Montreal Canadiens 2011-2012 Thread

[17D1998 1]

Jacques Martin is relieved of his duties, what a good way to start this thread

[crazyhick 19]

I'm really surprised it took them so long to fire him. I thought it would've happened after they blew the Boston series last year.

[Law Goalie 147]

I like Jacques Martin, but his skillset always seemed much more appropriate to an assistant coach. He has some great ideas; he just doesn't manage his players especially well.

[ibeck 38]

Finally! Good to see him gone before he ruined leblanc's career. Was hoping for Carlyle to be hired but I guess Cunneyworth deserves a fair shake

[Monty22 833]

Man, a ton of ex Whalers players have found their way into the coaching ranks the last few years. Always liked Randy as a player,

[wrangler 157]

Sounds like quite a controversy over the fact that the interim coach doesn't speak French.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=383121

[jbss71 1]

Sounds like quite a controversy over the fact that the interim coach doesn't speak French.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=383121

they need to really get over themselves. they're not going to make the playoffs, and they're worried about that?

[DarkStar50 679]

^ I guess you have never been to Montreal!

[jbss71 1]

Nope, reading the fan comments on TSN is really more than I can handle. I've been to Montreal for work, but never really got to start fights.

[Chadd 916]

For now I'll be generous and just attribute it to a small number of attention whores and professional malcontents. We'll see how it turns out.

[RadioGaGa 162]

They are a different team (sadly with the same results so far) under Cunney. They seem to have more jump in their game. Making better use use of 4 lines. Time will tell...

Short of winning the Cup this year (which aint' gonna happen)...I don't think Cunneyworth is not the long term answer...and not just becasue of the language issue.

....I still say Bob Hartley will be the coach next year....why they didn't do it now...who knows!

[DarkStar50 679]

As crazy as the French language discussion may sound to an outsider, imagine if the manager of the New York Yankees only spoke Spanish. I think some people in NYC might be upset. Just something to ponder.

[chippa13 1844]

Last I checked, Canada was a British possession since what the mid 1700's. I'd say it is high time the Frenchies got over it.

[ibeck 38]

I still think Carlyle would be the best free agent coach for montreal right now. Has won a cup, can deal with young players, teams would know they ant walk all over montreal. Who cares if he cant speak french.

[jbss71 1]

was there this amount of fuss over Gionta? ya know being from New York, schooled at BC. Hell what about Gill being from Boston, or Patch from CT forgot about Cole also from NY . Or the fact they have more US born players than say Boston.

[Joshison 1]

was there this amount of fuss over Gionta? ya know being from New York, schooled at BC. Hell what about Gill being from Boston, or Patch from CT forgot about Cole also from NY . Or the fact they have more US born players than say Boston.

Gill is always singing the Canadian National anthem which I find disturbing, he thinks hes a Canadian so I don't think they have an issue with him.

[chippa13 1844]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2007/10/31/qc-habskoivu1031.html

[wrangler 157]

As crazy as the French language discussion may sound to an outsider, imagine if the manager of the New York Yankees only spoke Spanish. I think some people in NYC might be upset. Just something to ponder.

Not exactly analogous; English is spoken in the majority of Canada, isn't it?

But we are used to the occasional baseball player being interviewed with a translator for Japanese or Spanish.

[ibeck 38]

At the end of the day, if you're a fan of the team you want to see wins and cups. All the people th.at want a coach who can speak french are all a bunch of losers

[Law Goalie 147]

Last I checked, Canada was a British possession since what the mid 1700's. I'd say it is high time the Frenchies got over it.

Sacrement!

The Perron brothers will be gunning for you... maybe even the sympathetic Hammer boys.

Not exactly analogous; English is spoken in the majority of Canada, isn't it?

But we are used to the occasional baseball player being interviewed with a translator for Japanese or Spanish.

Not analogous, in that there isn't any special social or legal privilege for Spanish in New York. It's very odd, but Quebec still fundamentally considers itself a French province that joined British Canada half by will, half by force. The best definition is probably Hugh MacLennan's "two solitudes," borrowed from Rilke's prose, though MacLennan's "Two solitudes in the infinite waste of loneliness under the sun," is a little less optimistic than Rilke's "love consists in this, that two solitudes protect and touch and greet each other," from Letters to a Young Poet.

[DarkStar50 679]

I respect the guys from Quebec here that might be laying low. Whether you agree with it or not, having a lot of experience as an outsider in Quebec over a long, long time, there are very few places in the world where this sense of ethnic pride is as strong as in Quebec. The thought to "get over it" will never, ever be part of the thinking of Quebecois. The Montreal Canadiens hockey team will always

"To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high."

[chippa13 1844]

Obviously, the "get over it" was tongue in cheek. I tossed in the link to the Koivu story to show the language thing is nothing knew with the province and Canadiens players/staff.

[DarkStar50 679]

Sorry, I'm really bad at picking up internet sarcasm.

I found these two articles this morning in The Montreal Gazette. This is how serious these people are.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Opinion+Anglo+coach+gesture+contempt/5884550/story.html

http://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/editorials/Habs+make+exception+interim+coach/5884881/story.html

[Chadd 916]

There is a fine line between "ethnic pride" and racism or xenophobia. Quebec makes the southern US look absolutely inclusive and welcoming in comparison.

[17D1998 1]

There is a fine line between "ethnic pride" and racism or xenophobia. Quebec makes the southern US look absolutely inclusive and welcoming in comparison.

IT'S A MINORITY, AS IN NOT EVERYONE. The media makes a big deal out of it because there is nothing else to talk about. Please don't think we're all separatists/anglo-haters or whatever. This whole story is starting to piss me off. Me, my family and my friends all speak french and none of us have any problem with the fact that our captain is American and our coach doesn't speak french.