Martin takes reins as Habs' 29th head coach

Comments

Submitted by st flan on Thu, 06/04/2009 - 15:03.

Here's another take on the Jacques Martin hire: http://thevoiceofsport.blogspot.com/2009/06/jacques-martin-becomes-bench...

Submitted by craz11 on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 23:16.

To all you idiots calling for Koivu to leave: Who do you suggest replacing him with? Have you looked at the unrestricted free agent pool? There's only 2 (H. Sedin and M. Cammelleri) who are even close to being comparable. I guess you morons think Plekanec can be our #1 centreman. Or are among the idiots who believe we can trade Gui! for Lecavalier straight up. Maybe you should spend less time making tin-foil Stanley Cups and get a clue.

Submitted by Number31 on Thu, 06/04/2009 - 00:35.

I would hate to see our Captain K leave but I also hate the crap he gets and would not blame him should he take this opportunity to play elsewhere. I hope he stays. But if the "C" does become open...Habs don't need to buy/trade for one, they have a bunch of players of captain material (and who were former captains of previous teams) in the system. Chipchura is my top captain pick...he's a tough customer, works hard, directs his team well (was Team Canada captain and for the Bulldogs, and I think his junior team though I don't know about that one). Kind of reminds me a little bit of Brendan Morrow though not the same type of player. Gorges was a captain, and is quite the motivational speaker from what I hear. Kovy (if he stays, and I hope he does too because if Martin preaches puck possession, Kovy is your man) didn't do so bad when he was Temporary Captain every time Koivu was injured. Komo (if he's stays) is a cheerleader. Weber was captain of his national junior team if I remember correctly. PK Subban might even be captain one day ;)

Submitted by Thomas Le Fan on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 10:23.

No one entitled to an opinion but you? I was going to call you names back but you've shown your true colours, mon ami. Adieu.

Submitted by craz11 on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 11:26.

Read my post, mon ami. "Who do you suggest replacing him with? Have you looked at the unrestricted free agent pool? There's only 2 (H. Sedin and M. Cammelleri) who are even close to being comparable." Please, present your opinion. I'm curious to see who you think we can get to replace Koivu.

Submitted by cbass on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 13:02.

Don't take this post the wrong way, cause I have a lot of respect for Koivu, and I think that he truly gave all he had for the Habs, and I will never take that away from him. That being said, I'm pretty sure it won't be too hard to find another 5'11 center to get 60-65 points a year on a first line. Let's face it, Koivu never produced like we all expected him to, but maybe that's just cause he was never the player that we thought he would turn into. I get that he's had injury/health issues, but this is pro sports. As I said before, the Koivu ship has sailed. His sentimental value to the name isn't replaceable, but his skillset is.

Submitted by craz11 on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 13:06.

There it is again.. "I'm pretty sure it won't be too hard to find another 5'11 center to get 60-65 points a year on a first line." If it's that easy, I dare you to find him. Provide names please.

Submitted by Bill J on Thu, 06/04/2009 - 17:38.

Do you seriously not know enough about hockey to realise you argument is flawed ? IF Plekanec (your example) was on the FIRST line with "Tanguay & Kovalev" do you mean to tell me you do not believe even PLEKANEC could score at least 60 pts or more in a season ?? 60 pts a season for a #1 Center - is HORRIBLE.... and anyone who doesnt think so.... is one of those lovely words you so generously tag others with.

Submitted by HardHabits on Fri, 06/05/2009 - 11:19.

I am beginning to think that you're a 1st class a-hole. YOU need to get grip.

Submitted by Bill J on Fri, 06/05/2009 - 23:44.

LMAO - there you go again with your name calling - I have a grip on reality... thus the post... I am more then willing to point out when people say things that make no sense whatsoever... maybe that's why you don't like me... ;) "Bring on Francois Allaire.... he had his hand in working with Roy, so if we can't have Roy as a goalie coach for Price, Allaire seems the logical 2nd best option."

Submitted by HardHabits on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 09:13.

I don't mind Koivu staying, as 2nd line centre with 3rd line ice time. He should relinquish the captaincy though. Let him play his game and that's all, plus it'll take all the pressure off of him. The truth is he was handed (voted into) the captaincy WAY too early in his career and the team never coalesced around his leadership. Look at Henri Richard, it took him almost 2 decades before he was named captain. I don't care how things were done in the past, obviously they're not working. The good thing is that with a rebuild, we can bottom out the season and maybe start drafting centres high up the prospect chart. Lack of centres? Look at the 2003 entry draft. BTW we had Ribiero and Grabovski. Both those centres will have a longer shelf life than Koivu who is approaching the end of his career. Also, present arguments. Don't just in one fell swoop call everybody an idiot because they don't see things as you do. You need to mature a little. OK a lot!

Submitted by craz11 on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 11:24.

Argument: WHO DO YOU SUGGEST WE REPLACE KOIVU WITH? No one ever touches on this important issue. They just say "It's time for Koivu to leave". I agree with you that Koivu should stay as a 2nd line centre, but the fact of the matter is, there is noone who is 1st-line calibre available at the centre position. I'm all for a debate as to who to replace Koivu with, but there are far too many morons here who seem to think 1st-line-centremen grow on trees. Not a single poster has stated who they would have replace him. So I'm left to assume they think that our first line should be centered by Kyle Chipchura. Which puts them into the league of "Tin-Foil Stanley Cup making, 1st-line moron".

Submitted by HardHabits on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 11:40.

I say we make a move for Marleau and St. Louis and pair them with Tanguay. Try to snag Antropov and another Russian like Zherdev and put them with Kovy. If we can get Perezhogin back, Zherdev would be a moot point. I honestly think we need to stock the team with Quebeckers and Russians and round out the team with character role playing and gritty Canadians. The team wanted to build around Koivu but never bothered putting scouts in Finland the way Detroit has managed to snag and develop gems from Sweden. Your biggest offense is calling everyone an idiot because they want to move on from the Koivu era. That's where your argument proves to be worthless. This is a forum for debate not a place troll about and flame everyone who doesn't see eye-to-eye with you.

