Daniel Briere's autobiography

[mattcookefan]

You know you can’t just make things up and publish them as truth, right? Opens yourself up to serious legal repercussions.

tell that to Mr. Bovine Joni

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

The only player that ever said good things about Therrien are his favorite pets (DD, Bouillon etc.) and Crosby.
y.

Crosby would have a kind word for herpes if his opinion were asked.

The problem is that Therrien is a hardass for the sake of being a hardass. Number 1, players don't know what they need to do to be on his good side because he's apparently a crappy communicator and number 2, too often it feels like his decisions don't come from a desire to get the most out of everyone but from a desire to stand above everyone, and it shows in his inconsistency. You can be a hard ass coach but there's setting clear lines and expectations and then there's whatever Michel does (I've heard flicking toenails at guys on the bus, which says it all).

It's one thing to make players work for your respect; it's entirely a different thing when you're inconsistent and no one knows what exactly will set you off.

 

[13th Floor]

Say what you will about Therrien, but he is the coach with the 4th more wins all time for the Montreal Canadiens. His job was to get results and he got results from a very ordinary roster. He isn't supposed to be their friend. Maybe a few guys on the current team need a bit less of a cheerleader and more of a guy like Therrien. Sometimes wanting to stay on the good side of a guy like that will work wonders on your effort level.

And Jack Capuano has the 2nd most wins in Isles history.

 

[JFleegs]

Briere is one of the classiest guys I know
[his sons go to my old high school, he lives nearby, he's always out and about, heavily involved]
that's really all I have to add, he was always a high-character guy & I don't think he'd make something up like this to sell books

I haven't met him personally, but a friend of mine actually ran into him when his car broke down in my hometown. He signed a bunch of autographs and gave a kid his hockey stick. He told me he was a really nice guy.

 

[ECBBW]

Michel "People Skills" Therrien.

Really, though, this is pretty unsurprising. Therrien always came off as a boorish power-tripper IMO.

 

[Jigger77]

The problem is that Therrien is a hardass for the sake of being a hardass. Number 1, players don't know what they need to do to be on his good side because he's apparently a crappy communicator and number 2, too often it feels like his decisions don't come from a desire to get the most out of everyone but from a desire to stand above everyone, and it shows in his inconsistency. You can be a hard ass coach but there's setting clear lines and expectations and then there's whatever Michel does (I've heard flicking toenails at guys on the bus, which says it all).

I don't disagree, entirely. I tend to think athletes, well, most people of that younger generation now need more coddling and have a thinner skin than they used to. So this "tough love" approach is probably dated.

About him being a power-tripper, or wanting to stand above everyone though, that is pure speculation. We just don't know what a person's motives are. For all we know he used this approach because he genuinely thought it was the best way to get results. And it's hard to claim that it didn't work for him, at least for a while.

 

[BladeRunner66]

I feel like the Briere I remember is much different than the Briere you remember.

I always saw him as a soft perimeter sniper type during his prime. Hell of a shot though, premier one shot scorer for a long time.

While i agree with you that Brière wasn't a cheap shot artist i have to disagree with your assumption that he was soft, -especially- since when he began training with giant tires (a la strongest men contests), he could go into corners and pitbull his way outta there with the puck. Incidently that training stretched his career.

Great PO performer, not saying Therrien would have won against the Bruins that PO season but he could have at least given Brière an opportunity to perform one last time where he thrived.

 

[John Eichel da GOAT]

I feel like the Briere I remember is much different than the Briere you remember.

I always saw him as a soft perimeter sniper type during his prime. Hell of a shot though, premier one shot scorer for a long time.

I second this. What a dumb comment from the original quote. Briere was a class act.

 

[Moskau]

I second this. What a dumb comment from the original quote. Briere was a class act.

Briere had quite a few incidents on the ice that would be considered dirty. Especially when he was with Buffalo. But off the ice he's said to be one the nicest guys there is.

Therrein's "tactics" go beyond coaching and seem to bleed into jealousy.

 

[iCanada]

While i agree with you that Brière wasn't a cheap shot artist i have to disagree with your assumption that he was soft, -especially- since when he began training with giant tires (a la strongest men contests), he could go into corners and pitbull his way outta there with the puck. Incidently that training stretched his career.

Great PO performer, not saying Therrien would have won against the Bruins that PO season but he could have at least given Brière an opportunity to perform one last time where he thrived.

