Speculation: Bilingual Coach candidates Part 5

[Andy]

If Hughes is brought in, we are truly in a different era of the habs org. Gorton-Hughes...that's two real big outsiders. Gorton for the fact that he has no ties to the city or team and Hughes for the fact that he's not a former player, but an agent.

Of course it remains to be seen who they hire as coach, but if Hughes is brought in, I'm truly excited to see where the direction of this team will go.

Of course, it could go spectacularly bad, but I'm hoping for a clean break from tradition, in terms of history, team building philosophy and style of play.

The nod to the greats, building from the net out, bringing in grinders, that all needs to end.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

Brisebois was assistant-GM in 2010 with the Lighting and he got the jobs in 2018....okay, it's not decades it'S 8 freaking years, we're far from the 6 months of Bergevin. Very far.

And Bergevin never was considered as a hot shot candidates by anyone other than Montreal, it was his first interviewed.

And Therrien was hire because he spoke french, not because he was the best candidates.

You’re 100% correct that Bergevin wasn’t a hot shot candidate outside of the Montreal market. Hell I don’t even think I was aware he was AGM in Chicago until the search to replace Gauthier came out. He was pretty obscure.

 

[salbutera]

Its amazing how a relatively progressive society in Quebec is, but yet so conservative about their language. It seems to be the only market in the world where the candidates for coach/GM aren’t picked by skills & ability first.

Im all for preserving French language, culture/identity. But one has to be able to separate that from picking the best hockey minds though.

I posted that a while back, not about language but how hockey in Quebec has shown to be not progressive despite the social progressiveness of the province

 

[WickedPegJets]

Better be Kent Hugues and not Mathieu Darche.

the latter always sounded like an idiot on l’antichambre. An agent who started his own firm, is a closer. Thats what I want. Id bring him, Castonguay and Denis.

So, Geoff Molson is hiring two AGMs?

 

[salbutera]

Brisebois was assistant-GM in 2010 with the Lighting and he got the jobs in 2018....okay, it's not decades it'S 8 freaking years, we're far from the 6 months of Bergevin. Very far.

And Bergevin never was considered as a hot shot candidates by anyone other than Montreal, it was his first interviewed.

And Therrien was hire because he spoke french, not because he was the best candidates.

What? Should go back and read best up & coming GMs back in 2012, led by Jim Nill, MB, Mike Futa, Jaarmo and Jason Botterill as top-5.

As I’ve posted previously, Scotty took out a full page editorial in J de Mtl translated by Yvon Pedneault explaining why MB was an elite talent evaluator the likes of which he hadn’t seen in someone so young in a long time.

Yes it didn’t work out, and MB was overwhelmed in the role, but he was highly touted back in 2012

 

[Ozmodiar]

Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey Ops and Coaching Staff

Probably means nothing, but if you click on Darche’s bio …

 

[HomaridII]

So, Geoff Molson is hiring two AGMs?

They have two positions to fill. Timmins and Mellanby. I don't expect those to be announced tomorrow but in a week or two.

One of the new ones will surely run Laval as GM.

 

[Vachon23]

Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey Ops and Coaching Staff

Probably means nothing, but if you click on Darche’s bio …

Not the 1st time it happen, it happen to the week MB was fired

 

[Adam Michaels]

If Hughes is brought in, we are truly in a different era of the habs org. Gorton-Hughes...that's two real big outsiders. Gorton for the fact that he has no ties to the city or team and Hughes for the fact that he's not a former player, but an agent.

Of course it remains to be seen who they hire as coach, but if Hughes is brought in, I'm truly excited to see where the direction of this team will go.

Of course, it could go spectacularly bad, but I'm hoping for a clean break from tradition, in terms of history, team building philosophy and style of play.

The nod to the greats, building from the net out, bringing in grinders, that all needs to end.

If it is Hughes, we obviously won't know if things will be better or not. But, as you say, it is outside the box thinking and I'm all for it.

And to be fair, I'll be happy with Darche or Briere, too. Even after Bergevin, I'm not anti-former-player-as-GM. Because even though Darche and Briere are former players (and both have played for the Habs before), they both have taken different paths to get where they are now.

Darche has a degree from McGill and spent several years outside hockey managing a major company before he got into hockey management at the NHL level. Those years managing at Delmar prepared him at being the one in charge and learning how to manage personnel.

Briere after he retired was brought in the Flyers organization for lower level hockey ops roles (that have slowly been increasing). But he also went and got a degree. And now has been running an ECHL team for the last 5 years.

So Darche and Briere are not the same as MB, who was brought into hockey ops after he retired and rose up the ranks (and there's nothing wrong with that approach either). Darche and Briere have completed their educations as well as gotten into their respective managing careers.

Which is why I'm good with either Darche or Briere. And I'm all in for Hughes, as well, because he does bring a different expertise to the job.

 

[WickedPegJets]

In retrospect, when Geoff Molson decided that both the GM and head coach had to be bilingual, was he seeking two people who:

1. spoke English and passable French like Bob Gainey?

2. spoke passable English and a Francophone like Dominique Ducharme?

 

[MXD]

So, Geoff Molson is hiring two AGMs?

Probably Gorton.
Gorton has to plan for Hughes' succession right away.

 

[Runner77]

On 91.9 FM a few minutes ago, Enrico Ciccone who played with Kent Hughes for 3 years as of their Bantam AA days and who has remained in contact with him over the years, says that he is constantly in Quebec, his parents are here. It’s not as if he’s become disconnected from the province just cause he ended up studying at a US institution and married someone from the same city where he studied.