Submitted by craz11 on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 13:03.

Now this is an excellent post. Unfortunately, Marleau is not UFA, nor is St. Louis. And with noone under contract, what can we trade? Not an awful lot. Although Marleau/Thornton is a good place to look as SJ is likely to be looking to shake things up. Antropov IS UFA. Speed is an issue, but when paired with a fast centre who's good in the corners (ahem.. Koivu) can provide an effective 1st-line combo on the wing. 2nd-line centre capability makes him versatile too. Would likely mesh well with Kovy, given Antropov is so slow, AK27 can make his 4 moves at the blue line before Antropov crosses it. I like to imagine these lines: Kovalev - Marleau/Thornton - A. Kostitsyn Antropov - Koivu - Higgins S. Kostitsyn - Plekanec - Johannson Laraque - Lapierre - Latendresse If SJ is willing to part with either Marleau or Thornton, we should be letting them pick. I'd gladly part with one of Patches, D'aggers, or PK in excahnge.

Submitted by HardHabits on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 14:04.

I am going to stay away from line combos until I know what we're working with. My point is, and I have been mentioning this since I started looking beyond Koivu, is that the Habs should concentrate on one language group or nationality, outside of Canadian of course, to build its team. Had the Habs snapped up a bunch of gritty Finns, players who'd follow Koivu to the depths of hell and back, there'd be little discussion about leadership. As it stands Koivu is past his best years so it's a little late to build a team around him. Everyone here knows I am in favour of a major rebuild. Rather than bemoan the mistakes of the past, I'd rather the organiztion define itself and draft and develop players accordingly. The only consistent thing the Habs do is get jobs for alumni. There's no accountability with such a mind-set. I have a bucket full of respect for BG, but I don't like his style, either on or off the ice, notwithstanding Viktor Tikhinov's comments about BG, he's the boringest player on the planet. BG's style of play is excellent for 3rd and 4th liners. Not to build a team concept around.

Submitted by Ian G Cobb on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 23:27.

Double post!

Submitted by TorontoHabsFan on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 21:26.

A question for the Jaroslav Pity Patrol: I gather none of you have ever in your entire life had a brain cramp and forgot a name right? You've never just drawn a complete blank? My god, have none of you ever heard of Occam's Razor? You know, the simplest explanation is most likely the correct one? Why on earth would a man who just got hired by a team think to himself "Ya know what? Now that I signed on the dotted line, I'm gonna really stick it to the backup goalie...watch how I belittle a man I've never met! That effer is outta here!" Really guys, just stop and think for a second before you post. I will never ever understand the unwavering allegiance to a backup goalie who owned the 33rd best GAA and the 20th best Save %...it's just silly.

Submitted by HardHabits on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 10:57.

"I will never ever understand the unwavering allegiance to a backup goalie who owned the 33rd best GAA and the 20th best Save %...it's just silly." That's the lamest argument I've heard in a while, and there are lame arguments aplenty on HIO. Carey Price played 52 games, winning 23, losing 16 in regulation and 10 in OT. He had a GAA of 2.83 and a save % of .905, so essentially he was 23W-26L. Jaroslav Halak played 34 games, winning 18, losing 14 in regulation and 1 in OT. He had a GAA of 2.86 and a save % of .915, so he was 18W-15L. Statistically speaking Halak's stats are marginally better, but it's not about stats, it is about not playing your goalie when he's letting in beachballs and giving the goalie that saved the season a chance. The same thing happened with Theodore and Huet. Gainey doesn't replace things that don't work. He just does the same thing over and over again. Would Gainey have played Hillier or Varlamov? Would he have hired Blysma, Quenneville, Boudreau or Tortorella for that matter? No way! Gainey is pretty stubborn!!!

Submitted by RiverviewCanadien on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 09:27.

I bet it would be another argument (and a little more heated) had the coach said "Our starting goalie" and NOT named Price. Then everyone would be questioning whether Price is going to be traded, if he is the new backup, etc, etc, etc. Someone else had mentioned that the team has less than a dozen players signed, they have 2 goalies, and the new coach does not even know the name of Halak who saved there butts to even make the playoffs, I see it as another slap in the face to Halak, always being in Price's shadow, even though, when it has mattered the most, Halak has been there (i.e. getting the team to make playoffs, pull him and play Huet, out of playoffs - getting the team to playoffs and some confidence back, pull him and play Price and barely make playoffs, when the team could have seeded higher, and also a very quick exit, Price has melted down come playoffs, twice now) I like both goalies, but come off it already some people are Price-Praisers (even though he has proven nothing) and some are Halak-Praisers (he has proven he can be counted on, take into consideration he comes off the bench cold...that is tough to get in a groove in the NHL)

Submitted by Thomas Le Fan on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 16:12.

Putting together a winning team is neither pretty or nice. Hearts will be broken and careers will be ended. This has nothing to do with Koivu's past contributions. Thanks for coming out now it's time to move on. Nice guys finish ... ninth. Now, anyone upset over Martin forgetting his number two goaltender's name should take a deep breath. Talk about much ado over nothing! You should have been around my house when my dad went through a litany of every child's name until eventually getting the one he wanted. Plus I have a feeling that as long as he's still in the NHL, Halak will be happy to hear, "Hey ... um ... you, get in there!"

Submitted by nunacanadien on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 15:29.

