OT: Would you guys be interested in a documentary that covers the Habs from 1996 - 2004

[ROEN]

I've been researching a lot lately on the subject for a friend who is working on a book that covers the 'dark period' in Habs history. The documentary would include some footage (drafts etc ...) and interviews from players from that era and how difficult things were from the inside in those years. The whole narration that accompanies it would be from players, staff etc ...

We have a working title, we'd like to probe a bit of interest on the subject before we take it to the next level and get a whole bunch of feedback on what you guys would like to see and hear.

Thanks a bunch in advance

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[BigDaddyLurch]

I've been researching a lot lately on the subject for a friend who is working on a book that covers the 'dark period' in Habs history. The documentary would include some footage (drafts etc ...) and interviews from players from that era and how difficult things were from the inside in those years. The whole narration that accompanies it would be from players, staff etc ...

We have a working title, we'd like to probe a bit of interest on the subject before we take it to the next level and get a whole bunch of feedback on what you guys would like to see and hear.

Thanks a bunch in advance

...sounds like a great idea, even if many of us are still trying to put that whole ugly period out of our minds...props to you and your friend...

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I've been researching a lot lately on the subject for a friend who is working on a book that covers the 'dark period' in Habs history. The documentary would include some footage (drafts etc ...) and interviews from players from that era and how difficult things were from the inside in those years. The whole narration that accompanies it would be from players, staff etc ...

We have a working title, we'd like to probe a bit of interest on the subject before we take it to the next level and get a whole bunch of feedback on what you guys would like to see and hear.

Thanks a bunch in advance

When I saw the title I thought - 'The Dark Years' would be an appropriate title.

 

[ROEN]

...sounds like a great idea, even if many of us are still trying to put that whole ugly period out of our minds...props to you and your friend...

Thanks, the idea came up while we were listening to Arcade Fire's ' Une année sans lumiere' and started making line combinations from 1998 onwards ... A few years later I managed to corner Alain Vigneault at an event and discuss those years with him a bit, it was one of the most fascinating discussions I've ever had ... and made me realize how greatful they must be social media didn't exist back then ...

 

[ROEN]

When I saw the title I thought - 'The Dark Years' would be an appropriate title.

Sans Lumiere ... and you see the Habs ceremonial torch smoking out on the center ice of the ' Centre Molson' How's that for a poster !

 

[Hullois]

I'm always interested to see how it was in the locker room, the "secrets" we didn't know back then. Like I can't wait until we hear more about the Kovalev/Koivu war back in the days. There's already a lot out there about the Ribeiro stuff, which is nice.

 

[Kriss E]

Documentary anything habs will be greatly appreciated by fans here. Would love to watch one about the Dark Years.

 

[ROEN]

I'm always interested to see how it was in the locker room, the "secrets" we didn't know back then. Like I can't wait until we hear more about the Kovalev/Koivu war back in the days. There's already a lot out there about the Ribeiro stuff, which is nice.

I have a great piece of audio from the Habs broadcast crew where they annouce 'and we'd like to anounce to our viewers that at 'insert time ' Saku Koivu has made a pass to Mike Ribeiro'

 

[Lshap]

You'd need to hitch the dark-period to the periods that came before and since, in order for the story to move. Focusing only within 1996 to 2004 mires the audience in pessimism -- okay, they sucked, but how did it happen and how did they fix it? You need the 'before' and 'after' to place the 'during' into context. An effective documentary trick is to start the doc with modern-day clips (say, with Montreal's 2014 playoff win over Boston) and then jump back to 1993, followed by Roy departure in '95, to show the first cracks in the foundation. A taste of history, a hint of the success to come, and the audience will be primed to see how it fell apart.

 

[ROEN]

You'd need to hitch the dark-period to the periods that came before and since, in order for the story to move. Focusing only within 1996 to 2004 mires the audience in pessimism -- okay, they sucked, but how did it happen and how did they fix it? You need the 'before' and 'after' to place the 'during' in context. An effective documentary trick is to start the doc with modern-day clips (say, with Montreal's 2014 playoff win over Boston) and then jump back to 1993, followed by Roy departure in '95, to show the first cracks in the foundation. A taste of history, a hint of the success to come, and the audience will be primed to see how it fell apart.

Agreed on the buildup, we spoke to someone who worked for the Canadiens Magazine back then and he talks a lot about the 'getting the rug pulled out from under you' feeling that happened after Roy's departure and the exact moment it really sunk in a few years later.

It would start up at that moment and the internal hype within the organisation of getting a lot of interesting players and the build up going into the 1998 playoffs ... the 'rug' is the sweep in Buffalo and that summer within the organisation. A lot of false Messiah's looking back on those years

 

[Lshap]

Agreed on the buildup, we spoke to someone who worked for the Canadiens Magazine back then and he talks a lot about the 'getting the rug pulled out from under you' feeling that happened after Roy's departure and the exact moment it really sunk in a few years later.

