Geoff Molson - Eh What's Up Doc Edition

[admiralcadillac]

That's completely made-up. If he actually did, we wouldn't be in this mess. Proof is in the pudding. I'd agree if we were talking about someone with an actual hockey management pedigree and team building success, but we're not.

Most here are advocating putting a buffer between ownership and the GM, someone who knows hockey better than Molson does, someone who has that pedigree I mentionned, which is entirely worth considering, so your intervention is completely irrelevant and is downright ridculous when it comes to an appeal to authority of something that is not science, not an exact science. It's sheepish and lame.

You're right that we wouldn't be in the same mess but that doesn't mean we'd be any better off with an hfboarder in his position. If anyone different is in molson's position things would be different. In a sense that's a given, it's a non-statement.

I don't disagree with more competent people in management, particularly a second voice as president of HO to counteract bergevin or the gm, but I don't think anyone here would do a better job than Molson.

 

[Bring Bak Damphousse]

Geoff Molson is exactly what you want in an owner, he isnt a hockey man and he knows this, he’s given over complete control of his team to the “hockey men” he’s hired. He spends to the cap, and is relatively hands off, which is good...you dont want a guy who’s using his wealth to finance his own personal fantasy league team. The one area Molson has failed as an owner, and probably the only reason anyone hates him, is that he’s failed to hire someone that Bergevin has to answer too. Bergevin has total control over his hires and he’s used that control to fill key positions with friends and foxhole buddies. If Molson doesn’t have the stomach to fire Bergevin he needs to hire a president (not another foxhole comrade) to do it for him, and get this teams front office sorted out.

 

[Pickles]

When the trade rumors involving Subban first emerged I thought for sure that if Bergevin wanted to trade Subban Molson would step in and veto the trade. He didn't and for that, I'll never forgive him. He has stood back and let Bergevin tank the franchise. He's a coward. He's more concerned with beer sales and milking this fan base dry,

 

[DesmondDekker]

He's more concerned with beer sales and milking this fan base dry,

Why wouldn’t he, he is a businessman after all. For all he cares, the Bell Center keeps selling out while he is saving 8M this year in salary. Yeah they might miss the playoffs, but say 2 home games (because we sure aren’t getting a 3rd or 4th one) gives him less profit than the 8M he has in his pockets, why would he care having a competitive team !?

Dolla dolla bill y’all

 

[Runner77]

What kind of businessman gives a 5-year contract extention to his employee if that employee is still under contract for the next ~2 years? What's the rush?

A President of Hockey Flops, that's who.

 

[Seb]

Why wouldn’t he, he is a businessman after all. For all he cares, the Bell Center keeps selling out while he is saving 8M this year in salary. Yeah they might miss the playoffs, but say 2 home games (because we sure aren’t getting a 3rd or 4th one) gives him less profit than the 8M he has in his pockets, why would he care having a competitive team !?

Dolla dolla bill y’all

Have you watched the games at home this season? It's about as empty as Florida.

The damn opener wasn't sold out...

 

[DesmondDekker]

Have you watched the games at home this season? It's about as empty as Florida.

The damn opener wasn't sold out...

....you know what I meant. And when it will be as empty as it is in Sunrise, Molson will make a move for sure. Until then, nothing justifies a need for change.

 

[OldCraig71]

When the trade rumors involving Subban first emerged I thought for sure that if Bergevin wanted to trade Subban Molson would step in and veto the trade. He didn't and for that, I'll never forgive him. He has stood back and let Bergevin tank the franchise. He's a coward. He's more concerned with beer sales and milking this fan base dry,

Same pattern as the last time the Molsons owned the habs. As much as we all dislike the moves of Bergevin I wouldn't be surprised if the cap space surplus was Molsons idea. The team is awful but yet Molson says he is confident that Bergevin is the right man for the job, did he mean for hockey or the bottom line? So much going on behind the scenes in hab land and I am not defending Bergevin but it all seems so weird.