I guess CBASS has a very selective memory. Koivu works hard, he wins some faceoffs, he has class, but he doesn't have the team behind him, cause the team doesn't play as a team. Price squandering the season as soon as he came back was sad to see, losing almost every game since he became healthy. Yet Halak who covered for Price most of the year, won enough games to guarantee the habs a spot. If Gainey did not play Price the Habs would have finished sixth or seventh. But no, he had to put Price in and we finished eight after getting beaten by the worst NHL teams! This is your "thoroughbred" who couldn't win a foot race with a one legged Philly player! Price who let in floater shots, Price who lost every game leading up to the playoffs and in the playoffs. Price who squandered the start of the season. Then Price got hurt and we forgot just how bad Price has been this year. Then when Price got healthy we noticed just how bad he was again! If Price had been healthy all year we would never have made the playoffs we would be there with the likes of Philadelphia and God forbid the Phoenix mutts! Then we had former Habs players score on Price time after time after time after time and heck I think they are still scoring on him in practice whereever they are! Ryder managed to almost single handedly destroy the Habs! Or look at how Zednik exacted his revenge too towards the end of the season. Or does everyone forget the fiasco against the Leafs with Gabby? All of these former Habs, basically taking advantage of a bad year Price seemed to have had, actually a bad 2 years, a continuation from the year before. While Halak may not have been hot all year long, he had a better save percentage than 2 Price's put together, or more like even three or four Price's! That is sad when your back up goalie is hotter than your star goalie! And to make it worse to have your star goalie Price destroy the season end, by ensuring we finished 8th and matched against the big bad bruins! I'm not saying Halak is better than Price, he is better than Price now, maybe Price will still have his day, on some other hockey team!!!!!

Submitted by Bill J on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 18:10.

"Price squandering the season as soon as he came back was sad to see, losing almost every game since he became healthy. Yet Halak who covered for Price most of the year, won enough games to guarantee the habs a spot. If Gainey did not play Price the Habs would have finished sixth or seventh." Look if your going to call someone out as having "selective memory" - maybe you should at least verify your claims, because you are clearly using your "selective" memory because you like so many other "so called experts" have really missed a few key points. 1) up untill Price's injury, he WAS one of the top goalies in the league (statisticaly) Habs where 2nd overall (thus why Carbo was Assistant Coach at the All Star game). How many games did Halak play compared to Price during that span ? .... not many. 2) it is my FIRM belief that Price may have been injured when he chose to return early, because of Carbo's ultimatum about him playing or not playing in the All Star Game. I personally do not blame Carey for wanting to represent, we as fans VOTED him in - the game was IN Montreal - a chance not many players get to do (playing in the All Star game in front of ones fans) 3) Melanson COMPLETELY F-ed Price's winning ways by trying to change him into a Pure Butterfly goalie, when he broke into the NHL (& in the juniors) he was labelled a "Hybrid". I've read rumours that Melanson was not comfortable with Price's methods. Bring on Francois Allaire.... he had his hand in working with Roy, so if we can't have Roy as a goalie coach for Price, Allaire seems the logical 2nd best option. All other teams in the NHL get the best coach possible for their "star" players.... the Habs MUST do the same.

Submitted by cbass on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 21:15.

I think that you and I have similar selective memories. I guess we just select to remember actual facts.

Submitted by HardHabits on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 09:15.

Yes. Being selective with facts and stats usually drives people with opinions crazy. I personally like being PROVEN wrong. Nothing like having a fresh perspective!!!!

Submitted by cbass on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 16:00.

Koivu can win faceoffs and has class, I guess that makes him incredible. Come on man, the Koivu ship has sailed. As much as I respect the guy's career and everything he's been through, I think he deserves the chance to experience playing elsewhere in the league. Once again, I don't think you get it when it comes to Price. This whole season we had issues with the mentoring of the younger players. You bring up the weak goals that Price lets in, yet you leave out the softies that Halak lets in (yes, he lets in just as many as Price). If you know anything about hockey, you know that the playoff sweep wasn't Price's fault - as stated before we were missing 2 top 6 forwards, and 2 top 4 defenseman. Not too many teams would have been able to beat Boston (who were a better team) while missing key elements like that. To think that the goalie will make 100% of a difference is just ignorant and stupid. Also, you say that had Price not been injured we woudln't have made the playoffs. If my selective memory serves me correct, Price was one of the better goalies in the legaue before he got hurt... Oh, and Philly made the playoffs. They got eliminated in the first round by Pittsburgh. Guess that's something else I "selected to remember". Ryder beat us single handedly? Come on, did you even watch the game? He stands around and benefits from Savard being one of the best setup guys in the league.. and most of his goals were 0% Price's fault (I guess he's supposed to know that Hamrlik is gonna give Ryder a freebee from the hashmarks. I won't even touch the Zednik thing, cause he's been gone for years, and isn't even gonna be in the NHL next year. The end of the year, we were missing Markov, Bouillon, Schneider, Tanguay, Lang, and Breezer. Also, when you have your 5th defenseman playing the minutes of your 2nd or 3rd, it makes a big difference. Look man, if you're gonna be a Halak fan, it's cool. But don't bash Price for no reason. He's 21, he's pretty good, and you have to let him develop. It's more important for his development for him to go through being swepped, than for him watching the team get swept from the bench.

Submitted by V on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 16:04.

Price has me wanting to jump off a Pricipice!!!!

Submitted by Tom S. on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 16:22.

Gene Pricipice?

Submitted by V on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 15:55.

The same Price who started World War 2! Price, who's fleas started the bubonic plague! Then Price wasn't able to come up with a cure for cancer! Price isn't able to leap tall buildings with a single bound or fly faster than a speeding locomotive. And don't forget that Price can't even hold his breath under water for 3 hours! Maybe it's time Price played for another hockey team or at least stopped providing fodder for morons!!!!!

Submitted by V on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 15:59.

And then Price got injured and for the love of Price he couldn't do anything right!!!! Price. Price. Price. When will you stop being so Price like!!!!!

Submitted by TOHabsFan on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 14:06.

All I can say is that if PJ Stock is right (and that's a big if!)....and the Habs bring back Mario Tremblay as an assistant.....I will become a Maple Leafs Fan....thats how bad that move would be! If they do, they have very short memories! As for Jacques Martin....I think it is a solid move....unspectacular (I.E. Roy)....but solid.

Submitted by Tom S. on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 16:36.

Maybe Mario learned his lesson? LOL

Submitted by Bill J on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 18:15.

