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Post by habitant on Feb 16, 2004 16:36:40 GMT -5
Plain and Simple...I think this guy would do wonders here in montreal. If there are two players I would like to see land in Montreal its Vinny and Ryan Smyth. Vincent is probably the best offensive Francophone in hockey right now (lemieux injured) and although i am not french myself, i think he would do wonders in a more french enviroment.
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Feb 16, 2004 16:47:37 GMT -5
Expectations would never be higher.
God help Théodore or Ribeiro should either of them be tumbled from their media pedestals.
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Post by myhabs on Feb 16, 2004 16:51:37 GMT -5
To me Lecavalier doesn't seem like a leader at all. He looks more interested in what product he will put in his hair then hockey. Look at Tampa, he doesn't lead that team, that team is St-Louis' team and he's the leader there. With even more pressure I don't he would be good here. He is very talented but not made to lead a team in my opinion.
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Post by blaise on Feb 16, 2004 17:25:35 GMT -5
He isn't coming soon. Ho hum.
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Post by Skilly on Feb 16, 2004 18:23:02 GMT -5
I have said this on another thread. We don't need to go after a player because he is francophone .... we just need good players period.
I don't care if Montreal brought it "Rocky and Bullwinkle" and signed them to contracts as long as they were giving consistent efforts and winning more than losing.
Ethnicity should never come into play.
But since you raised the issue. In the last 25-30 years the only francophones who were able to handle the pressure in Montreal were named LaFleur and Damphousse.
I jumped for joy the day Gainey was hired because I felt that the days of looking for the best francophone available were gone. Sure it might help marketing at first, but then when they crumble, and they all have .... then everyone complains and points fingers and the "saviour" is protected and everyone else gets shipped away and then we lose the francophone by way of buy-out, release, or free agency. It has decimated the team ..... I wish the Montreal media would give up this cursed search for the holy grail.
It isn't good enough to win the Cup anymore? Would anyone be upset if the team won the Cup without francophone players? I wouldn't care if we won with all trannies as long as we won. I am not as close to the Montreal scene as many of you on here .... so I may be off base ... but it seems to me thatthe media just doesn't want to win the Cup ...they want to win with a francophone Conn Smythe forward.
It isn't going to happen unless we draft one.
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Post by Forum Ghost on Feb 16, 2004 20:40:01 GMT -5
Sure it might help marketing at first, but then when they crumble, and they all have .... then everyone complains and points fingers and the "saviour" is protected and everyone else gets shipped away and then we lose the francophone by way of buy-out, release, or free agency. Exactly which "saviours" are you talking about. In the post that you made on another thread you conjured up the names of Audette, Juneau, Perreault and Brisebois. Do you seriously think that these players were brought/kept with the Habs because the organization is looking for a francophone saviour? None of them are expected to have a long-term stay with the team (Audette is already gone) and none of them are expected to lead this franchise to greater heights and become the next great francophone "saviour." And Vincent Damphousse was a great player for the CH, but he's hardly someone I would call a "star". The urge to bring Lecavalier to Montreal is not based entirely on him being French-Canadian. He's a young, exceptionally talented, 6'4" center who has been rumoured to be available in the past. The fact that he's from the province of Quebec is deemed as a bonus. Denis Gauthier is a hard-hitting, left-defenceman who has been mentioned in trade rumours and is a player who would fit in nicely on the Habs blueline because of his age, salary and physical play. Again, the fact that he is from Quebec is just a bonus. These players are not solely being mentioned by fans because they are French, it's because they fit our needs and as an added bonus, they are also Quebecers. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Feb 16, 2004 21:11:29 GMT -5
