The hiring of Vincent Lecavalier as special advisor to hockey operations for the Canadiens on Friday morning, barely a week after the arrival of Martin St-Louis in the role of interim head coach, gives the air of already- seen at the Montreal organization.
Posted at 1:47 p.m.
On October 17, 1995, CH president Ronald Corey fired general manager Serge Savard and head coach Jacques Demers, before replacing them with candidates with no experience in managing a professional club — Réjean Houle, as manager general, and Mario Tremblay, as head coach.
The experience had not been particularly fruitful, so much so that 27 years later the Canadian still covets the 25and Stanley Cup in its history. Is a similar scenario repeating itself?
President of Hockey Operations Jeff Gorton hired player agent Kent Hughes, whom he knows well, as general manager in January. He then hired his good friend St-Louis last week. Then, Gorton hired Nick Bobrov, with whom he worked at the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers, as co-director of amateur recruiting. And to top it off, Lecavalier joined his former Tampa Bay Lightning teammate, St. Louis, who has no experience behind an NHL bench — just like Tremblay at the time.
Asked about recent appointments at CH, Savard seemed disappointed.
“I think we haven’t worked hard to find someone among the former Canadians to take over. That being said, I find that they are better structured than two months ago, and I am giving the riders a chance,” Savard first declared in a telephone interview with The Canadian Press.
The 76-year-old seemed irritated by the absence of former players who have worn the tricolor uniform within the current staff.
“When you think about the past, there are people who did not want to join the Canadiens as a player, and there they are rewarded as leaders. Of course, they are Francophones, and so much the better if they succeed,” mentioned Savard.
Like Savard, some observers fear that the organization is trying to modernize itself by adopting an approach similar to that of Marc Bergevin, who surrounded himself with a circle of assistants all with the same vision.
Savard would have liked former CH players to have been among the recent appointments – rumors have put forward the names of Mathieu Darche and Daniel Brière, to name a few, among the candidates for the position of general manager who eventually was granted to Hughes.
“There are so many good guys as former Canadiens players, and we don’t even seem to look at them,” said Savard. That pisses me off a bit. I have nothing against those who are named, they may have very good qualities, but those who fought with the Canadiens jersey on their back and who have good qualities, we don’t even seem to consider them.
“There are guys like Benoît Brunet, Guy Carbonneau or Patrick Roy, and we look for players from other teams who, on some occasions, have refused to come and play in Montreal. What do we do with our veterans? It’s not bitterness, I’m just a little disappointed with it,” he added.
Houle, today the president of the Association of Canadian Alumni, nevertheless sees a good eye on the arrival of Lecavalier with the organization, as well as those of Hughes and St-Louis.
“Vincent Lecavalier is a great player who spent in the Tampa Bay organization, and he made an incredible difference at the Lightning. It can be an important addition, depending on the function that will be entrusted to it. So you can have recognized people, who have been successful in the past, and you have to put it all together. And that, unfortunately, does not happen overnight. Runners have to be given a chance.
“These are people who know the area, who live in the area and who come from here. So much the better for the organization,” summed up Houle.
Houle was also delighted with the first victory of St. Louis as head coach in the NHL, Thursday night, just like Savard.
“Yesterday (against the St. Louis Blues), we saw a performance from the whole team, where the effort was there. At least the effort was there. And they won,” said Savard.
So, can we expect to see the Canadian bounce back quickly?
“Can we go lower than 32and rank ? “Questioned Savard, curtly.