Jacques Martin

Bob Gainey did not like what he saw at the end of last year. The team that he had carefully assembled over the past 5 years was falling apart at the sub-atomic level. The spectacle of the Centennial celebrations brought too fine a magnifying glass and resurrected the glory – and the (unfair) expectations - of the past. The pressure cooker blew a gasket.

Now, in its 101st year, the Montreal Canadiens are going back to the basics. The team has a clean slate for the 2009-10 season. With new players, a new headcoach, a new assistant coach, a new goaltending coach, a new strength and conditioning trainer, a new coaching staff in Hamilton, and new ownership - everything is brand-spanking new. Everything that is, except for its fans. And boy, do we need to lighten up.

• AUDIO: Jacques Martin English  French

Surely it wasn't Canadiens head coach Jacques Martin, who dearly would have loved to hold a full-scale practice the day before his team's final preseason game.

But a power failure that darkened parts of Brossard, including the Bell Sports Complex, ended any hopes of on-ice work for the Habs; it was almost light enough, but the rink would quickly have turned to slush.

Only a half-dozen players got on the ice shortly before the lights went out at 10:55 am. Goalie Jaroslav Halak had worked out earlier with goaltending coach Pierre Groulx. Everyone retreated to the gym for some conditioning work, then slipped out the back door into an otherwise bright day.

The media spoke with just Martin today. I did sit for a half hour afterwards with defenceman Jaroslav Spacek for an upcoming feature profile, and just as we were finishing up the lights came back on. You should have seen how quickly Spacek moved toward the exit, just in case Martin decided to throw whatever troops remained in the building back on the ice.

Audio highlights:

• Price remains Martin's No. 1, but the coach does like Halak and says he likes the good competition in goal;
• Cammalleri's lower-body isn't serious, and Martin wonders if these sorts of things are related to the CBA that has teams playing exhibitions within almost hours of the start of camps, when it used to be seven days;
• Martin expects everyone with the possible exception of Kyle Chipchura to be healthy for the start of the season;
• Three days of team-building in Caledon next week will be final step in determining captaincy;
• Coach might keep eight defencemen.

Three more weeks of training, but it will be tough to top this gem from Day One:

"Montreal has a better downtown than Buffalo, for sure ..." – defenceman Jaroslav Spacek, comparing the new place he plys his trade to the last one.

In a well-travelled career that has included stops in Chicago, Columbus, Florida and Edmonton the native of the Czech Republic has gained an appreciation of Canadien fans.

"They push me to do my best," Spacek said.

There were about 1,200 pushers on hand for the opening of training camp, including the heckler who bellowed "Gomez, you gotta wake up this year!!"

"Yeah, I heard him," Scott Gomez said. "He has every right to voice his opinion. That's what makes the fans great here. It shows you the passion.

Coach Jacques Martin said he would like to see his defencemen support the attack this season.

"Teams defend so well, there are few odd-man rushes," Martin said. One of the ways to create advantage is to have defencemen capable of becoming fourth attackers.

Martin repeated his "puck possession" mantra. He would like to see sound decision-making, tape-to-tape passing and a "shooting mentality", as opposed to excessively fancy playmaking.

Martin liked the work of all four goaltenders in today's game and singled out Guillaume Latendresse's physical play for praise.

The coach said given the number of new faces, training camp will afford the team an opportunity to forge an identity, which Martin hopes will be based "work ethic, commitment at both ends of the ice."

AUDIO: Scott Gomez  Paul Mara  Jaroslav Spacek  P.K. Subban  Jacques Martin (in French and English ... not a great recording ... hey, it's training camp)

Links updated Tuesday 7:30 am ET

Jacques Martin, the 29th head coach in the history of the Canadiens, speaks at his Bell Centre news conference Monday afternoon.
Allen McInnis, Gazette

AUDIO: Here's the complete 36-minute Jacques Martin news conference, announcing his hiring. With him on the podium is GM Bob Gainey.

A few highlights from the afternoon session, with a selection of links offering more coverage:

• Experience tips scale for Martin: Hickey 
• Have Habs opened 'trap' door?: Stubbs
• What was Gainey's hurry?: Fisher 
• Signing may fill some holes: Hickey

• Martin can't say non: CP's Basu 
• Habs offseason moves begin with a bang: TSN
• Canadiens now in need of players (video): CBC's Stock 
• Hockey Night in Canada radio interview with Martin (audio)
• Canadiens choose orderly system over style: Globe's Brunt 
• Martin the 'perfect match' for Habs needs, Gainey says: Globe's Gordon
• More of the same mediocrity?: ESPN.com's Burnside 
• Martin is exceptional: TSN's McKenzie
• Torrey will choose Panthers' next GM: NHL.com's Rosen

Et en français:

• With Martin's hiring, vacation is over: Raymond, ruefrontenac.com
• Martin chosen for his experience: de Foy, ruefrontenac.com 
• Ruefrontenac.com Canadiens section
• Martin named Canadiens head coach: Godin, La Presse 
• Cyberpresse Canadiens section

News conference highlights and more appear below:

The sounds you hear are whimpering and gnashing of teeth among Montreal hockey media.

There may be a more boring sports personality than Jacques Martin somehere in the world.

Maybe the coach of the Estonian women's water polo team.

But by National Hockey League standards of quotability ... well, let's just say that Jacques Martin is no Brian Burke.

He isn't even a Guy Carbonneau.

Low-key?

Jacques Martin makes Bob Gainey look like Guy A. Lepage.

But for a team with a potential franchise goaltender and chronic defensive problems, Martin might be the answer.

Just wish us luck asking him questions.

As for all those 2-1 games next winter ... hey, can billions of soccer fans be wrong?