I dunno.... Think of it this way.... for all those fans who for some unknown reason did NOT want Roy as a Coach in Montreal.... the opposite side of that glass are the fans who HATE Mario Tremblay for essentially bullying Roy out of Montreal in the mid-90's. I personally HATE Tremblay for that - it was the beginning of the end for a great franchise, and NOW after 15+ years the Habs are FINNALY close to achieving long term success. Mario Tremblay CAN NOT BE ALLOWED TO RETURN NOW!!!!! Because like another poster said on this thread, if Tremblay returns I am likely to become a Leafs fan (saying this to highlight how BAD that would be for the Habs) not even saying nothing about the Salt in the wound he would cause any fan who remembers "THAT" game against Detroit that was the last Roy game in the CH.

Submitted by Tom S. on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 13:24.

After having thought about this news for a while I think Martin is as good a choice as any to coach the Habs. He has experience, he's bilingual, he has a winning record, he's not a hothead, he's a teaching coach and he wants the job. His detractors (Scott Burnside, for one) point to his lack of success in the playoffs, but I'm not too worried about that right now. All I'm concerned with is him getting the most out of the players that will be in uniform this coming training camp, having a better season than last, and making the playoffs. If we win ONE game in the post-season, he will have had better success than Gainey.

Submitted by POPS on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 13:20.

I will say it again, great move!! This team will have more structure and organization on and off the ice. Other than Martin, I would like all the haters to name five current NHL coaches with more experience, more team discipline, and more of a desire to be with this organization. Martin is a top teir coach in any league...nice to have him on board.

Submitted by sidhu on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 11:33.

FYI - Florida's 2009 free agents Bouwmeester, Jay 25 FLA D UFA 4.875 4.875 Boynton, Nick 30 FLA D UFA 2.950 2.950 Skrastins, Karlis 34 FLA D UFA 2.400 2.400 Zednik, Richard 33 FLA L UFA 1.625 1.750 Dvorak, Radek 32 FLA R UFA 1.550 1.600 Eminger, Steve 25 FLA D RFA 1.200 1.200 Peltonen, Ville 36 FLA L UFA 1.100 1.200 Cullimore, Jassen 36 FLA D UFA 0.830 0.830 Booth, David 24 FLA L RFA 0.700 0.675 Sprukts, Janis 27 FLA C UFA 0.600 0.600 Glass, Tanner 25 FLA L RFA 0.570 0.530 Anderson, Craig 28 FLA G UFA 0.550 0.575 Stewart, Anthony 24 FLA C RFA 0.522 0.522

Submitted by 24 Cups on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 13:39.

sidhu - I only see two names - Skrastins and Booth and I'm not convinced that Gainey will sign a RFA to an offer sheet. Skrastins could be a stop gap measure but I wouldn't want to give him much more than he makes now.

Submitted by Wencz on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 11:03.

I think Martin was the best option available (speaks French and is not coaching somewhere else) and I'm excited to have a coach that will shore up our defense. The one knock on Martin that many are putting forward is his lack of playoff success. IMO -- as others have stated -- the Sens just didn't have the goaltending during his tenure, otherwise they might have had a few cups with Martin at the helm. Crawford and Hartley (by virtue of thier bilingualism and availability) were the other serious candidates from what I can tell. Yes they've both had past playoff success, but they also had players like Forsberg, Sakic, Foote, Blake, Bourque, Drury, Hejduk, Tanguay (I guess we have a Tanguay too), somebody by the name of Roy, not to mention a hell of a supporting cast. Those guys could make a Jack Adams winner out of just about anybody. When these guys went to teams without the best goalie of all time and without a superstar line-up (Crawford went to Vancouver and Hartley went to Atlanta) Crawford never got past Round 2 and Hartley only made it to the playoffs once (losing all 4 games in the first round). So much for playoff success. Anyway, I think Bob has done well here, but there's no pleasing everybody.

Submitted by Dintrox on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 14:58.

Your comments about Crawford and Hartley are true. Exactly how many times did the Panthers make the playoffs with Martin as a head coach? zero nada not once.. and as GM zero, nada, not once.

Submitted by Bill J on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 18:22.

with Martin at the helm - how many season did the owners of the Panthers allow him FULL Cap Space Spending ?

Submitted by nunacanadien on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 11:00.

The treatment of Halak is akin to censorship by the management, the media and sadly the fans. Halak saved the habs, won enough games to guarantee a spot in the playoffs, then Price came in and destroyed not only the first round chances of playing against a team the habs could beat, but squandered away all the hard won gains. It did disservice to Koivu's hard work and legacy, and most of all showed us the lack of defense, the lack of a good centreman and most of all, showed us all the habs are nothing but a bunch of skinny, wimps who are easily shoved aside by even the lowest hockey team. This past season was pathetic, when the teams in the basement of the league could outskate outscore and outmuscle Les Glorious! Shame on you Jacques Martin and Bob Gainey for not honoring the hard work of a dedicated Hab, Halak! Hope they trade Halak if only to respect his skills and most of all to be yet another Hab who was traded and who can exact revenge on his team ala Ryder style!

Submitted by punkster on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 12:23.

Jaro? Man, is that you? You sly fox you...using this forum to send a message to Bob 'cause you know he devours these pages every morning with his coffee. Hey, we love you man. Please don't go.

Submitted by cbass on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 11:49.

