News Article: Geoff Molson re-affirms confidence in Marc Bergevin, will not hire a president of hockey operations

[dcyhabs]

I think they should have one or more people who never talk in public, don't care what anyone says, and make most of the hiring and team direction decisions.

Have someone like Bergevin make public statements and do flamboyant public stuff.

Have other people do coach/GM/assistants/scouting as hired by the faceless people. Train and develop your own people including language (both recruiting francophones and providing language courses). There just aren't enough experienced people, to say nothing of good experienced people, available. You have to find and develop your own. Start coaching and GMing courses at U of M and/or UQAM...

 

[MasterD]

No they don't care about any of their fans in that sense - what they and their shareholders care about is the viability of the product and its profibility.

They are convinced that having a bilingual GM and coach is more profitable than having a successful team. To this point, they are correct. However, if the fan base was unified in a direction of wanting the best team, best personnel, committing to a rebuild and actually deciding to compete - they would change how they operate.

Unfortunately, there's too loud of a minority of the fan base that puts language of those positions above the actual success of the team. We saw it with Cunneyworth - he was rightfully terminated for being bad, but before he had a chance to be bad, a bunch of loud people threw a joke of a protest and said they'd stop buying Molson products and Geoff caved immediately.

That wasn't to serve the francophone fans, it was to serve his stakeholders and protect the profits of himself and those who have shares in the Canadiens & Molson Coors.

If Molson sold the team to a richer owner, with deeper pockets and less reliance on what the hell the shareholders thought, we can have a unilingual coach or GM easily.

The day Réjean Tremblay dies/goes senile, lots of that sh*t will die off, too.

 

[Colezuki]

Mods can we add to the title the date he said this?

 

[Mandala]

Mods can we add to the title the date he said this?

Good idea since it is an old thread.

 

[Colezuki]

Good idea since it is an old thread.

I feel anxious everytime I join and see the thread title lol

 

[Archijerej]

I think debating the language issue is futile. We've been doing that for the past 20 years at least. If the organisation deems it essential for the GM to speak French, then we could as well complain that the sun is rising in the mornig.

In my opinion, the better question is how we can find a way around this issue?

Assuming they've identified the best candidate and he doesn't speak French, could they hire him under the guise of a President of Hockey Operations? He would act as the GM, but behind closed doors. It would be up to him how much of the bussines he wants to leave in the hands on the official GM.

A formal GM would be a French-speaking apprentice, who would be responsible for communication and would be groomed by the President to take over real decision making in the future.

I'd be interested to hear from our posters with management experience if such a scheme is even workable?

 

[LaP]

I was watching an interview with one of our player today on RDS and i could not tell which payer it was. I think it's the first time in history i'm in a position where i can't identify a player currently playing for the team. Not even in the Houle era have i been this disconnected from the team. Thank you MB.

 

[iamtalbot]

I coukd see this working well if they find there is a great experienced gm available but isn't french (a Lou Lamerello type) is hire him as president who actually is making the real decisions and then hire the young inexperienced french gm to do the work and apprentice under him ti take over in the future as the next president and hire his own apprentice


Very sith lord plan.

 

[jackeymoon]

Mol$on Magoo should come out of his hole so we can get an early spring!

 

[Tyson]

At the very least the owner owes a strategy plan to the loyal season ticket holders. They spend alot of money supporting his business.

 

[salbutera]

At the very least the owner owes a strategy plan to the loyal season ticket holders. They spend alot of money supporting his business.

A businessman’s primary objective is to maximize profit, the owner doesn’t owe squat, if the customer doesn’t like the product or service don’t pay for it - renew tix or attend games.

Habs ownership know full well they’ve got the market by its balls and all they have to do whenever the customer complains is squeeze for the customer to beg mercy and return

 

[BLONG7]

A businessman’s primary objective is to maximize profit, the owner doesn’t owe squat, if the customer doesn’t like the product or service don’t pay for it - renew tix or attend games.

Habs ownership know full well they’ve got the market by its balls and all they have to do whenever the customer complains is squeeze for the customer to beg mercy and return

Sad..............but true...............This needs to change very very quickly.
Habs fans are getting duped.............and the montreal media are perimeter pansies...

 

[Tyson]

A businessman’s primary objective is to maximize profit, the owner doesn’t owe squat, if the customer doesn’t like the product or service don’t pay for it - renew tix or attend games.

Habs ownership know full well they’ve got the market by its balls and all they have to do whenever the customer complains is squeeze for the customer to beg mercy and return

If the product is inferior you don't fund that product.
If I lived in Montreal I would not go to watch this brand. I would go watch Laval though.

 

[sampollock]

If a general manager is not bilingual they are not qualified to be general manager of the Montreal Canadiens .

Narrows the field then

 

[sampollock]

Mol$on Magoo should come out of his hole so we can get an early spring!

He is taking his beer cans in for the recycle Money

 

[CHwest]

By definition competent is good. Not sure what is your definition of competence.

Competent goes not mean good.

Full Definition of competent
1: proper or rightly pertinent
2: having requisite or adequate ability or qualities : FITa competent teachera competent piece of work
3: legally qualified or adequatea competent witness

 

[CHwest]

Sure… as long as bilingualism is the only qualification to be GM of the Montreal Canadiens.

In which case I’d advanced I’m more qualified than anyone they could potentially hire right now.

I’m French and achieved exempt status in my 2nd language evaluation (English).

I mean sure I’ve never played hockey in my life and I have zero experience in managing hockey teams but I’m perfectly bilingual.

What are you doing next season?

 

[AlexGretzchenvid]

..an obvious losing culture.