 

[Price is Wright]

I know people who know Geoff. Not well but well enough. He's a very big hockey fan according to them. Follows it every day. Well enough to discuss other teams.

I don't believe all he cares about are beer sales. He wants the Habs to win the Cup. But he doesn't want to be a middling owner. And I've heard he got slapped around by some of the older owners when he tried to go to bat for
for Pacioretty after he was run into the stanchion. I guess they told him he was overreacting and if he wanted to be a vital member of the BOG he needs to remember he's just the owner. So when his GM wants to trade Subban and protect the coach, he probably didn't want to look emotional and step in. He's trusting the people he put in place until it's clear that they are no longer to be trusted.

And hey I want Bergevin fired yesterday, but Molson wants to look logical and not emotional. He will fire Bergevin when there's no question he took the team as far as he's capable of.

 

[Lshap]

I know people who know Geoff. Not well but well enough. He's a very big hockey fan according to them. Follows it every day. Well enough to discuss other teams.

I don't believe all he cares about are beer sales. He wants the Habs to win the Cup. But he doesn't want to be a middling owner. And I've heard he got slapped around by some of the older owners when he tried to go to bat for
for Pacioretty after he was run into the stanchion. I guess they told him he was overreacting and if he wanted to be a vital member of the BOG he needs to remember he's just the owner. So when his GM wants to trade Subban and protect the coach, he probably didn't want to look emotional and step in. He's trusting the people he put in place until it's clear that they are no longer to be trusted.

And hey I want Bergevin fired yesterday, but Molson wants to look logical and not emotional. He will fire Bergevin when there's no question he took the team as far as he's capable of.

I have no problem believing Geoff is a decent guy and a real fan. However, we're approaching the point where, as the point-man of a huge ownership group, he has to step in and actively stop the slide. The team is in trouble and the fans are unhappy. The only tangible response we've seen this season are ticket prices hiked up and $8.5M not spent on hockey talent. Even if those factors have aligned by coincidence, the perception is awful.

The problem is GMs are rarely fired mid-season. Molson and Bergevin are out of wiggle room, and I really don't know what they can or will do.

 

[Runner77]

I know people who know Geoff. Not well but well enough. He's a very big hockey fan according to them. Follows it every day. Well enough to discuss other teams.

I don't believe all he cares about are beer sales. He wants the Habs to win the Cup. ... But he doesn't want to be a middling owner. ...

He's a middling owner right now. As in mediocre, second rate, out of his league when it comes to hockey operations. He'd be better off just handling the corporate and business side and leave hockey to a more suitable overseer.

Deandebean mentioned an incident yesterday where one of his friends who was at the game saw a fan have some kind of unpleasant interaction with Geoff and got thrown out of the BC as a result. I wonder if someone else came forward to substantiate it.

I mean, how naive is Geoff to be in the midst of your average fan? What does he think, his paying customers are not going to give him a piece of their mind? Of course, not everyone is civilized and and no one is condoning inappropriate behavior, however I would have thought Geoff might have chosen to attend games in one of his luxury boxes.

 

[Runner77]

The team is in trouble and the fans are unhappy. The only tangible response we've seen this season are ticket prices hiked up and $8.5M not spent on hockey talent. Even if those factors have aligned by coincidence, the perception is awful.

Plus, $150 tacked on to print tickets to games that no one cares to attend.

A new goal song for goals that aren't being scored.

 

[groovejuice]

I have no problem believing Geoff is a decent guy and a real fan. However, we're approaching the point where, as the point-man of a huge ownership group, he has to step in and actively stop the slide. The team is in trouble and the fans are unhappy. The only tangible response we've seen this season are ticket prices hiked up and $8.5M not spent on hockey talent. Even if those factors have aligned by coincidence, the perception is awful.

The problem is GMs are rarely fired mid-season. Molson and Bergevin are out of wiggle room, and I really don't know what they can or will do.

