Post by franko on Oct 5, 2006 7:34:41 GMT -5
Julien enjoying anonymity of Jersey
John Meagher, CanWest News Service
MONTREAL - Claude Julien must be wondering where all the reporters went.
"Definitely, the thing you notice the most here is there's not a lot of media attention and that allows you a lot more time to do your work," the New Jersey Devils coach said in a telephone interview yestersday.
Julien was fired as head coach of the Canadiens last January, after the club got off to a 19-16-6 start, and replaced by general manager Bob Gainey. Julien, who replaced Michel Therrien behind the Canadiens' bench in January 2003, posted a 70-45-10-15 regular-season record with Montreal for a .519 winning percentage.
Julien said dealing with a pervasive media comes with the territory in hockey-mad Montreal, where frenzied daily press conferences are the norm.
"You accept it as part of your job in Montreal, where hockey is a religion" Julien said. "Everyone talks about the Canadiens. It's always a big topic, everyday, whatever happens. The people want to know what's going on with the team.
"Obviously, in Montreal, when you've got so many newspapers, TV stations and radio stations, it's about who's going to ask the good question or get the good story. It's not like that here. There are maybe four reporters who want a few things to write about."
Julien is enjoying the relative anonymity of New Jersey, where sports like basketball, football and baseball outrank hockey, even though the Devils are one of the NHL's more successful franchises. The Devils open the regular season tomorrow night in Carolina.
"I enjoy my job so much, the best scenario is that I could walk out of the rink and be unknown, because I really enjoy the privacy of my private life," Julien said. "Here in New Jersey, I'm able to do that.
"As long as we have interest in our hockey team, that's great. But for me to walk the streets around here and be more of an unknown than I ever was in Montreal, that part I'm enjoying."
While the Devils appear to be potential Cup contenders this season, Julien says his role behind the bench remains unchanged.
"My job has always been the same: to get the most out of the players given to me," he said. "We've got a good nucleus of players back, guys who've won Stanley Cups. Hopefully, year after year, we'll be competing for the Cup."
While some Canadiens coaches have been hounded out of Montreal, Julien's firing was a rather bloodless affair. He lasted three years, lockout included. He is grateful not to have been trashed by the players, fans or media.
"I have to be honest, that was important for me because when you try to be honest with your team and the media, and try to be fair -- a key word -- with everybody, that respect for the people around me was mutual," he said.
Julien wasn't out of work for long. He was soon courted by savvy Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello, who would make former Canadiens GM Sam Pollock proud the way he danced around the NHL salary cap this week.
"To be hand-picked by Lou was an honour," Julien said. "He's one of the most respected GM's in the league. We had some conversations and we clicked."
Julien's Devils visit Montreal's Bell Centre on Nov. 4.
"I wouldn't be honest if I said that game won't be special," he said. "It's just the natural competitiveness of people, but I hope we go into Montreal and get the win." © National Post 2006
