A question for my francophone brothers & sisters

[TheLeftCoast]

In light of today's decision to reward mediocrity, I'd like to get a sense from the francophones how important is it to you that the GM of the Montreal Canadiens can speak French? I'm really not trying to stir up any shit here. I honestly want to know if the language thing (while I recognize it's a HUGE advantage), is a must, even though it immediately eliminates 80% of suitable candidates. Would a fluent assistant GM be enough?

[GGpX]

0% important.

Get me the best guy available.

(Am French, almost never speak English or write English---In fact, this board and IRC chatrooms are the only places I speak English on most days)

[habs25th]

I don't mind if he doesn't speak french at first, but he needs to get lessons as soon as he's hired.

A question for you, which anglophone would you want right now who's available for the GM spot? Stevie Y?

[GGpX]

I would give a call to Nashville and steal both Barry Trotz and David Poile from them.

What they've been able to do over with all the restrictions in budget and everything is amazing. I'd love to see them work within a filled up payrole.

If not them, then I'd interview the younger and newer hockey minds. Don't care about their race, religious beliefs, the language they speak, I just care how they view hockey and how they want to build a team, how they want to attract UFA's, how they want the direction of the team is going, and so on.

[TheLeftCoast]

Honestly, I don't know who I'd want and I think that's the best part! I don't want another team's tired retreads like Gauthier. I want fresh thinking. Someone who understands the game as it exists today, not what it was like in the 70's and 80's. The best GM out there is probably someone most of us have never heard of. The Molsons should have taken the time to do that search. Instead, they found the first guy who could speak French. I have to believe that's the reason Gauthier was hired because it certainly can't be for his past record as a GM or the job he's done as head of pro scouting for the Habs.

[CH1]

I have no idea who's out there that might be an inspired choice but if the requirements are experienced GM and francophone, that reduces the list of candidates by 97%.

[TheLeftCoast]

That's exactly it! Maybe the best GM is a francophone...but we shouldn't limit the search to only those who speak French anymore than we should limit it to Canadians or ex-players, or whatever other crap just keeps getting recycled throughout the league.

[habs25th]

Well IMO everyone who already has a job as a GM in the NHL is unavailable, you can't criticize the organisation for not picking a guy who might or might not be available.

As I said, I also want the best guy available, but it should be part of his contract that he learns french as soon as possible. The GM has PR responsibilities, and given the market speaking a bit of french, if only out of respect, is a must.

Anyway it would be much simpler for him to learn it than to deal with the harrassment that comes from not being able to.

[bayrider]

As our current GM how easy it is to get someone to fill the position even if he already has a job with another team

[habs25th]

The only employed GMs we're going to attract with the Habs pedigree are french-canadians GMs, like Jacques Martin.

[habs25th]

KB seems to think highly of Gauthier, I haven't done the research of every moves he made as the Sens GM, but they starting being respectable toward the end of his reign, at least. When he arrived the team was a complete and utter joke.

The thing is, with the deadline approaching we were probably better of with someone who knows the teams than a stranger who'd trade "that black guy in the minors" for a rental.

[GGpX]

It didn't stop Toronto from hiring Burke

But yeah, I'd be down with the GM learning French in a timely as one of the pre-requisites (sp) for the job.

[TheLeftCoast]

A few of Gauthier's moves while with the Senators:

- Don Beaupre, Martin Straka, and Bryan Berard to the New York Islanders for Damian Rhodes and Wade Redden

- Trent Mcleary and their 1996 third round pick to Boston for Shawn McEachern

- Pavol Demitra to St. Louis for Christer Olsson

- Alexandre Daigle to Philadelphia for Pat Falloon, Vaclav Prospal, and their 1998 second round draft pick

Not much to get excited about, though he did get a lot for Daigle.

[habs25th]

Pretty good beside the Demitra deal, do you have a similar resume from his Ducks days?

[TheLeftCoast]

Not many trades while with the Ducks...here are the only ones of significance that I could find:

- Ted Donato and Anti-Jussi Nemi to Anaheim for Patrick Lalime

- Oleg Tverdovsky to Anaheim for Travis Green and a 1st round pick in 1999 (Scott Kelman)

- Sami Pahlsson to Anaheim for Patrick Traverse and Andrei Nazarov

- Teemu Selanne to San Jose for Jeff Friesen, Steve Shields, and a conditional pick in 2003 (not sure who they drafted)

[rouah]

Pierre Boivin said that the best guy available was Pierre Gauthier and the guy the Habs might have targeted for the job aren't available.

The GM can be asian, african... as lons as the guy/woman knows about hockey, its fine. But yeah, that person must at least learn french and face the media and the fan in their mother tongue. Actually, the Habs were founded so the frenchies can play hockey at a higher level... in some way, the Habs are tied with the french fact, even if its not always relevant.

[browniepoints]

I would have been fine with Gauthier for now if they would have said interim GM.Boivin is an idiot/politician for saying he is the best possible candidate.Was watching that Antichambre show last night and PJ Stock brought this up saying that they should look for the best possible guy French or English and they shot him down,wouldn't even let him speak.Other guys had it right, even they can't speak english or french properly they should have to take lessons.

[xposbrad]

do people really know what they want anymore? it was just a bit ago the fans/media were so happy Gainey was on board, etc..

He was going to lead us to the promised land, doesn't anyone remember that?

[Locke]

No.

There will be some outrage if they bring a anglo GM here, but who cares. The Habs are a business in the whole world of what we call big league professional sports, they must run it like it is. On-ice success baby, we hire the best candidates to bring this team back to excellence.

[browniepoints]

Yes it was 7 years ago.