This post is so ridiculous, I have to reply in full. The treatment of Halak is akin to censorship by the management, the media and sadly the fans. - Halak is the backup goalie, he gets treated better than 90% of the other backup goalies in the league, get over it. Halak saved the habs, won enough games to guarantee a spot in the playoffs, then Price came in and destroyed not only the first round chances of playing against a team the habs could beat, but squandered away all the hard won gains. - Halak didn't save anything. If you reread what you wrote, you'll see it makes no sense. " Price came in and destroyed not only the first round chances of playing against a team the habs could beat" - how did Price destroy our first round if we couldn't beat the team we were playing against, and Price was fine at the end of the year. It did disservice to Koivu's hard work and legacy, and most of all showed us the lack of defense, the lack of a good centreman and most of all, showed us all the habs are nothing but a bunch of skinny, wimps who are easily shoved aside by even the lowest hockey team. - Koivu has 250 career goals, stop talking about his legacy. You say that Price is the one who showed us that we lacked in defence and a good centerman? But wait, isn't Koivu a center? Oh, and if you're goalie is showing you that you have bad defense, then why would all the goals be his fault? This past season was pathetic, when the teams in the basement of the league could outskate outscore and outmuscle Les Glorious! - We finished 8th, not 13th or 14th, relax buddy. Shame on you Jacques Martin and Bob Gainey for not honoring the hard work of a dedicated Hab, Halak! - I've still never seen a backup goalie to get this much attention, and have fans get so excited over a guy... Hope they trade Halak if only to respect his skills and most of all to be yet another Hab who was traded and who can exact revenge on his team ala Ryder style! - How did Ryder exact revenge on us? He had like 2 points in the regular season against us, and scored a couple playoff goals in a series that we had no shot in. Get real man. Did you watch any of the second round? Cause if you did, you would know that this year's Habs team had no shot without Markov, Tanguay, Lang, and Schneider, even if Patrick Roy was in nets. As for Halak, I don't see why would we keep him. He's not a good alternate to Price. We need a veteran goalie to back him up, I wouldn't mind if Garon came back as a backup.

Submitted by RiverviewCanadien on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 12:04.

I have to chime in on this one... - Halak is the backup goalie, he gets treated better than 90% of the other backup goalies in the league, get over it. Ummm other teams usually don't sit their "backup" when he is the one winning games (especially after winning the molson cup), and how do you know how every other goalie is treated, I am SURE you don't follow EVERYTHING about every other team like you do for Montreal. - Halak didn't save anything. If you reread what you wrote, you'll see it makes no sense. " Price came in and destroyed not only the first round chances of playing against a team the habs could beat" Without the wins Halak had, MTL would NOT have played in the playoffs (that is a FACT), and I think what the other poster was referring to was, had we won a couple more games, the team would have seeded higher thus playing a "weaker" team, Price came in and DID ruin those chances because of lacklustre goaltending, no games were stolen with him in the nets (go check out his post All-Star record, not good, not even backup good) There were all kinds of people jumping on others when they said one bad thing about Price, now the new coach comes in and forgets Jaros name? sorry but there are die-hard Halak fans on this site as well as Price fans, and the Jaro supporters have every right to express their opinion so lay off when someone wants to talk up "their guy". Halak DID not get a fair chance to showcase himself leading up to the playoff and HAS been given the shaft by the team, in hopes that Price would bounce back and become the saviour alot of people make him out to be. They only have 2 goalies, and if you do your homework and are now the new coach, you SHOULD know his name, but I have already expressed my opinion about why he MIGHT have not used it...anyways I am sooo looking forward in seeing the team come this summer, very exciting. GO HABS GO!

Submitted by cbass on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 13:16.

Ummm other teams usually don't sit their "backup" when he is the one winning games (especially after winning the molson cup), and how do you know how every other goalie is treated, I am SURE you don't follow EVERYTHING about every other team like you do for Montreal. - Find me another backup in the NHL that gets more attention than Halak and I will buy you a cookie. Without the wins Halak had, MTL would NOT have played in the playoffs (that is a FACT), and I think what the other poster was referring to was, had we won a couple more games, the team would have seeded higher thus playing a "weaker" team, Price came in and DID ruin those chances because of lacklustre goaltending, no games were stolen with him in the nets (go check out his post All-Star record, not good, not even backup good) - Halak is the BACKUP goalie, and the BACKUP goalie plays when the starter is injured, or isn't doing the job. Clearly the problem with Price was mentoring. You could tell that when Gainey started taking more control with the team, certain players (including price) started turning it around. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to spin this and say Price had a great season, cause he didn't. I'm not knocking Halak either, I think he's a fine backup, and might one day be able to be a starter. Just not here, it wasn't meant to be. There were all kinds of people jumping on others when they said one bad thing about Price, now the new coach comes in and forgets Jaros name? sorry but there are die-hard Halak fans on this site as well as Price fans, and the Jaro supporters have every right to express their opinion so lay off when someone wants to talk up "their guy". Halak DID not get a fair chance to showcase himself leading up to the playoff and HAS been given the shaft by the team, in hopes that Price would bounce back and become the savior a lot of people make him out to be. - The problem I have with this, and I think this is where people don't get sports. When you draft a goalie 5th overall, and he's dubbed as your franchise player, you don't just toss him asside when the TEAM is playing poorly. Granted, Price wasn't stellar, but we should be able to agree that at the end of the year, and in the playoffs he wasn't nearly as bad as 75% of the fans and media made it out to be. Also, I assume that you do know hockey, and you can agree that we would have been eliminated regardless of who the goalie was (I mean, when you're missing 2 top 6 forwards, and 2 top 4 defensemen). Price was played so that his progression doesn't cease. If you look at Mason's playoff stats this year, he also looked very human (might I remind you that Price had two shutouts last year in his first NHL playoff round). - As for Martin not knowing Jaro's name, does it really matter? Just like does it really matter if Koivu doesn't speak french? Honestly guys, Halak is one of the guys we have under contract that we can actually get something for.. I say he's gone before the season starts, and I would guess Edmonton, L.A. or Colorado.

Submitted by RiverviewCanadien on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 13:27.

I agree with some of your points, but seriously "buy me a cookie"? Would it matter to you if he forgot Price's name? IMO, I bet alot of Price followers would have been steaming (which is just my opinon, maybe everybody would careless) so to some IT DOES MATTER, just let people have their own opinion. Tell people what you think but don't act all high and mighty and that YOUR word means anything more than theirs. It is ok to disagree but be mature and respectable, express what you are saying, is just your opinion. Anyways I am not getting into a Halak vs Price argument, that is old news, we all know how well both played. At least we both agree that Halak COULD be used as perfect trade bait. Although I would hate to see Jaro go.

Submitted by cbass on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 14:01.