In the last 20 years we have not embraced a proper rebuild....

If someone can prove me wrong there.. and show actual proof of a true rebuild then I want to counter with why no results?


We need to come to terms with something..

either Montreal doesn't want a winner... perennial true contender...

or ( and ) we continue to support it regardless of the overwhelming fraud this business ventures in..

From false statements in the media, scandals across the board..


We as fans need to say no more..

 

[Miller Time]

..an obvious losing culture.


In the last 20 years we have not embraced a proper rebuild....

If someone can prove me wrong there.. and show actual proof of a true rebuild then I want to counter with why no results?


We need to come to terms with something..

either Montreal doesn't want a winner... perennial true contender...

or ( and ) we continue to support it regardless of the overwhelming fraud this business ventures in..

From false statements in the media, scandals across the board..


We as fans need to say no more..

i can't for the life of me understand why anyone would spend a dime on this organization these days...

i took my daughter to a game in Calgary prior to the pandemic, otherwise haven't and won't spend any money on habs in any capacity as long as molson continues to show his utter disdain for the fanbase and for the legacy of what the organization meant to the community and culture.

much like Barcelona F.C, the habs were once "more than a club". unfortunately, he's driving a stake into that legacy, and before long it will be completely forgotten and instead turn into just another entertainment option... a poor one at that.

 

[CHwest]

Quebec hits below it's weight population to players in the NHL wise. 48 players to 8.5 million people. Alberta 48 players 4.5 million people, Ontario 164 players 15 million people. It stands to reason that they are behind in management people as well.

Active NHL Players Born in Quebec ‑ All-Time Stats Leaders
Active NHL Players Born in Alberta ‑ All-Time Stats Leaders
Active NHL Players Born in Ontario ‑ All-Time Stats Leaders

What I am getting from some is that it is more important to be French or Quebecor than it is to be winning. Sounds like a farm team to me.

 

[JuicyHam]

A businessman’s primary objective is to maximize profit, the owner doesn’t owe squat, if the customer doesn’t like the product or service don’t pay for it - renew tix or attend games.

Habs ownership know full well they’ve got the market by its balls and all they have to do whenever the customer complains is squeeze for the customer to beg mercy and return

This is why i'm convinced the best thing that could happen to the Montreal Canadiens as far as on ice performance would go would be the return of the Nordiques. There is literally no incentive to put a better product on the ice because the market is so large and invested in this shit that there's no losing. Give the people of Quebec something else to look towards and they might start jumping ship

 

[salbutera]

This is why i'm convinced the best thing that could happen to the Montreal Canadiens as far as on ice performance would go would be the return of the Nordiques. There is literally no incentive to put a better product on the ice because the market is so large and invested in this shit that there's no losing. Give the people of Quebec something else to look towards and they might start jumping ship

NHL ownership which mainly consists of US owners now will NEVER give Quebec a team - they simply view it as an economic backwater. Jeremy Jacobs had even said as much many a time. It’s all about corporate $pending potential + high end disposable spending population to draw from - Quebec is small potatoes from both perspectives. Only reason Winter-peg got a team back is due to influence of Thomson family name

IMO Houston will be the last team to join the NHL union for quite some time, either via transfer of Yotes from Az or expansion.

 

[JuicyHam]

NHL ownership which mainly consists of US owners now will NEVER give Quebec a team - they simply view it as an economic backwater. Jeremy Jacobs had even said as much many a time. It’s all about corporate $pending potential + high end disposable spending population to draw from - Quebec is small potatoes from both perspectives

IMO Houston will be the last team to join the NHL union for quite some time, either via transfer of Yotes from Az or expansion.

Yeah I definitely don't think it will happen not any time soon just mentioning it would really help rejuvenate our own franchise

 

[tazsub3]

I think debating the language issue is futile. We've been doing that for the past 20 years at least. If the organisation deems it essential for the GM to speak French, then we could as well complain that the sun is rising in the mornig.

In my opinion, the better question is how we can find a way around this issue?

Assuming they've identified the best candidate and he doesn't speak French, could they hire him under the guise of a President of Hockey Operations? He would act as the GM, but behind closed doors. It would be up to him how much of the bussines he wants to leave in the hands on the official GM.

A formal GM would be a French-speaking apprentice, who would be responsible for communication and would be groomed by the President to take over real decision making in the future.

I'd be interested to hear from our posters with management experience if such a scheme is even workable?

the smartest take on the subject i heard in a long time.
Which is the exact reason we wont get it.
Molson brains dont function at this level.
You want to evaluate if molson is capable of something, Just think if homer Simpson can think of it. If he can , then molson probably will as well

 

[salbutera]

I think debating the language issue is futile. We've been doing that for the past 20 years at least. If the organisation deems it essential for the GM to speak French, then we could as well complain that the sun is rising in the mornig.

In my opinion, the better question is how we can find a way around this issue?

Assuming they've identified the best candidate and he doesn't speak French, could they hire him under the guise of a President of Hockey Operations? He would act as the GM, but behind closed doors. It would be up to him how much of the bussines he wants to leave in the hands on the official GM.

A formal GM would be a French-speaking apprentice, who would be responsible for communication and would be groomed by the President to take over real decision making in the future.

I'd be interested to hear from our posters with management experience if such a scheme is even workable?

I think that’s a very good take of the situation. I would use Canes as an example, Waddell for all intents is nothing more than the PR mouthpiece, that is trotted out in front of the cameras, but per Dundon’s mandate, analytics wonder boy Eric Tulsky has final say on all GM activities (contracts, trades, draft picks etc)