Again, just because you write it, doesn't make it fact! Many people have brought things to your attention, which you choose to ignore. Your like a wall... I mean we've just heard of two more Anglo's being contacted in Hextall and Nill.
We all want the same. A winning team. French does not equal Stanley Cup, nor does any other language. IF a Francophone is the best candidate, is the best guy out there, so be it. If he's Chinese, Italian, German speaking only, I don't care! I want a ****ing cup! Hire translators for a guy that speaks 3-4 times a year. We're not a unique suituation here. This happens with soccer teams, drivers.. etc. They hire the best guy! It's time to unite as a fan base and put language behind us. Reporters should do their damn jobs, hire translators, whatever it takes. Lets speak one language... Winning
Amen, I agree with this 100%
Get the BEST guy for the job.... B-E-S-T... M-E-I-L-L-E-U-R.... it doesn't matter how you spell it, its the same thing... its all about winning.
He's far more well rounded than any of the other candidates. Unlike Bergevin and Brisebois, he is very competent in both scouting and contract negotiations. Unlike Giguere and Loiselle, he's had stable success in the parameters of a cap-world. Unlike Roy and McGuire he has significant experience in a NHL managerial position. He oversees Nashville's scouting department and AHL franchise (which is amazing) and he has a hand in contract negotiations. He's been an AGM for 6 years and been a member of Predators scouting management team for its entire existence. He comes from an organization which prides itself on offering the best bang-for-buck in terms of salary to points. His personal philosophy of building from the back out fits with Montreal's existing roster and past success. He comes from possibly the 2nd most stable franchise in the NHL, another criteria that Molson emphasized.
Also, and this is purely wishful thinking on my part, but looking at what Shero has done in Pittsburgh makes me think that picking one of Poile's lieutenants is a pretty smart move.
And on Botterhill, he also scouted for Pittsburgh as director of player personnel. He also has an MBA, but unlike Brisebois he's actually a former player.
Shero has done very well, but when you arrive in a team that drafted Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, Whitney, Letang and you get the second overall pick in 2006 when you start you job and you can select Jordan Staal, you can't have that big of a merit IMO.
Still Poile is a great hockey man and Nashville is a pretty good hockey organization so you're right about the quality of his assistants.
I think the issue is some people have a problem with settling for someone that qualified and not looking for the best guy out there. Are guys like Loiselle, Bergevin, Brisebois and McGuire qualified? No doubt, but they all have massive flaws in there background/experience that someone like Fenton, Gorton or Botterhill don't. Listen, I don't know what goes on behind closed doors, but the fact of the matter is that with this organization, the measure can't be "can he do the job" but "is he the best candidate to fill a GM position". On paper, I can't say that any of the bilingual candidates meet the 2nd measurement.
Then again, like everyone else on here I don't know what goes on behind closed doors. It could be that Brisebois is much more hockey-savvy than we know. The point is that for the Habs, "very-qualified" is not good enough.
Language in Montreal is a pressing issue, but really only becomes an issue when things aren't going well. Complaints of Captain Koivu not speaking french always peaked during losing streaks or poor seasons. Success has always been the great equalizer.
I strongly disagree with the part in bold. Every candidate has some major flaws, most of which are base on experience and mostly, being in a market place like Montreal. Some qualities that Bergevin, BriseBois, Loiselle or any other French Canadian has is that they might understand a bit better, like Serge Savard did back then, the importance of giving local talent a chance, understanding that what those guys might lack a bit in talent, they will more than compensate in work ethics and desire to wear the uniform. Let's face it, it's been lacking in recent years...
Shero has done very well, but when you arrive in a team that drafted Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, Whitney, Letang and you get the second overall pick in 2006 when you start you job and you can select Jordan Staal, you can't have that big of a merit IMO.
Still Poile is a great hockey man and Nashville is a pretty good hockey organization so you're right about the quality of his assistants.
LOL
He acquired Kunitz and Tangradi for Whitney which was a big piece in the Cup win
Acquired Hossa and Dupuis for Armstrong Christensen, Esposito
Neal and Niskanen for Goligoski
Here is the complete list of his moves. Guy has been great can't say he has made any terrible moves
24-Jun-06 Drafted Jordan Staal second overall in the 2006 NHL entry draft in Vancouver.
04-Jul-06 Named Andre Savard assistant coach; signed defenceman Mark Eaton, who had been with the Nashville Predators, to a two-year contract.
15-Jul-06 Named Chuck Fletcher assistant general manager and Eddie Johnston senior advisor of hockey operations.
02-Jul-07 Signed right wing Petr Sýkora, who had been with the Edmonton Oilers.
26-Feb-08 Acquired right wing Marián Hossa and left wing Pascal Dupuis from the Atlanta Thrashers for centers Erik Christensen and Angelo Esposito, right wing Colby Armstrong and a 2008 first-round pick; acquired defenseman Hal Gill from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2008 second-round pick and a 2009 fifth-round pick
04-Jul-08 Signed left wing Ruslan Fedotenko and right wing Miroslav Satan to one-year contracts
05-Jul-08 Signed left wing Matt Cooke to a two-year contract.
04-Aug-08 Named Dan Bylsma head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League.
19-Nov-08 Acquired defenseman Philippe Boucher from the Dallas Stars for defenseman Darryl Sydor.
