Geoff Molson admits it without hesitation: before going back to the top, the Canadian will have to lose a little more.
This is what the owner of the Canadian said Tuesday noon at the Bell Center, on the sidelines of a dinner organized by the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation.
According to the Montreal leader, the Canadian no longer had a choice: he had to go through the reconstruction stage in order to hope for better days.
“I think this is the first time the Canadiens have announced a reconstruction like we did,” explained Geoff Molson on Tuesday. In the 1970s, this was not necessary. We won the Cup in the 1980s, in the 1990s, and we never had to rebuild our team. »
The Montreal club owner added that “it’s pretty clear that it’s difficult to win at the start of a reconstruction”, which suggests that the next Stanley Cup is probably not for now.
In his view, the situation is different from just a few years ago, when the club opted to trade veterans like PK Subban and then Max Pacioretty.
“That was a little rebuild, not a full rebuild… We got a lot of draft picks in those trades, and you see some of those picks coming with the team now. »
So I think so, it takes a reconstruction to revive a team. It’s a word you don’t want to say, because it’s not fun to say you’re starting over. But it takes a bit of courage, and it takes changes in leadership to get there. We will enter year two of our reconstruction next season.
Geoff Molson
The recent exits of Canadian clubs like the Toronto Maple Leafs and then the Edmonton Oilers, both eliminated from the NHL playoff draw, have also brought another stark reality to the fore: the latest conquest of the Canadian remains the latest conquest by a Canadian club, which suggests that teams in the country of the maple leaf are at a disadvantage against their American rivals.
But Geoff Molson is not at all of this opinion.
“I don’t believe in that theory… We’ve seen huge changes in our league over the years; there have been expansions, a salary cap, the management of that salary cap, and it requires rebuilding to have a team that is capable of winning. It’s a good system, which has nothing to do with whether a team is Canadian or American. »
Geoff Molson, who is also optimistic about a future contract for Cole Caufield (“it’s going to happen, and it’s going to happen at the right time with a good contract, that doesn’t worry us”), further believes that the best is yet to come for club.
“Our team has a lot more talent than a year ago… it’s going well. Our fans won’t have to wait too long, and I’m encouraged by their support this season, last season as well. »
Over $900,000 in donations from the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation
The Canadian confirmed Tuesday at the Bell Center financial support of 943,000 in donations to encourage the practice of sport among young people, through its Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation. This amount will be offered to 65 community organizations across the province. The initiative will allow the financing of sports projects which aim to encourage the practice of sport among young people aged 4 to 17 years. According to the management of the Canadian, the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation, established in 2000, has since raised amounts of more than $20.6 million, which have been donated to more than 900 organizations in the province.
The Press