Yeah this is fair. I think soft is the wrong word. Idk i think when things ramped up was when he was at his best (case I'm point, 2010 w/ Philly), but i also don't think he was a player that would ramp things up himself.

Less of a Theo Fluery, more of a Justin Williams. Obviously he's nothing like either player, I just mean in terms of getting his nose dirty; he could more than stand his ground, but I never saw him as someone looking to start things.

 

[Kimota]

I just feel it comforting that "tough love" coaches still exist in this day and age. We always say that kids these days have to be pampered.

 

[JianYang]

I feel like the Briere I remember is much different than the Briere you remember.

I always saw him as a soft perimeter sniper type during his prime. Hell of a shot though, premier one shot scorer for a long time.

He wasn't really soft. He could be chippy, and a pain the ass, and while he didn't make a living around the net, he did get a fair share of his goals around the net. Plus, I have a hard time labelling a guy as soft when he was a playoff performer.

He carved out a career in an era where the odds we're stacked against a guy his size. For that, I respect him, even though he used to annoy the heck out of me.

 

[Wo Yorfat]

I feel like when Briere is 50, he'll still get ID'd at the liquor store if he shaves and pops on a hat.

 

[Chainshot]

Briere is one of the classiest guys I know
[his sons go to my old high school, he lives nearby, he's always out and about, heavily involved]
that's really all I have to add, he was always a high-character guy & I don't think he'd make something up like this to sell books

I've had some contact with him when he was in Buffalo and he always came across as being approachable and pleasant. I'm interested to read the book because there are some things about his time in Buffalo that would be interesting to see in print -- the break with Larry Quinn, then president of the Sabres in particular.

 

[YesCubed]

I don't disagree, entirely. I tend to think athletes, well, most people of that younger generation now need more coddling and have a thinner skin than they used to. So this "tough love" approach is probably dated.

asking your coach for constructive criticism and him yelling at you instead isn't asking to be coddled. what an idiotic statement

I just feel it comforting that "tough love" coaches still exist in this day and age. We always say that kids these days have to be pampered.

yeah therrien has done a great job with his 0 cups and being a worse coach than dan bylsma

 

[1865]

Trying to make a buck. Got to make it an interesting read. Who knows what's real and whats not.

No, he's trying to make a book.

 

[sr edler]

Does it contain any French swearwords?

 

[Jigger77]

asking your coach for constructive criticism and him yelling at you instead isn't asking to be coddled. what an idiotic statement

Never said it was. What an idiotic deduction. I said that the younger generation has a thinner skin and need more coddling and don't respond to that approach the same way anymore and therefore that approach is probably dated. Never said anything bad about constructive criticism, nor that it should not be used.

 

[Jigger77]

I just feel it comforting that "tough love" coaches still exist in this day and age. We always say that kids these days have to be pampered.

They should probably just stop counting the score and give everyone participation medals

 

[BigEezyE22]

Does it read like a short story?

 

[Hasbro]

Anything interesting about his stay with the Avs?

 

[bambamcam4ever]

asking your coach for constructive criticism and him yelling at you instead isn't asking to be coddled. what an idiotic statement

yeah therrien has done a great job with his 0 cups and being a worse coach than dan bylsma

He is definitely a better coach than Bylsma. Pens don't win in 09 without the structure Therrien instilled in the team

 

[BLONG7]

The translations of some of the tweets quoting it that came out earlier tonight were telling. Therrien comes across as a complete a-hole.

Which he is...a clown coach, and a real arse...

 

[BLONG7]

If players want best friend, tell them to get a dog.

He might be an Ahole, but he's paid to win. Lots of successful people are far worse Aholes and end up being revered. If you want to dislike therrien there are tons of reasons above the fact that he wouldn't hold players hands (i.e. Personnel choices)

Therrien has never won anything at the NHL level.............he is a clown coach...his ways are beyond old...today's player/employee does not respond to an idiot like this...

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

He wasn't really soft. He could be chippy, and a pain the ass, and while he didn't make a living around the net, he did get a fair share of his goals around the net. Plus, I have a hard time labelling a guy as soft when he was a playoff performer.

He carved out a career in an era where the odds we're stacked against a guy his size. For that, I respect him, even though he used to annoy the heck out of me.

You can be soft and be a good playoff performer at the same time. Kessel is the best example of that.