Laval Rocket: Jean-François Houle Discussion Thread

[dinodebino]

your comments about Bouchard are a bit contradictory…

there’s no doubt he was a net positive for the organization. If, as you suggest, he internally “didn’t tow the party line”, than that’s a great example of why that’s not as important as you suggest… IF excellence is the goal.

lots of companies & leaders prefer yes men to people that push and challenge…the best cultures allow space for that and value it rather than stifle it.

I sincerely hope that him being a yes-man was not a deciding factor in the choice.

We differ on what makes a good manager. You can have space. And you can surely be creative.

But the company's main philosophy and creed need to be followed. By all.

Bouchard can be a maverick elsewhere. And he already threw a damn good knife in the back of Anaheim's coach. That says a loy about his integrity.

We disagree. All is good.

Houle is a fine candidate, according to those here who have known him. That was my main point.

 

[Miller Time]

We differ on what makes a good manager. You can have space. And you can surely be creative.

But the company's main philosophy and creed need to be followed. By all.

Bouchard can be a maverick elsewhere. And he already threw a damn good knife in the back of Anaheim's coach. That says a loy about his integrity.

We disagree. All is good.

Houle is a fine candidate, according to those here who have known him. That was my main point.

If what you're suggesting is that Bouchard wasn't following the "main philosophy and creed" of the org... than i'd argue the probblem wasn't with him

Houle seems like an ok candidate. In our situation, clear proof of excellent player development and/or pro success as a head coach would've been "key" pieces. We've got a large group of quality prospects, and an AHL team that - after years of dismal performance, was the top team in the league. Not a great situation to roll the dice on someone without proof of HC success at the pro level, or, proof of helping top prospect progress to quality NHLers. Hope he does great, and, hope the deciding factor wasn't the certainty he provided to MB &co. that he'll tow the party line.

 

[JianYang]

Lefebvre was a nepotism hiring. Un chum c't'un chum. Unfair to compare both guys. Houle has had plenty more positive experience as a coach.

Towing the party line is important. In any business. Like it or not. That's how it is in most businesses when hiring a manager of any kind. Habs' brass has a philosophy, which you may not like. But its managers need to all be on the same page. Not so sure Bouchard was, if we're to believe some tweets made by beat reporters.

Almost everyone is a nepotism hiring to a certain degree.

Where it becomes worrisome is if it becomes one of your top criteria in evaluating candidates.

 

[Whitesnake]

 

[Whitesnake]

I sincerely hope that him being a yes-man was not a deciding factor in the choice.

In what job do you go in an interview with the idea to challenge the company that is hiring you? You want to work somewhere, you decide to go and apply, it's usually because you like the culture of the company and are ready to go in a certain continuity. It still doesn't mean that you will be a yes man everytime along the way. But it does mean that they share the same views on things. Which make sense. For every job in the planet. So it's true for this one too. He is hired based on the idea that he shares the same philosophy. But within the philosophy, there is a world of things they still can see differently. But sharing the same goal should make them most of the time come to a consensus.

By the way...EVERY AHL coach hired say the same thing. That they'll follow what the Pro team is doing in order to be able to provide players that will fit the mold. Every one of them.

 

[Habs178]

Trevor Letowski has signed a contract to become an assistant coach with the Habs. Hasn’t been announced yet, but he’s best friends with my brother in law. That’s how I know.

 

[Treb]

 

[donghabs98]

It all started with Corey who hired him without thinking after having trashed Savard and Demers. Houle is a good soldier who accepted the job to help the org.

I'll never forgive him for those firings. I understand why they were made but the fact Corey didn't do a proper search is simply ridiculous and highlights the ineptitude that ruin the franchise in the 90s.

Hire interns while you conduct a proper search, its not rock science.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

I don't know anything about him, but mentoring the youth should be a good focus. I get the sense he's mostly unknown, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's no good.

 

[First Line]

Interesting. Pretty much confirmed Bouchard wanted to leave after seeing the team go far in the playoffs and not being able to get the head coach gig in Montreal.

 

[1909]

Interesting. Pretty much confirmed Bouchard wanted to leave after seeing the team go far in the playoffs and not being able to get the head coach gig in Montreal.

Exactly what I was suspecting.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Was an assistant coach with Edmonton for 6 years between 2008 to 2014.

Has been head coach at Tri-City Americans in the WHL the last two years.

 

[Treb]

 

[montreal]

Consistency, tenacity and speed are key for Jean-Francois Houle

 

[dcyhabs]

In what job do you go in an interview with the idea to challenge the company that is hiring you? You want to work somewhere, you decide to go and apply, it's usually because you like the culture of the company and are ready to go in a certain continuity. It still doesn't mean that you will be a yes man everytime along the way. But it does mean that they share the same views on things. Which make sense. For every job in the planet. So it's true for this one too. He is hired based on the idea that he shares the same philosophy. But within the philosophy, there is a world of things they still can see differently. But sharing the same goal should make them most of the time come to a consensus.

By the way...EVERY AHL coach hired say the same thing. That they'll follow what the Pro team is doing in order to be able to provide players that will fit the mold. Every one of them.