18-Jan-09 Acquired goaltender Mathieu Garon from the Edmonton Oilers for goaltender Dany Sabourin, center Ryan Stone and a 2011 fourth-round pick.
15-Feb-09 Fired coach Michel Therrien; named Dan Bylsma as interim coach.
26-Feb-09 Acquired left wings Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangradi from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman Ryan Whitney.
04-Mar-09 Claimed right wing Craig Adams off waivers from the Chicago Blackhawks; acquired right winger Bill Guerin from the New York Islanders for a conditional draft pick
28-Apr-09 Removed interim tag from Dan Bylsma's title and named him coach and agreed on a multi-year contract.
09-Jul-09 Signed defensemen Jay McKee to a one-year contract.
01-Jul-10 Signed free agent defenseman Zbynek Michalek to a five year, $20 million contract.
01-Jul-10 Signed free agent defenseman Paul Martin to a five year $25 million contract.
21-Feb-11 Acquired left wing James Neal and defenseman Matt Niskanen from the Dallas Stars for defenseman Alex Goligoski.
24-Feb-11 Acquired right wing Alexei Kovalev from the Ottawa Senators for a conditional 7th round draft pick.
01-Jul-11 Re-signed right wing Tyler Kennedy to a two year, $4 million contract.
01-Jul-11 Signed free agent forward Steve Sullivan to a one year, $1.5 million contract
19-Feb-12 Re-signed left wing James Neal (ice hockey) to a six year, $30 million contract.
Some qualities that Bergevin, BriseBois, Loiselle or any other French Canadian has is that they might understand a bit better, like Serge Savard did back then, the importance of giving local talent a chance, understanding that what those guys might lack a bit in talent, they will more than compensate in work ethics and desire to wear the uniform. Let's face it, it's been lacking in recent years...
This is such nonsense and it keeps getting repeated. If this (the highlighted in red part) is true then why did Briere, Lapointe and other "local" talent spur the Habs when they were offered lucrative contracts? Don't they realize they would have played so much better here than on those yucky Anglo teams.
I'll keep repeating it: having local talent in itself doesn't make us better and doesn't make us worse. Did Dandenault, Lats, Robidas, Beauchemin, Laraques, Boullion, Begin etc etc play so much better for the Habs than they did for their other teams. Geeze man give up this ridiculous mind set. You're insulting the French Canadian players. Your implication is that once they play for a non Quebec team they don't put in the effort. And come to think of it it's insulting to all the non Franco players who passed through Montreal. Kirk Muller & Mike Keane cried on TV when they were traded from the Habs. Lats, Boullion and a few others didn't have nice things to say about the Habs when they were traded. So being local talent means didley squat. I can give numerous examples proving your premise wrong.
I strongly disagree with the part in bold. Every candidate has some major flaws, most of which are base on experience and mostly, being in a market place like Montreal. Some qualities that Bergevin, BriseBois, Loiselle or any other French Canadian has is that they might understand a bit better, like Serge Savard did back then, the importance of giving local talent a chance, understanding that what those guys might lack a bit in talent, they will more than compensate in work ethics and desire to wear the uniform. Let's face it, it's been lacking in recent years...
What makes you think a French Canadian would be better at giving local talent a chance? Guys like Latendresse and Ribs were accused of being lazy doesn't really support your position. Neither does the fact that the decline of Quebec talent was overseen by Gauthier (French Canadian), Gainey (admittedly not french Canadian, but a former Hab who learned french and was very connected to the team), Andre Savard (French Canadian) and Rejean Houle (French Canadian). In fact, the most successful GMs at incorporating Quebec-born talent were Ontario uni-lingual anglophone Frank Selke and bilingual anglophone Sam Pollock.
Add to the Fact that the Preds organization has preached community involvement and that they drafted Boom Boom III, the first Tennessee born player in the NHL indicates that the organization understands the importance of hometown heroes.
This is such nonsense and it keeps getting repeated. If this (the highlighted in red part) is true then why did Briere, Lapointe and other "local" talent spur the Habs when they were offered lucrative contracts? Don't they realize they would have played so much better here than on those yucky Anglo teams.
I'll keep repeating it: having local talent in itself doesn't make us better and doesn't make us worse. Did Dandenault, Lats, Robidas, Beauchemin, Laraques, Boullion, Begin etc etc play so much better for the Habs than they did for their other teams. Geeze man give up this ridiculous mind set. You're insulting the French Canadian players. Your implication is that once they play for a non Quebec team they don't put in the effort. And come to think of it it's insulting to all the non Franco players who passed through Montreal. Kirk Muller & Mike Keane cried on TV when they were traded from the Habs. Lats, Boullion and a few others didn't have nice things to say about the Habs when they were traded. So being local talent means didley squat. I can give numerous examples proving your premise wrong.
But keep using that excuse to push for an agenda.
This has nothing to do with what the poster was saying.....again, read before you make a reply that has nothing to do with nothing....
From what I can tell, candidates who solid sources (usually Lebrun) confirm have been contacted:
Brisebois
Loiselle
Bergevin
Hextall
Robitaille
I believe MacKasey was also mentioned, but I don't remember how good the source was? Also McGuire was in town and hinted that he was interviewed, but I don't think this was confirmed.
Candidates who have been contacted but declined:
Nill
Brisson
Damphousse (maybe not contacted, but removed his candidacy anyway)
