ECWHSWI
TOUGHEN UP.
- Oct 27, 2006
- 28,604
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Yes but what people like Ron don't understand is that maybe in the old days francophone players were clamouring to play for the Habs. The team always has had some local quotient in the lineup even in recent times anyway. The underlying problem Fournier and co. have is that we don't see francophone star players here. But in recent times francophone stars like Briere (Flyers signing as a star, not the post-buyout one!), Lecavalier, and Martin Lapointe have all passed on the chance to sign here as free agents despite getting lucrative offers. Look at Martin St Louis - Laval kid and he demanded a trade only to New York! The players primarily care about getting maximum value and so the Canadiens, as an institution, team or whatever, have to do the same to thrive in the standings....which puts fans in the seats.
Bergevin has it right on. If there are two equals fine prefer the local but we can't just build a team premised around keeping francophone players in the NHL.
It is something to be cognizant of but it can't drive the team's decision making. I think a good example of the right balance is this. When Gauthier foolishly made the unilingual Randy Cunneyworth the head coach to replace Jacques Martin, he was rightly criticized. But I would say that is because he should have acted quicker and hired Kirk Muller instead...sure Muller was an anglophone, but he was probably better qualified and given his history here I'm sure he would have been accepted if he promised to learn French (he actually promised to do so when named captain but Savard flipped him for Turgeon soon after anyway).
Bergevin signed Briere...
all he learned when asst. coach is merci, you gotta be damn naive to think he would have made the effort, he didnt bother as an asst. he would have found an excuse as head coach.