Said that Hughes had outstanding inter-personal skills and that when you’re talking to him, he makes you feel that you’re the most important person to him. Some great humane qualities to go along with his smarts.

Also said that he spoke to Hughes this morning and all Hughes said was that he was still in the race.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey Ops and Coaching Staff

Probably means nothing, but if you click on Darche’s bio …

Yea. Apparently Darche and JP Coté have both of their bios go to an error page.

Coté is Tampa's Director of Player Personnel, which is currently Martin Lapointe's job title (as well as Director of Amateur Scouting since TT's firing).

 

[Treb]

I’m all for equality of opportunity but not equality of outcome. You let everyone apply with the same chance but hire the best person for the job. You should not hire someone based on their race, sex, ethnicity, religion, etc.

If you are comparing resumes, Hughes is the only candidate with like 1-2 decades of experience negotiating NHL contracts, talking with GMs, scouting players and managing people. (By contrast, Brère/Darche actually have no experience in these regards)

Hope they bring her on in another role though to create a ‘super management group’.

Briere has 4 years of ECHL GM experience, so he did negotiate contracts, talk to GMs, scout players and manage people.

 

[Vachon23]

Enrico Ciccone who played with Kent Hughes for 3 years as of their Bantam AA days and who has remained in contact with him over the years, says that he is constantly in Quebec, his parents are here. It’s not as if he’s become disconnected from the province just cause he ended up studying at a US institution and married someone from the same city where he studied.

Said that Hughes had outstanding inter-personal skills and that when you’re talking to him, he makes you feel that you’re the most important person to him. Some great humane qualities to go along with his smarts.

Also said that he spoke to Hughes this morning and all Hughes said was that he was still in the race.

I’ve listen to that interview to and it was a great one. We got a lot of interesting information on Hughes. I will share it when it will be available

 

[BenG]

Briere has 4 years of ECHL GM experience, so he did negotiate contracts, talk to GMs, scout players and manage people.

Yes, and that’s why I specified that Hughes is the only one with NHL experience. (For the same reason, I feel Brière is better than Darche due to experience in these matters)

 

[WickedPegJets]

Probably Gorton.
Gorton has to plan for Hughes' succession right away.

That’s interesting. We know the new GM will be the successor of Jeff Gorton once he has completed his mission impossible, but the new AGM to eventually replace the new GM when he bolts is also a high priority?! We’re not talking about a long tenured GM like Bergy was?

 

[Adam Michaels]

On 91.9 FM a few minutes ago, Enrico Ciccone who played with Kent Hughes for 3 years as of their Bantam AA days and who has remained in contact with him over the years, says that he is constantly in Quebec, his parents are here. It’s not as if he’s become disconnected from the province just cause he ended up studying at a US institution and married someone from the same city where he studied.

Said that Hughes had outstanding inter-personal skills and that when you’re talking to him, he makes you feel that you’re the most important person to him. Some great humane qualities to go along with his smarts.

Also said that he spoke to Hughes this morning and all Hughes said was that he was still in the race.

Nice!

Also, being a player agent, Hughes also has an eye for scouting talent, as agents recruit players before they were drafted. They have their own staffs that scout for them. So it's not like Hughes is a player agent and all he does is negotiate contracts. Player agents deal with young players, their families, help prepare them for the pros, they have relationships with GMs all over the league.

And it bares repeating, Jeff Gorton being on board will only enhance everything.

 

[ReHabs]

Darche has a degree from McGill and spent several years outside hockey managing a major company before he got into hockey management at the NHL level. Those years managing at Delmar prepared him at being the one in charge and learning how to manage personnel.

I don't think his experience at Delmar was very good, or that he had a lot of responsibilities that would translate well to the NHL. It's a family run company (iirc) and he didn't stay nearly long enough to make an impact. I've heard some other things from someone who works there, wasn't good stuff.

 

[Vachon23]

I don't think Martin Lapointe will get fired, he got a great relationship with both Hughes and Gorton. Gorton was with Boston when he signe his big contract with Boston and Lapointe took care of Bergeron (Hughes client) when he arrived and he played with Hughes brother when they where young

 

[WickedPegJets]

To be frank, if player agent Kent Hughes is hired as the new GM, even though he grew up in Montreal, I don’t see him being in that role very long. You can take the man out of the agency, but you can’t take the agency out of the man. He will return to his private enterprise where his income is limitless.

 

[The Last Red]

There's no doubt it will be Hughes. Given his history with Gorton, the instant that he went straight to round two without going through round one, it was a fait accompli.

 

[salbutera]

To be frank, if player agent Kent Hughes is hired as the new GM, even though he grew up in Montreal, I don’t see him being in that role very long. You can take the man out of the agency, but you can’t take the agency out of the man. He will return to his private enterprise where his income is limitless.

Like Gorton this will be a pure legacy play for Hughes should he be named GM and decide to leave his agency.

He can always return to the agency in 5-7 years after the GM gig

 

[Deebs]

Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey Ops and Coaching Staff

Probably means nothing, but if you click on Darche’s bio …

Oh snap lol

 

[salbutera]

That’s interesting. We know the new GM will be the successor of Jeff Gorton once he has completed his mission impossible, but the new AGM to eventually replace the new GM when he bolts is also a high priority?! We’re not talking about a long tenured GM like Bergy was?

Not necessarily, which is why I’m also expecting a more junior AGM to be hired (Castonguay?) who has lots of runway to learn and slowly grow into the role over 5-10 years..

Gorton + Hughes for near & medium term and Castonguay for the long term