But since you raised the issue. In the last 25-30 years the only francophones who were able to handle the pressure in Montreal were named LaFleur and Damphousse. Let's see, Coco Lemaire, Ivan Cournoyer, and Guy Lapointe I feel are lucky enough to be in that category. For the most part most of the others were made to leave town with their tails between their legs. I respect your opinion, but I just don't feel that atmosphere in Montreal. A bonafide Francophone superstar would be the ideal player, granted, but all this talk of Ryan Smyth, and as Doc reminded us, Jerome Iginla, suggest otherwise to your perception. I remembered the Iginla deal exactly the way Doc described it; Hainsey was on the table and when they asked for Komisarek in return, Gainey walked. Honestly, I know Komisarek's potential, but who else would they ask for if they were to give up their runner-up, Hart nominee? I would have been very temped to do that deal. I mean, how many times do you get a crack at one of the best all-around players in the NHL? This goes back to my original comment; Francophone players are scrutinized much harder by their own than Anglophone players are. Religion is funny that way I guess. You're right, but I see it in a different way. One of the players was quoted as saying, "... if you win a Cup in Montreal, they want two; if you win two, they want ..." Anything less is unacceptable. But, I've seen something come over Habs fans in the past eight years or so; a tad more tolerance. I remember during one of our worst man-games lost seasons where les good guys needed a victory against Ottawa in order to secure a post-season position. It was all up to them. They lost 3-0 I think, but they left to a standing ovation from the Bell Centre (then the Molson Centre) faithful. They were acknowledging the efforts of their team in a late drive to the playoffs. Just think of it ... a non-playoff Habs team getting a standing O ... unheard of! Whether they do it with Europeans, Franco/Anglo Canadians, Americans, whomever, does not matter to me in the least. Don't get me wrong though, I'd still like to see a few "Flying Frenchmen" contributing. But for now, Ward, Bégin and Ribeiro and a few others will have to do. I'd be happy with Benoit Brunet (younger of course) to tell you the truth. He was my choice for captain a few years back ... not that he was French mind you. He was simply the one player who understood what it meant to be a Hab. Cheers. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2004 21:17:13 GMT -5
Lecavalier always argues with his coach. Not the kind of guy I'd like to have mucking about with the team's morale in the dressing room. We have enough of that nonsense happening as it is.
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Post by Skilly on Feb 17, 2004 10:58:43 GMT -5
I love the Habs .... and I really admire almost all habs perseption of hockey. I guess I am unfortunate in some regards, in that, most of the people I know are either not hockey fans, or not Habs fans.
But when we sit and talk hockey .... well you can get a general impression of things from the other side of hockey (cause lets face it ... most of us bleed bleu, blanc, et rouge). When you hear a non-Hab fan say things like
"Do you think Savard would have given $4 million and a no-trade to an anglophone/european?"
and
"Audette was brought in when they couldn't sign Lapointe? Now that is a great consolation prize."
That Brisbois deal has really been a thorn in our side, and contrary to what you say ... i do believe that Audette, Perreault, Juneau were brought in for their offensive abililities .... it was only when they failed that they put them on the third and fourth lines.
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Post by blaise on Feb 17, 2004 11:55:43 GMT -5
Lecavalier always argues with his coach. Not the kind of guy I'd like to have mucking about with the team's morale in the dressing room. We have enough of that nonsense happening as it is. I'd rather have a Lecavalier arguing with Julien than a Perreault or a Zednik or a Ribeiro. |
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Post by Forum Ghost on Feb 17, 2004 12:00:51 GMT -5
I'd rather have a Lecavalier arguing with Julien than a Perreault or a Zednik or a Ribeiro. When have Perreault, Ribeiro or Zednik argued with their coach? As for Lecavalier, I'm a big fan of his, but even I'll admit that the ongoing feuds that he's had with his coaches over the past few years is rather bothersome. If you ask me, I would rather have no one arguing with the coach. |
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Post by blaise on Feb 17, 2004 12:22:24 GMT -5
I think they have. So have Jeremy Roenick, Brett Hull, and a host of other players argued with their coaches. Arguing with the coach isn't the same as feuding with your teammates.
