FeedJacques Martin Chooses The Frying Pan Over Palm Trees
June 1, 2009 in Carey Price, Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Patrick Roy Tags: Bob Gainey, Carey Price, Habs, hiring of new coach, Jacques Martin, Mario Tremblay, Ottawa Senators, Patrick Roy, Roland Melanson, St. Pascal
Round one of the “Official Revamping Of The Montreal Canadiens” has taken place with Bob Gainey’s announcement of the hiring of Jacques Martin as coach of the Habs and the releasing of goaltender coach Rollie Melanson. That’s round one. Now, only about ten rounds are left to go.
There’s also talk that Mario Tremblay will become an assistant coach. So, with Martin and Tremblay behind the bench, and with several Stanley Cup victories now coming up in the next few years, this assures that Patrick Roy will not be joining the Canadiens any time soon. And with a new goalie coach yet to be named, this means that Carey Price will regain his form and stand on his head on the way to the aforementioned Stanley Cup victories.
Martin hails from St. Pascal, Ontario, a small village located southeast of Ottawa heading towards Montreal, so he’s basically a Montreal boy, sort of. When he coached the Ottawa Senators, you could also say he was basically an Ottawa boy. When he was in Florida, you could say he was some English/French Canadian guy from some godforsaken place way up north who coached and ran the local hockey team.
And yes, Martin has won very little in his NHL career except for a Coach of the Year title, but there’s no need to be hard on the guy. That can wait until the end of October. For now, let’s be excited at the prospects of a new face behind the bench. And it should be a piece of cake for him. All he’s got to do is win the Stanley Cup in his first year. Once he’s done that, we’ll all love him.
But if he doesn’t do that, he may just retire to St. Pascal and open a barber shop.
June 1st, 2009 at 6:49 pm
So much happens while I’m frying myself on a beach in South Carolina! Exciting, I guess. Too bad to see Rollie go too, but I also think it’s time for him to move on. And good lord please keep Mario Tremblay away! The Forum Ghosts would just explode in unison if he went back behind the bench there… (Captain Kirk is better anyway).
June 1st, 2009 at 6:55 pm
South Carolina, you lucky! Must be hot. I don’t know if Martin can help or not. After watching Detroit, there’s a lot the Habs need to do. But it’s step one.
June 1st, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Oh no! Losing to Boston was humiliating enough, now we’re doomed to lose to the Leafs.
June 1st, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Hah. Good one.
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:25 am
Hey Dennis: Does this mean you are not the Head Coach as you assured us? Are you working behind the scenes only?
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:43 am
Not the head coach. Owner. As soon as I get some more money. Can I borrow some?
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:07 am
Sure Dennis. My check’s in the mail.
June 4th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
It took a while for this to occur to me but that’s just my age showing. Do you think it’s a coincidence that the guy Bob Gainey hires as his coach has a working relationship with the head scout and the asst. GM? If Gainey has these people in place he has to trust their opinion and his choice now has some rational to it.
June 4th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
I need you to say more about this. I’m a little unclear.
June 5th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Sorry. Did our head scout and the assistant GM work in Ottawa at the same time as J Martin? That’s my understanding so if Bob hired Timmons and the other guy and has kept them around after this latest purge then he must value them and what they think. If they previously worked with Martin and thought he was not the right person to coach the Cdns wouldn’t they have said so to Gainey? If a guy you worked with before was being considered for a position in your company and you knew he was a total jerk wouldn’t you be inclined to say something? So the fact Gainey hired him with the likely hood of having some inside info on the guy from former fellow workers that would suggest that Timmons and the other guy don’t have a problem with Martin. “It’s elementary my dear Dennis.”
Does that make sense?
June 5th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Man, that’s a great assessment. Dishonest John, a good, intelligent comment. You’re right, if they didn’t think Martin was right for the job, they would’ve given their input. This comment is another example of how smart so many people are who read this blog. Thanks.