It would start up at that moment and the internal hype within the organisation of getting a lot of interesting players and the build up going into the 1998 playoffs ... the 'rug' is the sweep in Buffalo and that summer within the organisation. A lot of false Messiah's looking back on those years

Sounds like you're doing all the right homework! Sounds great, especially if you have access to players & industry people. I love the "False Messiah" imagery.

Might also want to use some teasers, like a prequel, with clips of Bergevin as a player and Pleks and Markov as young draft picks. It's the story within the greater story.

 

[the]

When does the dark age end? Is it really 2004? If so why 2004? I think that ending it at the 2007-2008 season would have been more suitable because we had finally "made it" and become a contender again. It also shows a nice progress between the crappy teams all the way back to respectability again.

Anyway I'm still lookng forward to it

 

[TRG]

I am interested.

 

[ROEN]

When does the dark age end? Is it really 2004? If so why 2004? I think that ending it at the 2007-2008 season would have been more suitable because we had finally "made it" and become a contender again. It also shows a nice progress between the crappy teams all the way back to respectability again.

Anyway I'm still lookng forward to it

The reason why it's 2004 is because of a sort of concensus we got from media personalities in general, other teams started taking the Habs a lot more seriously, it once again became a team with a serious outlook on it's farm system and the peaks and valleys of previous years became less dramatic ... and of course 2005 draft

 

[RealityBytes]

Dark years history ... best forgotten.

 

[Halakitlikethat]

absolutely

 

[donghabs98]

I would be very interested in it but it would be a horror film if anything. Except for 2002 those years were very tough.

 

[TRG]

The reason why it's 2004 is because of a sort of concensus we got from media personalities in general, other teams started taking the Habs a lot more seriously, it once again became a team with a serious outlook on it's farm system and the peaks and valleys of previous years became less dramatic ... and of course 2005 draft

There's also the lock out in between both eras.

 

[ROEN]

I would be very interested in it but it would be a horror film if anything. Except for 2002 those years were very tough.

You'd be amazed, my friend who is working on a book on the subject really came up with some crazy stuff both in the ****show dept and some insanely cool info about the drafts and 'bon coups' that would shape the years ahead.

Some of the lessons of those years which as a franchise the Habs had to learn really tell the story of a team after the last cup which essentially became an expansion team in so many ways. Personally I love the draft stuff, the development laissez-faire in those years is insanely traumatic on so many angles ... prospects like Andrei Markov benefitted immensly from not knowing the language and not really understanding what was going on.

To make the documentary into a 'tabloid video' would be a mistake, we're thinking of approaching it on a more of a 'After the Big Bang' this is the universe that brought the Habs to where they are today, it's not the old Habs, but it's a team that has found a momentum.

 

[TRG]

prospects like Andrei Markov benefitted immensly from not knowing the language and not really understanding what was going on.

How sad is that

 

[donghabs98]

You'd be amazed, my friend who is working on a book on the subject really came up with some crazy stuff both in the ****show dept and some insanely cool info about the drafts and 'bon coups' that would shape the years ahead.

Some of the lessons of those years which as a franchise the Habs had to learn really tell the story of a team after the last cup which essentially became an expansion team in so many ways. Personally I love the draft stuff, the development laissez-faire in those years is insanely traumatic on so many angles ... prospects like Andrei Markov benefitted immensly from not knowing the language and not really understanding what was going on.

To make the documentary into a 'tabloid video' would be a mistake, we're thinking of approaching it on a more of a 'After the Big Bang' this is the universe that brought the Habs to where they are today, it's not the old Habs, but it's a team that has found a momentum.

I honestly can't wait to see this now. One thing I always wondered was what was actually going behind the scenes and in particularly the drafting. We all know the questionable trades and all the prospects that didn't work out but it's good to get some more context on the dark days. It's the reason why I bought Terry Ryan's book because it help shed some light on what was going on during those days.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

It took a lot of therapy to get those years out of my memory but I'm an history buff first and foremost so sure, bring on the prozac .

 

[Hullois]

Looking at our first round picks from these years is... depressing.

Brad Brown
Terry Ryan
Matt Higgins
Jason Ward
Eric Chouinard

 

[skipp18]

For me the 94-95 season was the most depressing.
It was a lock out shortened season and marked the first time in a million years that the Habs missed the playoffs.

I remember listening to the game in my car when they were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs and thinking - how in the hell did this team with Recchi, Turgeon, Damphouse and Roy miss the playoffs??!

 

[Hackett]

For me the 94-95 season was the most depressing.
It was a lock out shortened season and marked the first time in a million years that the Habs missed the playoffs.

I remember listening to the game in my car when they were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs and thinking - how in the hell did this team with Recchi, Turgeon, Damphouse and Roy miss the playoffs??!

Wasn't that the year where the habs were almost unbeatable at home and hopelessly poor on the road?

That was a really strange one.

As for the documentary, yeah, I'd watch it. The segment of fans at HF would probably watch anything habs related. Having said that, I don't want to see it bad enough that I would have to pay for it.