Confirmed with Link: JJ Daigneault & Dan Lacroix let go; Habs Sign Dominique Ducharme - 3 years to be new assistant coach

[bsl]

That's a champ word. With that, you've entered an exclusive club of wordsmithery that previously only included Tighthead, who comes up with similar gems.

Tighthead's expressions last year, "pound salt" and being "crestfallen", garnered similar attention.

He’s English. Normal vocabulary there.

 

[bsl]

For a guy who failed so often, he did well for himself holding on to a job. Most of us would have been shown the door much earlier.

Habs are the Ford of hockey. Guys can fail for a long time.

 

[MasterDecoy]

That’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it... I never liked him professionally or personally, Gerard Gallant told me he would deliberately speak French when Therrien, himself and Daigneault were in a room knowing that Gallant couldn’t understand... I’ll also never forgive him for costing us Larry Robinson. So, as I said earlier, you’re welcome to your opinion, I say good riddance to bad rubbish. Garbage player, garbage coach.

Next on the list - the Bin himself.

"I never liked him as a player and a coach!"

*lists reasons to hate him as a coach*

Solid

 

[FormerLurker]

Happy with these moves.

Hope Ducharme encourages creative offensive play.

Hope we get better than a former bottom pairing D man that MB peed in the same bathroom in when he was 17 , as the new defense coach.

So I've been reading a lot here today and since his hiring that Bergevin and JJD go way back. But is that really true or just assumed? According to hockeydb they never played on the same team, at least not after the age of 16. Before joining the Habs JJD worked for the NYR affiliate while Bergevin was in Chicago. In the press release announcing the firing Bergevin stated that "I got to know JJ and Dan several years ago..."

Looks to me that there is prior no connection to Bergevin and that JJD was a Therrien hire. Could be wrong though. Anyone know?

 

[Kimota]

"Alright guys first thing first, to change our reputation, we're gonna hire Ducharme as Ass. Coach and everybody is gonna wear these awful pink/read t-shirts from now on to show our support for the LGBT community".

 

[Habitant le colon]

CJ talk about sx-dman with nhl coaching experience and the best avaible and no one point out Alain Vigneault!?

 

[Runner77]

So I've been reading a lot here today and since his hiring that Bergevin and JJD go way back. But is that really true or just assumed? According to hockeydb they never played on the same team, at least not after the age of 16. Before joining the Habs JJD worked for the NYR affiliate while Bergevin was in Chicago. In the press release announcing the firing Bergevin stated that "I got to know JJ and Dan several years ago..."

Looks to me that there is prior no connection to Bergevin and that JJD was a Therrien hire. Could be wrong though. Anyone know?

An old photo from a former hockey league, left to right: Canadiens' general manager Marc Bergevin Mario Lemieux, unknown, and Daniel Faubert, far right. Bottom is J.J. Daigneault. The Ville-Emard Hurricanes produced three NHL players from the same team--Bergevin, Daigneault and Mario Lemieux. It's surprising enough that three players from the same team would make the NHL--let alone end up in hockey management after they retired.

Left to right: J.J. Daigneault, Mario Lemieux, Marc Bergevin and Robert Bourdeau seen on an old picture from their former minor hockey league team the Ville-Emard Hurricanes which produced three NHL players from the same team.

Mario Lemieux, Marc Bergevin and Jean-Jacques Daigneault played together in the late 1970s for the Ville-Émard Hurricanes in Montreal’s southwest district.

One town, one team, three NHLers

 

[WickedPegJets]

Great news! I have a feeling they forced this hiring on Julien, which is fine by me. I mean, let's be honest here, he is the future replacement of Julien.

IMO, Claude Julien will not change his defence first and primary philosophy and as such, his shelf life is one more year and if the Habs didn't finish at least 3rd in the Division and win Round 1 of the playoffs, he will be fired.

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

An old photo from a former hockey league, left to right: Canadiens' general manager Marc Bergevin Mario Lemieux, unknown, and Daniel Faubert, far right. Bottom is J.J. Daigneault. The Ville-Emard Hurricanes produced three NHL players from the same team--Bergevin, Daigneault and Mario Lemieux. It's surprising enough that three players from the same team would make the NHL--let alone end up in hockey management after they retired.

