Episode 18 – Bye Bye Bob
February 8, 2010 | 12 Comments
Bob’s out, his assistant GM is now in – will anything change? Do we want it to? Most importantly, was this really Bob’s decision or is it the result of philosophical differences? Now that it’s over, was Bob’s reign a success or failure? What can we expect from Pierre Gauthier? Ya, this one’s loaded. Enjoy….
12 comments ↓
Once again thanks for the podcast, I really enjoy listening to two thoughtful Hab fans discuss our shared passion.
The resignation of Bob Gainey was a shock to me because Bob is not a quitter and his love for the organization and desire to restore a measure of it’s former glory for the fans and the city is well known. For those reasons it is my feeling he was pushed out. His job was not done and he only needed one more year to see it through. He brought in a whole new team which suffered too many injuries to be judged acurately and I’m sure he would want another year or two to see the results of his vision. Bob said he didn’t want to commit 4,5,or 6 years to the job so felt it was the time to step aside, rather leave too early than too late. Sounds reasonable but one or two more years are all that is needed. If I’m his boss and really want him to stay I beg him to remain and sign a year by year extension and wouldn’t take no for an answer. The respect Gainey brings to the Montreal Canadiens is now lost as another inexperienced GM takes over because he’s french speaking. Boivin is lying when he says that he looked outside the language barrier for a replacement only to find the best man right there next to him. Boivin has stated over and over only a french speaking individual can be considered. Who is this guy anyway? His main concern and expertise appears to be marketing. Why is he in charge of hockey operations? This is a very sad day for all Hab fans. Clearly Boivin wanted Bob out and just as keeping Tremblay over Roy was a mistake so is this. Boivin should be the one resigning. He adds nothing to the stature and regard of the Canadiens. Don’t know anything about the Molsons. If their concern is only the bottom line, welcome to Toronto.
I believe that Hab fans love the sweater above all and want a winner regardless of language. Only the media spread the racist agenda for their own gain. If an non french speaking GM with a winning background was hired the majority of the fan base would celebrate. The fear of losing the culture and attendance is just racist fear mongering.
As regards this week’s games the Habs must win both Flyer games or their playoffs hopes are gone. Losing to the Caps doesn’t hurt that much. Stars this week, the players and Bob Gainey for his classy resignation performance. Bars, Boivin.
Just read Boone’s online eeee-mail on HIO entitled The Gainey Era. A great read if you haven’t seen it yet.
The thing that saddens me the most is that Gainey’s work feels unfinished. He deserved to see this through, and it’s sad that he won’t. Though I take him at his word that it was his choice (for now).
As for Gauthier, because of his experience as a GM in Ottawa and Anaheim, along with being BG’s right-hand man the last few years, I have no doubt that PG is a good CANDIDATE to fill the role of General Manager of the Canadiens.
But I agree with you, Dusty, it pisses me off something fierce that one of the main criteria for the GM job is knowing how to speak French.
There should be only one main criteria for any job: Can s/he help us get better? If yes, then let’s talk to him.
Maybe PG will be that guy, maybe he won’t. But I think Boivin is wrong in thinking fans want so much emphasis on the French thing.
Because last time I checked, the loudest ovation of the year at the Bell Center was reserved not for the Habs, but for the Grey Cup Champion Montreal Alouettes, owned by an Anglo American, GM’d and coached by Anglo Americans, and QB’d by an Anglo American.
People want winners, not a French lesson.
Make no mistake, this is about money – about catering to the local fan base, and making sure they have a clean “chez nous” image in place of a wining team – maybe because everyone knows that won’t have a winning team anytime soon.
Everything in the human world is about money and power. My opinion is that the fans will fully support the team whether or not the GM is french speaking. 21,273 will be there unless the team turns to total crap as it did with Houle. So grow some balls, stand up to the media and hire a real GM if Bob really wants out now. GM of the Montreal Canadiens should be a highly sought after position only attained after a difficult vetting process, not just given to the next french guy in the room. Firing Gainey is pathetic and will hurt the success of the franchise in the future. Your last statement, everyone knows we won’t have a winning team anytime soon, if true, makes this firing/hiring all the more ridiculous. Ownership has to stand up to the media morons and do the right thing.
At least you have the Kings and Ducks to watch. Both make the Habs organization look like crap. I enjoy watching them on the NHL Center Ice package drooling over what could have been for the Habs. If the Ducks get in I think they can beat the Sharks and go a long way. Would love to see Koivu hoist the Cup almost as much as the Habs.
Great comments guys!
If Boivin is half the business man I think he is, than he’s made the calculation and figured out that the bottom line would be more negatively affected by not having French management in place than it would by not having a winning team in place. That’s the reason for their position.
So the way I see it, until the fans make it clear that they are more interested in wins than in French by not filling the Bell Centre anymore to see mediocre teams, Habs owners and upper management will continue to maintain the need for French-speaking coaches and GMs. It’s that simple. And yes, it sucks donkey balls.
Food for thought: if the Habs win the cup this year, did Gainey succeed? How ironic would that be?
My problem is, I thought the fans ALREADY voted on this. During the Rejean Houle years, in the new Molson Center, there were tons of empty seats to watch the Habs lose games.
Nobody wanted to watch a loser. This despite the drafting of players like Eric Chouinard, Fichaud and Laflamme, and the presence in the lineup of guys like Marc Bureau, Ben Brunet, Joe Juneau, Bordeleau, Poulin, Thuibault, Perrault…along with real NHL’ers like Damphousse, Quintal and Brisebois.
If the Molsons want to re-learn that lesson, it’s their right to do so. But that needle is too thin to thread. For every Derek Roy or David Perron, there are a dozen terrible French-Canadian players drafted every year. It’s the simple law of averages.
All things being equal, in a vacuum, I understand why they would want to go the French route. But in the real world, you can’t always draft the perfect French-Canadian, the same way you can’t always hire the perfect French Canadian General Manager. At some point, actual skill and talent have to win the day.
And if the Habs try to do it another way, they will fail. Again.
Eric – you hit the nail squarely on the head. It’s a business decision and like most business decisions the greater public good is a minor consideration if at all. Most businessmen are greedy, timid people afraid of trying anything new. Looking at the Canadiens as a cash cow, why make any changes when the money is rolling in? The team stinks and is going nowhere but until ownership wants a competitive team, people like Boivin will continue to thrive. In this respect we are much the same as Toronto.
Never mind the Cup, Gainey succeded because he turned the franchise around through great adversity both personal and professional and he maintained his dignity and class at all times. He is one of the few human beings I admire and I wish him well.
Thanks Dusty! Totally agree on Gainey being nothing but a class act who has done more for this franchise than most will ever give him credit for.
Pat, you make some good points, but I believe the lessons you are referring to are players on the ice. If you look at the team right now, it’s clear they have moved on from the days of playing as many French-Canadian players as possible at all costs.
Unfortunately, it appears that same lesson may need to be learned for the selection of coaches and GMs before this team can fully compete with the rest of the league without the burden of narrowing down the field of candidates by over 90% before even getting started.
What if:
Gauthier is in place only to help save Bob Gainey from an unceremonious firing at the end of the year. Allow Gainey to step down now, then at the end of the year, when his and Gauthier’s contracts are up, replace Gauthier with Jacques Martin and bring up Guy Boucher from Hamilton to coach the team.
Not saying I want this, just saying it would make some sense…
Food for thought but JM as GM depresses the hell out of me.
ain’t gonna happen.
Gauthier’s first move, a draft pick we could use for a rental who can’t help us and we certainly don’t need. Hope the Hab’s look for a real GM in the summer.
Read the latest blog.
Leave a Comment