I really had nothing clever to say, that's why I wrote buy you a cookie.. sorry it came out wrong. I just have a problem with the part of our fan base who started watching hockey post lockout, and think they can run a franchise. Constantly bashing the wrong people when things go wrong. I'm not saying you're one of these guys, but it just blows that because of the history of our team, and the retarded expectations of band wagoning fans, we can't let our players ever develop, which is extra frustrating cause we're also supporting the only pro sports franchise which caries a "Politics First" policy.

Submitted by HNS on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 11:44.

I tend to say that Price had Fleuried the Canadiens chances of moving on....... "Crosby poops in da diaper, Malkin changes it"

Submitted by Habsrule1 on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 11:29.

That is just plain silly. He was was treated well.....got paid, flew in the same plane, stayed at the same hotel, etc, etc. BG is just trying to do what's best for the team and if that means Halak rides the bench, so be it. Go Habs Go!! "I can't hear what Jeremy (Roenick) is saying because my Stanley Cup rings are in my ears" - Patrick Roy

Submitted by Got2BHabs on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 11:47.

I don't think riding a shaky goaltender through a 4 game sweep was best for the team or for Price. I don't think Bob giving up on the team was best for the team "I didn't put Halak in there so we could score 5 goals and win, I did it to give Price a break" or something like that. I don't think that standing pat at trade deadline was best for the team. I think giving Bob the ax would be best for this team. Halak may have got paid, stayed in hotels, etc, etc, but he didn't play hockey when he deserved a chance and that is why he was not treated well. It's all about playing hockey, the paycheck, the traveling, that's all secondary. This is just my opinion, which means absolutely nothing to anyone but me. I just don't see what Bob has done good for our team LATELY. __________________________________________________________________________ "This kid is going to win a Stanley Cup one day and hopefully I'll be with him when that happens" - Saku Koivu

Submitted by Habsrule1 on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 12:12.

I think he's done tons of good for the team in the last 5 years. As for recently, we'll have to wait until September to judge that. Go Habs Go!! "I can't hear what Jeremy (Roenick) is saying because my Stanley Cup rings are in my ears" - Patrick Roy

Submitted by Got2BHabs on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 12:45.

Yeah, I know, he did do some good things last season. He did get Schnides and Lang. I'm just still upset that he didn't really do much to better the team at trade deadline and into the playoffs and therefore we got swept by the, grrr, Bruins. It'll take a while to get over that one. __________________________________________________________________________ "This kid is going to win a Stanley Cup one day and hopefully I'll be with him when that happens" - Saku Koivu

Submitted by Habsrule1 on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 13:15.

That's a fair point, but we don't know if he tried or not. For me, personally, I like how we've improved since he got here, but this is his biggest chance to really put his stamp on this team. He has a tough job coming this summer and if he shows he can't do it, I think he should go at some point this season. Go Habs Go!! "I can't hear what Jeremy (Roenick) is saying because my Stanley Cup rings are in my ears" - Patrick Roy

Submitted by cbass on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 14:04.

He didn't make a move at the deadline, cause he picked up Schneider and had no more cap space. I still think that the team would have been fine, had Markov, Tanguay and Schneider not gotten hurt. That's what really killed the Habs. That's pro sports though, it happens sometimes. Doesn't mean that you need to fire the GM though.

Submitted by Got2BHabs on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 14:57.

I think the team would have been fine (at least won a couple of games) if we were healthy too (don't forget Lang), but it would sure be nice to have the depth that the Wings have to not NEED everyone to be healthy in order to get anywhere. __________________________________________________________________________ "This kid is going to win a Stanley Cup one day and hopefully I'll be with him when that happens" - Saku Koivu

Submitted by cbass on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 21:35.

I didn't include Lang cause his injury happened much earlier in the year, and not right around playoff time.

Submitted by HardHabits on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 15:30.

They're winning without their MVP Datsyuk!!! I am sure they could drop, Zetterberg and Lidstromm too and still win it all with whoever they re-inforce their team with.

Submitted by Got2BHabs on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 16:26.

I know and it's quite depressing to think about it. I hate the Wings because they are THAT GOOD (jealousy) :-) __________________________________________________________________________ "This kid is going to win a Stanley Cup one day and hopefully I'll be with him when that happens" - Saku Koivu

Submitted by cbass on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 21:33.

The thing is, it's sorta a catch 22. Until all of our young talent develops, we won't be able to take the time to properly develop players the way that Detroit does. The thing is, Detroit has the luxury of being able to keep a prospect in the AHL for a couple years because they've been good for so long (that's why they have guys like Helm, Franzen and Erikson who seem to come out of nowhere). It's because the organization is able to take the time and develop each prospect properly. It's easy for your scouting to look amazing when you can take 2-3 years with every draft pick, and make sure that the player becomes the player you need him to be. Unfortunately most teams don't have this luxury, but that's what seperates Detroit from most other teams.. It's very similar to what the habs used to do back when they were winning cup after cup.

Submitted by Got2BHabs on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 23:14.

Everyone has the luxury to develop their talent in the minors, but some just chose not to, like Bob. We had Huet, we had Halak and yet he chose to rush Price into the NHL. Imagine if he had played the last 2 years in AHL and came up next season. He was robbed of a very valuable maturing process, was thrown to the wolves in Montreal and everyone is talking about him being fragile because of it. You develop your talent in the minors and bring them up when the time is right. Really where has it gotten us? An early 2nd round exit last year and a clean sweep out of the first round this year. I'm pretty sure the Habs could have accomplished that without Price. __________________________________________________________________________ "This kid is going to win a Stanley Cup one day and hopefully I'll be with him when that happens" - Saku Koivu

Submitted by HardHabits on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 14:34.

"Where has it gotten us? An early 2nd round exit last year and a clean sweep out of the first round this year. I'm pretty sure the Habs could have accomplished that without Price." Excellent conclusion to an excellent argument!!!!!!!!

Submitted by Habsrule1 on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 14:16.

Well said cbass. I agree with everything. Go Habs Go!! "I can't hear what Jeremy (Roenick) is saying because my Stanley Cup rings are in my ears" - Patrick Roy

Submitted by mrhabby on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 11:03.

so martins a bum because he forgot Halaks name.

Submitted by JasonM on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 10:25.