Left to right: J.J. Daigneault, Mario Lemieux, Marc Bergevin and Robert Bourdeau seen on an old picture from their former minor hockey league team the Ville-Emard Hurricanes which produced three NHL players from the same team.

Mario Lemieux, Marc Bergevin and Jean-Jacques Daigneault played together in the late 1970s for the Ville-Émard Hurricanes in Montreal’s southwest district.

One town, one team, three NHLers

Hilarious, all this time I thought there was no connection between them, they're more inbred than a duelling banjo player

 

[FormerLurker]

An old photo from a former hockey league, left to right: Canadiens' general manager Marc Bergevin Mario Lemieux, unknown, and Daniel Faubert, far right. Bottom is J.J. Daigneault. The Ville-Emard Hurricanes produced three NHL players from the same team--Bergevin, Daigneault and Mario Lemieux. It's surprising enough that three players from the same team would make the NHL--let alone end up in hockey management after they retired.

Left to right: J.J. Daigneault, Mario Lemieux, Marc Bergevin and Robert Bourdeau seen on an old picture from their former minor hockey league team the Ville-Emard Hurricanes which produced three NHL players from the same team.

Mario Lemieux, Marc Bergevin and Jean-Jacques Daigneault played together in the late 1970s for the Ville-Émard Hurricanes in Montreal’s southwest district.

One town, one team, three NHLers

Thanks for digging that up! I wonder if Daigneault and Bergevin would have made the NHL if they had not played with Lemieux? Everyone on that team would have had exposure to scouts, since Lemieux would have been scouted heavily even at that age.

 

[yianik]

Hilarious, all this time I thought there was no connection between them, they're more inbred than a duelling banjo player

So Plan C. Convince Mario to cut all ties with Pens, unretire , and play for the Habs.

 

[schnapshot]

Thanks for digging that up! I wonder if Daigneault and Bergevin would have made the NHL if they had not played with Lemieux? Everyone on that team would have had exposure to scouts, since Lemieux would have been scouted heavily even at that age.

They’re both defensemen so it’s not like they racked up points because of him.

That picture demonstrates how part of the Habs country club goes back, wow...

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

So Plan C. Convince Mario to cut all ties with Pens, unretire , and play for the Habs.

Finally our big French C!

 

[Adam Michaels]

CJ talk about sx-dman with nhl coaching experience and the best avaible and no one point out Alain Vigneault!?

Dans Les Coulisses spoke about him in one of their articles. I brought it up in the defense coach thread. I doubt Vigneault would accept to be an assistant coach. I think he'll be in Dallas.

 

[Edgy]

Yes. But the post was initially talking about kids. Didn't specify good ones.

I didn't think I needed to specify, it was implied. But apparently you take everything literally.

We have very little above average young talent in the farm and the big club. Hiring a guy that's good with young talent would have been more beneficial when we still had a few above average good young players.

Let's hope this clarification passes scrutiny.

 

[Adam Michaels]

I didn't think I needed to specify, it was implied. But apparently you take everything literally.

We have very little above average young talent in the farm and the big club. Hiring a guy that's good with young talent would have been more beneficial when we still had a few above average good young players.

Let's hope this clarification passes scrutiny.

You do need to specify. You said they SOLD the farm, that implies they traded it all away. So that post was inaccurate just for the sake of being pessimistic.

 

[Habs]

Hilarious, all this time I thought there was no connection between them, they're more inbred than a duelling banjo player

Exactly, he's part of Bergy's old boys club, should never have been behind the bench. Kirk must be cursing the gods behind closed doors.

 

[LaP]

It's possible. But I don't know why people would think MB wouldn't be interested. I know he didn't call him as quickly as other teams. But I don't think it's because he genuinely didn't want him.

However, if Molson is behind this and put pressure on MB to get him, then I guess Geoff has finally put on his big boy pants and has started acting like the big boss.

