TSN: Mike Babcock free to talk to other teams

[IceHockeyfan]

Corrected this for you. For those Montreal sports fans who have a problem with a coach not speaking French, Felipe Alou, Buck Rogers, Dick Williams, and Gene Mauch all say hello.

Only the most die-hard of Montreal sports fans have ever heard of Alou, Rogers, Williams and Mauch. I only heard of Alou; he played for the Expos, right? I never cared for the Expos. Their departure left me indifferent.

Win or lose, the Canadiens will always be first in the Montreal sports scene. Why? Because they actually try to promote local talent. The Expos,
Impact, Alouettes and others don't and therefore they are not as popular unless they win.

They thrived here no reason Mike Babcock wouldn't. Oh yeah, bigoted French media needing to sell papers ... .

Again, Quebec is labelled as racists, bigoted, blah blah blah. The Canadiens play for MONTREAL, and by extension, QUEBEC. They don't play for the WORLD, so it is not bigoted to ask the Canadiens to attract more local talent and attract those that can speak French for relatability.

If you have a problem with the fact that the Canadiens will try to attract local talent, then cheer for another team. It's better for your mental health. That is my humble advice to you.

 

[waffledave]

They will never hire Babcock though. The media will find a way to prevent it from happening.

Look, already, they media has been starting their mandate to protect Michel Therrien. He's one of them. An Antichambre alum. They will protect this guy to the death.

Michel. The embodiment of the all of Quebec. The Michel that doesn't even go by Michel in real life. Everyone calls him Mike, EVERYONE. Michel is his stage name.

Look at the media now... They sense it. They sense that he's losing grip, losing his footing. And now the SAVE MICHEL articles begin. Brunet's article about how amazing of a coach Therrien is. All the discussions about how disrespectful it is to be talking about Babcock when Therrien is doing SO MUCH GOOD.

And this is in response to small hints that Michel is losing it. Just wait till it starts to become obvious. The spin train will really be chugging along then. Oh man oh man. That'll be a spectacle indeed. I can't wait for our good friend Rejean Tremblay, the Minister of Information to return...

Which star player will be sacrificed to save Michel? I think it's between PK and Pacioretty. Outside chance of Price if he has a bad stretch.

 

[Rock On]

Im pretty sure the french media would applause Babcock as a coach in Mtl. When they hired Cunneyworth the problem was he was incompetant AND did not speak french.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

He ain't coming here... sorry.

 

[Rickkins]

Im pretty sure the french media would applause Babcock as a coach in Mtl. When they hired Cunneyworth the problem was he was incompetant AND did not speak french.

This is absolutely correct. Whatever the desire for a habs coach to parlez-vous, there is mostly certainly a Mike Babcock exception....

 

[Laps40]

The media loves MT so yeah firing Therrien won't happen unless we miss the playoffs next year

 

[ThorntonFightClub*]

Bruins fan coming in peace.

I would run from Babcock, he is very over rated. He hasn't been out of the 2nd round since 2009

 

[Edgy]

Sweet new middle-eastern 1st line center coming up!

Well, since Uzbekistan is not a Middle Eastern country, that might be difficult

 

[24Cups]

If you have a problem with the fact that the Canadiens will try to attract local talent, then cheer for another team. It's better for your mental health. That is my humble advice to you.

Listen Newb, my mental health is just fine, but thanks for your concern. Also just fine is my longtime support for the Montreal Canadiens who I would like to see win with the best coaches and players available, regardless of what languages they speak or don't speak. If there's two equal talents and one speaks French and English, choose this person. Otherwise choose the talent most likely to help you win.

 

[Capitano]

If there is even a REMOTE chance that Babcock would entertain the idea of coaching in Montreal, MB better pick up the phone at least. All I know is that MT isn't the guy for this team.

 

[IceHockeyfan]

If there's two equal talents and one speaks French and English, choose this person. Otherwise choose the talent most likely to help you win.

That's all the Canadiens do and all the French media asks. It is not asking for attracting local talent at any cost possible, only in attracting local talent whenever possible. A perfectly understandable and supportive request.

Furthermore, a hockey coach is overrated. Just tell the players to hustle, put themselves in front of the goalie to screen him, shoot pucks, and look for bounces. That is all a hockey player has to be told to play the game.

 

[HABsurde]

Mike Babcock, even if he would sell his first child to coach the Habs next season, wouldn't cause Therrien as 4 years contract, as a winning record for the last three years, made the playoff three years running, won 3 series with a sucky offense.... some of you people need to get your head out of your behind !!!

geez this board is frustrating most of the time.....