The day started with the sun hiding behind the clouds, just like the multitude of Hab fans currently hiding behind a cloud of negativity that has taken over the city the last month. Our beloved French media, hanging out around the proverbial water cooler discussing how amazing the Detroit Red Wings are and if one day Montreal would ever build a competitive team to compare to them. Suddenly, in a blink of an eye, it’s anarchy. They are all, collectivity, caught with their pants around their ankles by an announcement coming from the team with actual news instead of speculations of ridiculous contracts given to Kovalev, claiming that offer sheets were sent to players that were actually on vacation overseas and more useless rumors concerning the Inkonsistent brothers that simply won’t end. The French media is for once beat to the point and caught completely flatfooted by the Habs in an actual and noteworthy decision taken by the team. A new coach has been brought in and while I personally found myself surprised by the selection or the fact that he was even available, I’m definitely not disappointed. For once the Habs have thought outside the box and got a veteran coach that fits their needs and while he didn’t initially make it on my very short list of people I’d like to have had the Habs to covet, the choice remains strong regardless. Thank you for not gracing us with a 5th newbie NHL coach. Jacques Martin built a very competitive team in Ottawa and gave them a strong chance to make the playoffs year after year, despite what outcome happened in the post-season. While his experiment in Florida wasn’t as successful, we should all know about the limitations the Panther organization has had and how they will not be a factor here in Montreal. I don’t know about you but I’d like it if Montreal didn’t need to play their last game of the season every year as a “win or die” situation and be able to secure a top 4 seed consistently and to perform well in the playoffs. Jacques can provide us that, be patient and be optimistic. Things will change. You simply cannot help but respect a man who turned down a safe job elsewhere to come back home and straight into the pressure cooker of this city. In a few days we’ll know who will be his assistant coaches and while his choice is his to make all I ask as a fan is to give Don Lever the chance he deserves as this is a young team and he knows the kids for years from the Habs development system and to hire a new veteran defensive coordinator to fix our porous defense as our actual one has not done the job over the years. Furthermore, let us be one of the teams that covet the services of Francois Allaire who can whip our franchise goalie into the role he should be fulfilling instead of cream-filling. It’s quite clear that there was no chemistry between him and Melanson and while Price might think Melanson run him too hard, he’ll be surprised how much more punishing Allaire can be. While I can easily forgive Price for his sub-par season and less than respectful “au revoir”, it will not be forgotten until he can prove himself to be a #1 goalie consistently for several seasons and shine during clutch moments instead of choking on them as he’s had the last two seasons. He’s young and passionate and needs a few more seasons to develop and the Hab management will be providing him all the tools he needs to accomplish that task, let us hope he doesn’t squander it. JasonM

Submitted by stephen on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 10:21.

As long as we're analyzing every last minutia of yesterday's events (we ARE Habs fans, after all..), I found it particularly curious how Gainey, in explaining his choice of coach to Luc Gelinas of RDS, suggested that Martin's presence could very well help in the team's efforts to re-sign some of their free agents in the coming month. He went on to name a few of said UFAs, including Kovalev, Komisarek, and Dandeneault (?). As a fan of our captain, I was waiting with bated breath for Gainey to mention Koivu's name, but he didn't. I wondered perhaps if this was an indication that Saku's dossier was already settled, and it was decided that he would be moving on. To be fair, he didn't mention the rest of the UFAs either, but the paranoiac in me is especially prone to the absence of our captain's name. Anyway, for those who might be interested (read: just as neurotic as me), have a look at the video here: http://www.rds.ca/video/visionneuse.html?video=29766 His comments regarding UFAs comes within the last minute. Happy hairsplitting!

Submitted by t1tan5 on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 10:13.

I don't understand all the fuss about the "second goalie" comment. Halak's name obviously slipped his mind, I mean he was just hired that day. It's not like he was slighting Halak on purpose.

Submitted by Got2BHabs on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 11:36.

Is it really that hard to remember the names (at least partial names) of the 10 players that at this point IS our Montreal Canadiens (11 if you add the recently signed Subban). I mean come on, we have TEN players on the team at this point. God help him when there are 20+. It probably wouldn't have been that big of a deal, but put that with the rest of the Halak crap the past year and those of us who feel Halak got a poopy end of the stick this year (justifiably or not) feel it IS a big deal to say "second goaltender" instead of Jaro, or Halak or simply saying "sorry, I'm blanking right now, our other goaltender is..... help me out here guys, ah yes, Halak, thank-you". __________________________________________________________________________ "This kid is going to win a Stanley Cup one day and hopefully I'll be with him when that happens" - Saku Koivu

Submitted by Pris on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 12:18.

In all fairness, I could swear I heard him say, "Havlat" real quietly like he knew it starter with an H but had a hard time with the rest... so he said it real quietly so that it wouldn't be so bad if he got the name wrong... It's going to be an interesting year for Jacques Martin. I don't think Ottawa is even comparable to the media attention we have here and how much he'll be in the spotlight. but let's see what he's got! for the record, I love Halak. He played so well for us and I think he deserved a chance in the playoffs when Price was not doing as well. I think Halak was cheated and I would love him to go get a starting job somewhere else. He's classy and needs to be given the opportunity to showcase his skill! I agree that Price was babied. He's young and there's a learning curve and he should not have been left in nets that way. Although it sucks for the Habs, I'm glad something has not come as easy to the kid. You have to know defeat before you know success. That being said, I hope he'll thrive under JM.

Submitted by Got2BHabs on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 14:53.

To be honest, I haven't listened to the audio yet, I was just going by what I read. If what you say is the case, then I will give him the benefit of the doubt. Thanks! __________________________________________________________________________ "This kid is going to win a Stanley Cup one day and hopefully I'll be with him when that happens" - Saku Koivu

Submitted by Pris on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 17:30.

I also heard him say he was "flattened" rather than flattered. I'm not making fun of the guy. I just thought it was a cute mistake! so don't kill me people!

Submitted by Got2BHabs on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 18:16.

