other teams where they had previously played for the Habs prior to a trade to another team, either to Toronto or an American-based team.

 

[Techman]

I guess you ignore that the response comes from the audience. In spite of the fact that the number of French-speaking players went from 13 in 1993 down to 6 (or is 7?) in 2009, the Bell center is filled to capacity every game and there's a 10 year waiting list for season tickets.

Another example comes from football. An American coach who doesn't speak a word of French didn't stop the fans from encouraging the Al's.

Radio sportcasters don't fill arenas or football stadiums.

Nice attempt (again) at displaying French Canadians as intolerant and close-minded people. I'm curious to know how many unilingual French-speaking coaches had a NHL career in ROC, yeah right...

On the other hand, looking back in history, a certain Jackie Robinson was able to display his skills thanks to 'intolerant' and 'closed-minded' French Canadians.

First off, you can't compare the Habs with the Als. Not in any way, shape or form.

It has nothing to do with communicating with the players. It has everything to do with the media. Watch 110% tonight for an example of what I'm talking about and then get back to me.

As far as a unilingual French coach anywhere in the NHL, it simply would not work as the defacto language of business of the NHL is English.

 

[Hypocycloid]

You don't think so? I guess you haven't been listening to any of the French sports shows in the last day or so. All they are talking about is how the next coach should be French. The team doesn't need any more controversy and they will do what they can to avoid it. If they choose a unilingual anglo coach I'm sure he will be taking French courses over the summer.

OH yeah, and of course it is the job of the Habs front office to placate the radio hosts, fuck that, the "everything must be French" issue has been destroying this city for 40+ years, enough is enough, discrimination against non-frenchies needs to be left out of sports, the Allouettes coach is english, nobody cares. The frenchies chased the baseball team away, and the same thing will happen in hockey as long as that is their only agenda and main priority. The priority should be talent and ability, and have nothing to do with languages they speak. The Montreal media has chastised Koivu for years, the man is from Finland for christ sake, and we think he should waste his time practicing French instead of hockey. I think Gainey should make it his priority to hire the "englishist" coach he can find, just to show it has nothing to do with hockey. The mere idea that an English speaking coach would cause "legit" controversy shows once again that we are a racist province, time to take the cue from the other leagues. There was a time when it was unnacceptable to have a black QB, or Head Coach in the NFL, now 2 of the last 3 Superbowls were won by black coach having squads. Ask the players, they dont care what fuckin language is being spoken on the ice or in the locker room. This attitude is the same type of nonsense that arose when Paul McCartney was invited to play in quebec city, its about talent, not everything is about speaking french in Montreal. Why are we so scared of evolution here? we are regressing morally, socially, and financially.


Quebeckians" should smoke "the pipes of peace," Sir Paul McCartney

 

[Techman]

Hypocycloid, one of the jobs of a coach is talking to the media. Considering the fact that Montreal is a city where the majority of the population speaks French as their first language, and the major news media is French, it is only normal to expect the coach of a professional sports team, especially the Habs, to be able to communicate with them.

And for those who use the Als and the CFL as an example...the Expos never made any significant in-roads with the French population here and where are they now? While a similar fate could, most likely, never happen to the Habs the constant controversy caused by language issues in the press does not help the team in any way.

 

[Techman]

Why not?

You're avoiding the basic facts: Habs attract sellout crowds day in day out, regardless of the number of French-speaking players, coaches or staff.

Why you can't compare the Als to the Habs? Because as far as pro sports go, in the big picture the CFL probably ranks up there with Arena Football. An average player on the Habs probably makes more money that the entire Als roster combined. I enjoy watching the the Als but let's get real here...

And the basic fact is that you want to limit distractions for the players and the organization in general. I'm sure that Koivu is pretty tired of always having his lack of French skills being brought up in the French media. Having your coach learn a bit of French skills is a small price to pay to achieve a bit of peace with the media and to keep one more thing from causing distractions and problems in the future.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Molson's ownership outlasted Habs' privilege of picking francophones.

And your point being?

 

[Doc Holliday]

the Allouettes coach is english, nobody cares. The frenchies chased the baseball team away, and the same thing will happen in hockey as long as that is their only agenda and main priority.

And nobody cares about teh Alouettes & the Crappy Football League. Hockey rules in Canada & there's no place it rules more than in Montreal. That's a fact.

As for your comment about 'frenchies chasing the baseball team away', your ignorance in regards to the Expos & MLB matters is absolutely astonishing!

 

[Doc Holliday]

Because as far as pro sports go, in the big picture the CFL probably ranks up there with Arena Football.

Techman, now that's insulting Arena Football!!

 

[Doc Holliday]

I'm sure that Koivu is pretty tired of always having his lack of French skills being brought up in the French media.

I totally agree. I remember when Mike Keene got the 'C'. That's all you heard on the airwaves during that particular week & it wasn't anything positive. It made me feel sorry for Mike Keene & i think even he began to reconsider his decision to accept the captaincy considering all the negative hoopla it created.

 

[Hypocycloid]

The Mike Keene thing was sad... a perfect example

yeah Doc, believe me, I am well aware of the MLB conspiracy to contract/move the Expos, I am bitter about it, and it gave me something in common with Cleveland Browns fans, and that really bothered me. But it was the bad attendance figure, the 94 strike (they Expos were killin it that season), playing in a crumbling airplane hangar, but also to blame was the French attitude towards baseball in general, I was never or rarely able to get my french friends or my french cousins to the park, or watch/listen to the game on tv or in the car etc.... The stadium should have been in the west, and most were against the building of what may have become the nicest park in MLB. The city has gone down hill since then, it was an everyday thing her all summer, ESPN analysts in town, players shopping and partying hard downtown, that was great, now its gone because of a population that didnt understand how much baseball really meant in Montréal. The same friends and family that never respected baseball got erections during the world cup soccer tournament in 06, and Canada didnt even qualify. More french tears were shed over zenidine zidane than were shed over the departure of one of the more intersting franchises in baseball.... sad stuff

 

[Doc Holliday]

also to blame was the French attitude towards baseball in general, I was never or rarely able to get my french friends or my french cousins to the park, or watch/listen to the game on tv or in the car etc...

My experience has been that as many anglos living in the Mtl were against the Expos staying than french-speaking locals were. What killed baseball in Mtl were many factors & they had nothing to do with language. The big reason MLB baseball died in Mtl was the 1994 baseball strike, which eventually led to the cancellation of the entire season. Until then, baseball was thriving once again in Mtl. Local baseball fans got literally butt-fucked by MLB that year & for the years that followed until their eventual demise. However, it's quite probable that baseball would have eventually failed in the Mtl market due to the weakening local economy & decreasing Canadian dollar. What could have saved the Expos was a downtown stadium, but local investors & businesses didn't support the project. There's also a case to be made that if it weren't for Charles Bronfman (Seagrams), the Expos would have either folded or left Mtl altogether years earlier.