Which goes to show that the hiring process and most of the candidates aren't great. If you come into a company that makes widgets that has a bunch of average people and average products then you want to fit in. No one wants to be hassled to try to make one extra widget per hour. When you come into an NHL team with a history of winning you have to bring excellence. Either you confirm that the current setup is excellent and you can fit in or you point out what you can bring that isn't there.

There aren't that many NHL or AHL jobs, there is no excuse for hiring the same ex-NHL old boy retreads. There have got to be better people out there, or people that can be developed into better candidates. If there aren't better guys they should be teaching them.

The coach has to fit in but he also has to challenge everyone around him to be better. Better to have a guy like Bouchard who makes waves but pushes everyone than Lefebvre who sits in the foxhole and drags the best prospects down while assuring his bosses he will never take their jobs.

 

[dcyhabs]

Almost everyone is a nepotism hiring to a certain degree.

Where it becomes worrisome is if it becomes one of your top criteria in evaluating candidates.

Doesn't have to be. Certainly most people will give their kids a chance, the problem is when they are allowed to fail upward, or start at the top.

The NHL is problematic because most teams hire from a small pool of ex-players. There aren't that many guys who played up to the NHL level, or even the AHL level to start with. Only so many of these guys have any interest or aptitude for coaching. Most teams don't do real searches, either, more "hey who do we know who could do this?"

Priorities often end up being to hire someone who won't rock the boat instead of someone who is really good at the job. Considering the state of the habs development system they shouldn't hire someone who will toe the line, they should fire a bunch of guys and hire people who will follow a process and expect results. Evaluate the results and either keep or fire and try again. Same old same old means more failure.

 

[Kimota]

Interesting. Pretty much confirmed Bouchard wanted to leave after seeing the team go far in the playoffs and not being able to get the head coach gig in Montreal.

If that's the case, he made a huge mistake. Esp. with what happened this year. DD won't be here long.

 

[1909]

If that's the case, he made a huge mistake. Esp. with what happened this year. DD won't be here long.

It was impossible for Bouchard to predict that. I would say Molson and Bergevin are no big fans of Bouchard personnality-style. Bergevin did not make any effort to retain him in the org.

 

[Kimota]

It was impossible for Bouchard to predict that. I would say Molson and Bergevin are no big fans of Bouchard personnality-style. Bergevin did not make any effort to retain him in the org.

That is so weird to me. Maybe they are passive compared to Joel's outgoing personality. Imagine a wallflower millionaire. lol

Danick Martel said he loved Bouchard's coaching. And he completely disagree with Dale Weise. He said he was hard but fair. And he mentioned he helped in KK's development. Something I noticed is that KK became more physical after he came back and it improved his game.

 

[tazsub3]

That is so weird to me. Maybe they are passive compared to Joel's outgoing personality. Imagine a wallflower millionaire. lol

Danick Martel said he loved Bouchard's coaching. And he completely disagree with Dale Weise. He said he was hard but fair. And he mentioned he helped in KK's development. Something I noticed is that KK became more physical after he came back and it improced his game.

Bouchard was the best development coach we had in ages. Every player play at the max of even better then projections during his times. And most importantly almost all improved from start to end of the season

 

[Vachon23]

It was impossible for Bouchard to predict that. I would say Molson and Bergevin are no big fans of Bouchard personnality-style. Bergevin did not make any effort to retain him in the org.

Not sure I agree, Bergevin offered him the rocket job or a job with the Habs as an assistant. Bouchard took this decision because Eakins had 1 yrs contract left and everybody though he will probably get fired after this season

 

[dcyhabs]

It was impossible for Bouchard to predict that. I would say Molson and Bergevin are no big fans of Bouchard personnality-style. Bergevin did not make any effort to retain him in the org.

Which probably means they should have kept Bouchard. The guys Bergevin didn't like and didn't keep could make a really, really good starting lineup.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

If that's the case, he made a huge mistake. Esp. with what happened this year. DD won't be here long.

We can always rehire him back. Most teams allow staff to apply to a position that is considered a promotion.

So he wouldn't come back as AHL coach, but no reason for him not to be under consideration for our NHL coaching position.

 

[Chili]

When I read that Kelly Buchberger was the assistant coach, reminded me of Maxime Talbot, a similar type of player. So I looked up Talbot and sure enough, he has become a coach too...assistant to some guy named Joel Bouchard.

Talbot met Bouchard through a mutual friend, former NHL defenseman Bruno Gervais and the two grew close during offseason skating sessions in Montreal.

“When he got the job in San Diego, I texted him to say, ‘Congrats on the gig,’” Talbot said. “He’s like, ‘Max, you coming with me?’ I’m like, ‘Whoa, whoa! What do you mean?’ I (visited him in) his (summer) cabin two days later. We talked about hockey for a full day. The wife and I were on the way back in the car and we said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’”

Once a 'superstar' with the Penguins, Max Talbot is now an assistant coach in San Diego

 

[Vachon23]

Credit need to be given to J-F Houle, he's doing a good job with Laval this season.