Lol, so maybe he was just really nervous, got tongue tied, and flubbed on Halak's name. Alright, I will cut him some slack until the season starts or his next press conference. :-) __________________________________________________________________________ "This kid is going to win a Stanley Cup one day and hopefully I'll be with him when that happens" - Saku Koivu

Submitted by notbigbird on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 14:24.

I thought I heard him say or start to say something like that too.

Submitted by Habsrule1 on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 12:14.

I hope have a name slip his mind is the worst thing he does this year LOL My Mom draws a blank once in a while when talking about her 5 kids...and no, she doesn't have alzeimer's yet...! If you wanna focus on something so petty, it's your right. Go Habs Go!! "I can't hear what Jeremy (Roenick) is saying because my Stanley Cup rings are in my ears" - Patrick Roy

Submitted by Got2BHabs on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 12:55.

I'm sure I can find something more petty to focus on it I really tried :-) __________________________________________________________________________ "This kid is going to win a Stanley Cup one day and hopefully I'll be with him when that happens" - Saku Koivu

Submitted by RiverviewCanadien on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 10:23.

I am not sure if everyone is fussin (I can hardly read every post), I made a comment concerning it, because IMO Halak is the best trade bait (in a package deal) that the team has, and he is signed at relatively cheap considering his skill. Me I am not fussin, just made a comment and my opinion, hey everyone is allowed to speculate, but I do agree and Stubbs expressed his concern (with which I agree) that he probably just slipped, but I also stated it COULD mean he might be trade bait (i.e. second goalie is not known yet who it will be if he is indeed traded), but hey it is all fun to play coach GM.

Submitted by st flan on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 09:55.

When did the "living legend of sports journalism" become such a miserable turd?

Submitted by nunacanadien on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 09:41.

Wonder if Martin will attract good UFA's that can make up for his boring style. Oh wait, he did that in Ottawa and that was just as bad as watching the Leafs! OH NO!!!! We have become the Toronto Maple Leafs!!! The worst sin that Gainey could have committed as a Hab, make us into the Quebec Leafs!

Submitted by Habsrule1 on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 09:52.

Martin has had very good seasons in Ottawa, and many players prefer to win that just pad their stats. Hossa still scored 112 goals in his 3 last seasons under Martin. That's not bad for a "defensive" style. A coach has to work with what he has. The only knock against him is the lack of playoff success, but he was 1 goal away from the final a few years back, and he was never really given a great goalie to work with. I say wait and see, but it looks good to me. You all cried for experience and now you'd rather have Jean Perron cause he won a Cup. Go Habs Go!! "I can't hear what Jeremy (Roenick) is saying because my Stanley Cup rings are in my ears" - Patrick Roy

Submitted by HardHabits on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 09:17.

I am not sure if this was posted or not but here's an interesting take on the Martin hiring. Yawn of a new era

Submitted by DMAN on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 13:18.

If Gainey is dull and Martin duller that must make Steve Simmons dullest. Have you guys ever seen him on the TSN Reporters segment. The guy can barely form a sentence. The most painful thing to watch is Steve trying to make his point. I think he should stick to covering the Laffs!

Submitted by Thomas Le Fan on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 11:06.

Toronto paper and sport fans should know all about yawning.

Submitted by Bill H on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 10:52.

LOL Very well written article. I'd like to think a coach is able to learn and evolve. Certainly his playoff record is less than stellar with Ottawa and the Panthers. Let's hope the author is wrong about Martin.

Submitted by notbigbird on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 09:52.

He has some good lines. "You've seen the movie Dumb & Dumber? Now meet the Montreal hockey hierarchy: Dull & Duller."

Submitted by thepriceiswrong on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 08:33.

BTW have people watched this PJ Stock video? How do they even let this douchebag be on TV? The CBC has really gone downhill.... http://www.cbc.ca/sports/ondemand/?playlistId=db01e83acfdc7f61c32cb42fab... Quote: "This is the first time since 1992 that the Canadiens have hired a BILLINGUAL coach." Really PJ? Are you sure you didnt mean a coach with NHL experience?

Submitted by Thomas Le Fan on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 09:11.

P.J. is terrible. He reminds me of a jock in drama class. Lots of confidence but no self awareness. He's also frakking stupid.

Submitted by HardHabits on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 09:19.

PJ Stock is a photogenic version of Kelly Hrudey, with a better hair-cut.

Submitted by Exit716 on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 08:42.

PJ gets rambling so quick on TV that he can't put his thoughts together coherently. That's something he would learn if he wasn't rushed into the job. Not his fault, that management has put a person with little experience into a position they aren't capable of filling yet. I mean Shaq at least is going to Syracuse University this summer to enroll in their broadcasting course.

Submitted by Chapman on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 08:51.

Sounds alot like what Corey did with Houle and Tremblay.

Submitted by HardHabits on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 09:25.

or Gainey did with Carbonneau?!

Submitted by Chapman on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 10:29.

Good point.

Submitted by havok on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 08:38.

........oh my, thats a mistake even a blogger or commentor on this site doesnt make, wow

About Dave Stubbs

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Dave Stubbs

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Dave Stubbs has been a sportswriter since 1976, which was roughly a decade after he wore the first of many holes through the knees of his jeans playing nets in road hockey (using a modified butterfly popularized by Hall of Famer Glenn Hall). He still has the welts to show on his shins from that rotten, frozen orange ball. Stubbs kept thick hockey scrapbooks filled with game summaries and Gazette and Montreal Star stories, collected dozens of Bee Hive Corn Syrup photos and put a fortune of hockey cards through the spokes of his bikes. First book ever owned: Scrubs On Skates, the classic by Scott Young (Neil's dad). Stubbs's fantasy is to travel back in time to the 1950s and watch the great Canadiens dynasty that won five consecutive Stanley Cups. Or a decade earlier, to watch Elmer Lach centre Rocket Richard and Toe Blake on the fearsome Punch Line. Or at least to get Rogie Vachon into the Hockey Hall of Fame – where he belongs.

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Martin takes reins as Habs' 29th head coach

posted by Dave Stubbs at 15h03 EST on Jun 1

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