That's probably an accurate take on the situation, but I hope Bergevin is talking to some experienced hockey people not directly in his employ for ideas and solutions.

We've already seen how easily he can be swayed by Bergevin's serpent tongue.

 

[didimentionlarseller]

If you really believe in Bergevin and his country club extend him again right now and add another 5 years to his contract Molson. It would make just as much sense to do it right now as the last time

Don’t be cheap this is apparently the Mozart wunderkind of French gms

 

[Lshap]

Plus, $150 tacked on to print tickets to games that no one cares to attend.

A new goal song for goals that aren't being scored.

I missed the Florida game and had no idea there was a new goal song. My wife mentioned it during the LA game. I asked her if the song was Sounds of Silence.

Seriously, how funny is it that the Habs get a new goal song, and it turns out to be more elusive than Sasquatch...

 

[TheCanasianfrasian]

Because they also have this new entity called Groupe CH.

I would doubt he leaves his seat as president.

You guys see his presidency as a 'hockey' thing. It's not. In fact, it's unrelated to hockey.

Groupe CH is not en entity, its just a brand.

Groupe CH essentially is Hockey, evenko, spectra, other theaters like corona and metropolis, the condo towers, etc.

 

[lo striver]

I missed the Florida game and had no idea there was a new goal song. My wife mentioned it during the LA game. I asked her if the song was Sounds of Silence.

Seriously, how funny is it that the Habs get a new goal song, and it turns out to be more elusive than Sasquatch...

people had a field day with this commenting G. Molson's twit about the song

 

[Tyson]

Molson and Bergevin have become the Abott and Costello routine. I should not say that because Abott was actually pretty sharp...maybe Laurel and Hardy...

 

[Runner77]

I missed the Florida game and had no idea there was a new goal song. My wife mentioned it during the LA game. I asked her if the song was Sounds of Silence.

Seriously, how funny is it that the Habs get a new goal song, and it turns out to be more elusive than Sasquatch...

We needn't look too far for elusiveness. Why ...

 

[lo striver]

Molson and Bergevin have become the Abott and Costello routine. I should not say that because Abott was actually pretty sharp...maybe Laurel and Hardy...

Da Team that Bergevin built is a freaking "Who's on first?" routine -

Abbott: You pass the puck to the left forward because you can't skate.
Costello: Then who gets it?
Abbott: Naturally.
Costello: Naturally.
Abbott: Now you've got it.
Costello: I pass the puck to Naturally.
Abbott: You don't! You pass it to Who!
....

 

[WeThreeKings]

Here's a sign idea for anyone going to a Habs game

"the only thing worse than Bergevin is Molson beer"

 

[Yoor]

Personally I don't think Molson is a problem as an owner, he allows the team to spend to the cap, he allows the team to spend $5 million on a coach and now he even lets them spend more on our AHL team giving guys one way deals to help players clear waivers and get to our AHL team.

On the other hand I have an issue with Molson as president as I'd rather have an experienced person with hockey related background as the president instead of him. If things get bad Molson has shown he's willing to fire the GM previously, however having a more experienced hockey person there would be more proactive and foresee problems before they get bad.

Steephane Quintal could be that man...a la Shanahan..same path actually.

 

[overlords]

 

[M.C.G. 31]

I'm hot-and-cold on him. I'm holding out hope that if the slide continues, he proves he's not entrenched in the foxhole and he'll make the move necessary and learn from them -- hire a new, modern thinking general manager but also a president that the GM will have to answer to. If he did that in 2012, Bergevin probably isn't allowed to run roughshod, most notably trading P.K. Subban.

 

[nhlfan9191]

Here's a sign idea for anyone going to a Habs game

"the only thing worse than Bergevin is Molson beer"

I actually like Molson beer, but I guess I do have pretty bad taste. I do choose to cheer for the Montreal Canadiens.