 

[Les Habitants]

I should go cheer for another team cause I want the best for my team? Are you serious?? The Montreal Canadiens are here to promote the french language?!?! Are they French language crusades or a hockey organization?? Posts like this drive me crazy.... its hard enough to win a cup

 

[Saint Patrick]

That's all the Canadiens do and all the French media asks. It is not asking for attracting local talent at any cost possible, only in attracting local talent whenever possible. A perfectly understandable and supportive request.

Furthermore, a hockey coach is overrated. Just tell the players to hustle, put themselves in front of the goalie to screen him, shoot pucks, and look for bounces. That is all a hockey player has to be told to play the game.

Most of the stuff you wrote about the Canadiens vs other Montreal teams is debatable, lets just say that having 24 Stanley Cups, and a team that is 106 years old will give it a little more importance than other sports teams in the city. But you lost all credibility with that bold line. For you to say that...seriously ? You don't see the huge difference between a good coached team and a bad one? You don't see a coach's influence with the play style of certain players? Coaches are as important to the team as their all star player.

 

[Adriatic]

Most of the stuff you wrote about the Canadiens vs other Montreal teams is debatable, lets just say that having 24 Stanley Cups, and a team that is 106 years old will give it a little more importance than other sports teams in the city. But you lost all credibility with that bold line. For you to say that...seriously ? You don't see the huge difference between a good coached team and a bad one? You don't see a coach's influence with the play style of certain players? Coaches are as important to the team as their all star player.

He does have a point though. Hockey coaches are a little overrated, because when it comes to x's and o's most of the teams in the NHL play exactly the same system save for a few. It's not like NFL where a coach is pretty much everything. In the NHL where a coach will make a difference I think is more the ability to motivate and give players confidence.

 

[Saint Patrick]

He does have a point though. Hockey coaches are a little overrated, because when it comes to x's and o's most of the teams in the NHL play exactly the same system save for a few. It's not like NFL where a coach is pretty much everything. In the NHL where a coach will make a difference I think is more the ability to motivate and give players confidence.

Maybe in terms of his impact on the actual game...again maybe. Once you start analyzing what is going on on the ice, once you start seeing some decisions made by none other than the coach that you realize just how much he can impact a team. I've had this debate with friends all the time, they just dont get how a coach can influence a team the way I see it, again thats just me. They think, hey lets take a bunch of super talented hockey players throw them on the ice and things will happen but its far from that in my opinion. Sure they play an important role in motivation and player confidence but they also play an even bigger role in player development, match strategies, adjustments and just plain line management, with those decisions a coach can make or break a team. Just look at this famous "System" Therrien has been playing. It literally took players known for playing a certain style and completely neutralized them. Maybe for the better in some cases and for the worst in others.

Perfect example of this is Therrien himself with the Penguins, a bunch of all stars that cant connect together, he might improved them in some way, but he couldnt get the job done and got fired for it, fast forward the year after and Bylsma takes the team to a stanley cup. Again, how much was Therrien and how much was Byslma, who knows, but at the end of the day, Bylsma won the cup and Therrien didnt.

 

[Adriatic]

Maybe in terms of his impact on the actual game...again maybe. Once you start analyzing what is going on on the ice, once you start seeing some decisions made by none other than the coach that you realize just how much he can impact a team. I've had this debate with friends all the time, they just dont get how a coach can influence a team the way I see it, again thats just me. They think, hey lets take a bunch of super talented hockey players throw them on the ice and things will happen but its far from that in my opinion. Sure they play an important role in motivation and player confidence but they also play an even bigger role in player development, match strategies, adjustments and just plain line management, with those decisions a coach can make or break a team. Just look at this famous "System" Therrien has been playing. It literally took players known for playing a certain style and completely neutralized them. Maybe for the better in some cases and for the worst in others.

Perfect example of this is Therrien himself with the Penguins, a bunch of all stars that cant connect together, he might improved them in some way, but he couldnt get the job done and got fired for it, fast forward the year after and Bylsma takes the team to a stanley cup. Again, how much was Therrien and how much was Byslma, who knows, but at the end of the day, Bylsma won the cup and Therrien didnt.