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Post by Forum Ghost on Feb 17, 2004 13:30:11 GMT -5
I think they have. So have Jeremy Roenick, Brett Hull, and a host of other players argued with their coaches. Arguing with the coach isn't the same as feuding with your teammates. Jeremy Roenick and Brett Hull have had well-documented clashes with their coaches in the past. As a matter of fact it seems as if the biggest feuds for both players involve Ken Hitchrooster. Do you have proof that either one of the Hab players you mentioned have had feuds with their coach? Because saying "I think they have" is kind of how rumours of this sort get started. And if by chance, these rumours end up gaining momentum, the player in question becomes forever labelled with titles such as 'difficult to coach" and "selfish". Therefore, I wouldn't throw around comments such as "I think they have" loosely. |
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Feb 17, 2004 13:35:09 GMT -5
Have you notified Réjean Tremblay? |
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Post by blaise on Feb 17, 2004 13:49:10 GMT -5
Réjean already chats with some of them, although probably not Zednik. So do Pierre and Yvon and a few others.
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Post by rhabdo on Feb 17, 2004 14:20:39 GMT -5
Ribeiro was sat out. So was Perreault. I don't suppose either one didn't have words with the coach. I don't suppose Julien sat Ribeiro without any prior warning.
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Post by PTH on Feb 17, 2004 17:47:15 GMT -5
That Brisbois deal has really been a thorn in our side, and contrary to what you say ... i do believe that Audette, Perreault, Juneau were brought in for their offensive abililities .... it was only when they failed that they put them on the third and fourth lines. Well, Juneau was clearly a defensive player when we got him, and AS getting Dackell at the same time underlines how he was reuniting a former PK duo, and it worked well enough for a while. Audette was a miserable failure, and was indeed brought in for his offense. Perreault was brought in for goals too, and when put in a position to score, did so. Let's not forget that without his goals we never make the playoffs and beat Boston - by then Saku was back and Yanic was hurt, but it's Perreault's goals that kept us in the race while Gilmour got back on track. As far as I'm concerned, Yanic didn't "fail", he was simply beat out by a better, younger player. And we should thank Yanic for that kids development, since Ribs might not be in the NHL now if he'd been force-fed on the top 2 lines too quickly. |
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Post by jkr on Feb 17, 2004 19:02:24 GMT -5
Perreault was brought in for goals too, and when put in a position to score, did so. Let's not forget that without his goals we never make the playoffs and beat Boston - by then Saku was back and Yanic was hurt, but it's Perreault's goals that kept us in the race while Gilmour got back on track. As far as I'm concerned, Yanic didn't "fail", he was simply beat out by a better, younger player. And we should thank Yanic for that kids development, since Ribs might not be in the NHL now if he'd been force-fed on the top 2 lines too quickly. Agreed. Perreault did a good job the first two years and filled in at the top centre position when Koivu fell ill - a position he never held with any team. He also signed with the Habs as a UFA, something many players wouldn't do. If he does get moved I hope Gainey can send him do a contender. He hasn't complained publicly about his situation and deserves some consideration. |
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Post by PTH on Feb 17, 2004 23:24:44 GMT -5
If he does get moved I hope Gainey can send him do a contender. He hasn't complained publicly about his situation and deserves some consideration. Agreed 100%. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Feb 18, 2004 9:32:51 GMT -5
Audette was a miserable failure, and was indeed brought in for his offense. Well, at first he came in like a gangbuster; 10 points in 10 games, something like that. I can't help but think how that injury ruined him. And you know yourself, it was pretty serious. Can't dismiss that he hasn't been the same though. He was taking up a roster spot for another younger lad. I can't recall being overly critical of him. I remember feeling a tad relieved that we finally had a strong faceoff man. That aside, I find it funny that many of us probably took what he did and how he did it for granted. But it's good to read it if only it tweaks, "... yeah, that's right too." Cheers. |
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