I don't know if Molson has anything to say about the hiring. Probably not. But i'm sure he had a say in all the firing.

 

[LaP]

This so called 'modern' hockey we are playing today is closer to what Robinson played (minus the fights) than any of what the 40 yr old D-men would've played

Yep the hockey played today has a lot in common with the one played at the very beginning of the 90ies and 80ies. The 40 years old guys did not play it (likely played in the dead puck era) but they grew up watching it. When i was young playing well with the puck was more important than playing well without it. And dumping the puck was always a bad play unless there was a line change. And even when there was a line change the dman would wait behind the net more often then not instead of dumping it. The dead puck era defense first (defense 2nd, 3d, 4th, 5th, 6th, ...) hockey really was not the way hockey was played before anyway not since i was born in the 70ies.

 

[QuebecPride]

Clode is finally being given the chance to get his own guy, Bergevin no longer holds the same power in Montreal. As I reread this post I couldn't help but stumble on "If it is French, great. If not, it’s going to be the best candidate.” Did anyone else notice this?

I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. What he probably meant, and forgot to say was: "Regardless of his first language, it's going to be the best candidate".

 

[OldCraig71]

I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. What he probably meant, and forgot to say was: "Regardless of his first language, it's going to be the best candidate".

I just thought it was an interesting way to say it.

 

[Et le But]

While I’m glad Molson and Bergevin are being pressured into hiring actual hockey coaches and not Bergevin’s drinking buddies, and I know Ducharme is considered one of the best coaches in the Q, I haven’t watched much CHL lately so I’m curious - what kind of coach is he?

I’m all for mining the Q for talent but the biggest issue I’ve had with Quebec hockey over the past few decades is how outdated it’s management seems to be...Quebec produces plenty of great coaches but they all seem to be of the old school mindset, not to mention advocates of defensive, boring hockey. Even the NHL coaching prospects I rate like Vincent play conservative hockey to a fault. Is this newer generation at least open to evolution? Either way hiring guys like Ducharme and Bouchard is a major step in the right direction, but I’m hoping they are more than just younger, more charismatic Therriens.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

I honestly hates the fact thag they're gonna be 4 coach behind bench..

The actual plan was to block the view for when they have tshirt guy (Rob... or Ron?) in the stands behind the bench

 

[Runner77]

Either way hiring guys like Ducharme and Bouchard is a major step in the right direction, but I’m hoping they are more than just younger, more charismatic Therriens.

That would be setting the bar at its lowest. Flatulent, nail-flicking oafs with a limited vocabulary and dim intellectual acumen are mostly the burnt offerings of a prior generation, thankfully. Not that you couldn't find such specimens today but they're much less likely to survive or move up the ranks as coaching has become a much more structured profession and the ability to deal with the current generation of players is at a premium.

The likes of Ducharme and Bouchard are modern coaches, they will be seeing players they have known in their careers, advance to the NHL and I'm sure Ducharme will have some of them make their way to the Habs' system (on top of the ones already attributed to him). Coaches like Ducharme will have an inherent ability to know how to handle them. There wasn't anyone quite like Ducharme in the Habs' circle, so he's a great first step.

When's the last time that we've ever seen a Habs' hire garner universal support? I can't find anyone saying a bad thing about Ducharme. This man is on quite the trajectory, his future is bright and he's ascending while a Hab. This is the best friggin' day of the last 12 months. And I'd like more just like that. We're overdue.

 

[donghabs98]

Clode is finally being given the chance to get his own guy, Bergevin no longer holds the same power in Montreal. As I reread this post I couldn't help but stumble on "If it is French, great. If not, it’s going to be the best candidate.” Did anyone else notice this?

I got that vibe a bit too but the general impression I got from the quote was that the Habs would be focusing on hiring good coaching talent and a particular focus will be placed on ensuring when good talent from the Q is there then it doesn't go unnoticed.

The Q has a number of good French coaching talent but the Habs have often choose to ignore it. Considering there is a self-imposed focus on language then hiring talented Q coaches is a lot better than hiring just ex-players bevsuse they were French or have a personal connection such as with J.J and Lacroix