For sure, but for every Therrien/Bylsma switch you can also find numerous bad coaches winning cups too. I don't like Therrien as well, but on the other hand I also don't think he has the roster to win a cup. I'm not really sure exactly what's worse, the roster or the coach because on one hand I'm not a fan of Therrien and on the other this roster ain't going nowhere with Pleky and DD as first 2 centers.

 

[ChikN]

MT doesn't speak french IMO

J'aime comment qu'on est difficile à jouer contre.

Si j'aurai...all over the place.

Give me a break.

 

[Saint Patrick]

For sure, but for every Therrien/Bylsma switch you can also find numerous bad coaches winning cups too. I don't like Therrien as well, but on the other hand I also don't think he has the roster to win a cup. I'm not really sure exactly what's worse, the roster or the coach because on one hand I'm not a fan of Therrien and on the other this roster ain't going nowhere with Pleky and DD as first 2 centers.

Absolutely, I agree as well. This roster, at least on paper is not a hugely dominating roster, but they are better than what the numbers indicate, but mostly some performances we've seen on the ice. Especially on the offensive side, they are better than that.

 

[DD51*]

Im pretty sure the french media would applause Babcock as a coach in Mtl. When they hired Cunneyworth the problem was he was incompetant AND did not speak french.

Right on.

But Mr.Molson painted himself in a corner by saying - thru Serge Savard - that having a BILINGUAL coach was a must.

And Bergevin has spent tons of money on this actual coaching staff for the next 3-4 years.

Babcock has tons of other options on the table.

 

[DD51*]

Absolutely, I agree as well. This roster, at least on paper is not a hugely dominating roster, but they are better than what the numbers indicate, but mostly some performances we've seen on the ice. Especially on the offensive side, they are better than that.

Not by much. You put Cooper behind the Habs bench, and you got about the same result. The PP would had possibly been better (not hard) MT got pretty much the best out of this group. Not a SC contender yet.

 

[MTL-rules]

Mike Babcock, even if he would sell his first child to coach the Habs next season, wouldn't cause Therrien as 4 years contract, as a winning record for the last three years, made the playoff three years running, won 3 series with a sucky offense.... some of you people need to get your head out of your behind !!!

geez this board is frustrating most of the time.....

The sucky offense is directly caused by MT'S coaching...

As for his record, any stupid idiot with a white board could get a winning season with Price and Subban. The fact is, 2011-2012 was the aberration, not the standing mark. MT or MB didn't bring this club to greatness... it was already solid with Price, Subban, Markov and Pacioretty.

And how about this postseason, right. They faced two very average defensive teams with three very average goalies and they had all the difficulty in the world to score. At least in past years, their PP could score... what made them so good offensively ? Having Gionta, Gomez and Cammeleri... or Kovalev and the Kostitsyns ? Pacioretty, Galchenyuk and Gallagher are as talented if not more than any of these guys, yet couldn't generate any offense against defensively challanged teams.

That's the MT's way... and it needs to stop, ASAP.

 

[Sterling Archer]

Are there actually people who think there is even the remotest of possibilities that Bergevin will fire Therrien before starting his new 4 year contract to hire Babcock?

Please go and give yourselves a good shake because you're obviously dreaming.

 

[MTL-rules]

Are there actually people who think there is even the remotest of possibilities that Bergevin will fire Therrien before starting his new 4 year contract to hire Babcock?

Please go and give yourselves a good shake because you're obviously dreaming.

And what are the possibilities that we get the star scorer we desperately need ? Yet, that won't stop us dreaming about it or making trade proposals.

This board is to discuss about the team and giving our thoughts about how to improve it... I feel anyone who doesn't see the importance of changing the head coach is missing the point.

Will he get canned in favor of Babcock ? 99,99% chances he doesn't... well that won't make me stop dreaming about that 0,01%.

 

[Sterling Archer]

And what are the possibilities that we get the star scorer we desperately need ? Yet, that won't stop us dreaming about it or making trade proposals.

This board is to discuss about the team and giving our thoughts about how to improve it... I feel anyone who doesn't see the importance of changing the head coach is missing the point.

Will he get canned in favor of Babcock ? 99,99% chances he doesn't... well that won't make me stop dreaming about that 0,01%.

Getting a star forward and Mike Babcock are not even close to being in the same rhelm of possibilities. Getting a top line scoring forward is a NEED that must be filled. Bergevin firing a coach that has yet to start a contrtact that was given to him after finishing 2nd in the NHL standings is a FANTASY. There's a difference that a lot of people just don't grasp. Probably the people who want to trade our scraps and a 2nd for Toews or Crosby.