Jacques Martin to be named coach of the Habs

Neely4Life wrote:
Oh, I dont think he will do anything in MTL, all I'm saying is what he did in Ottawa was nothing but good and shouldnt be ignored.

I also just wanted to make it clear that he was doing what was best for Spezza and The Sens when Spezza came into the league. Again, to this day I blame Muckler for how Spezza has turned out.

I agree with most of this. I think the job he did here was excellent, but nothing but good? I have to disagree. I thought we could have won a championship - especially when Martin has worked so hard to make Chara, Havlat etc. who they are (I think Alfie was going to be great either way).

It hurts me in the heart to think that we didn't win a championship under his tenure. We should have, now we're back to re-tooling and tinkering whilst being somewhere in the 8-12 spot in the East.

I wish we had gotten Bryan Murray as a coach around 3 years sooner - and I wish that Muckler has addressed our goaltending right from the start as well. Two things that I think everyone can agree on: we left Martin in charge too long - and Muckler diddled a lot of things up (and did some things right as well).

Make it 3 things we can probably all agree on. The third thing being, this was a weak hiring by the Habs.

That's my opinion anyway.

Neely4Life wrote:

wprager wrote:OK, as Shabbs pointed out on another thread, let's check back in a year and see how JM has done. My personal opinion is that this was not a good hire by the Candiens, especially if Gainey is fired and the new GM wants to bring in his own pick (and I do think that Gainey's days are numbered).

Oh, I dont think he will do anything in MTL, all I'm saying is what he did in Ottawa was nothing but good and shouldnt be ignored.

I also just wanted to make it clear that he was doing what was best for Spezza and The Sens when Spezza came into the league. Again, to this day I blame Muckler for how Spezza has turned out.

He may have been doing what was good for Spezza and the team, but he went out in public and said things that should have been kept private.

And I'm not ignoring the good he did in Ottawa. It's just that the team progressed and he did not.

Mind you, all that said, with all those UFAs/RFAs in Montreal, they might be starting a lineup filled with 1st and 2nd year players. So, perhaps, Martin will do a good job with the kids.

We'll have to agree to not agree, is that it? We'll see how this shakes out by next April.

The Habs should maybe look at using Martin to bridge the gap in whatever this "rebuild" is for the Habs and once they are ready to take it to the next level, bring in a coach that could do so. This way, they'd leverage what's best about Martin and then get ready to hand it over to someone who can take it further than Martin can.

wprager wrote:

Neely4Life wrote:

wprager wrote:OK, as Shabbs pointed out on another thread, let's check back in a year and see how JM has done. My personal opinion is that this was not a good hire by the Candiens, especially if Gainey is fired and the new GM wants to bring in his own pick (and I do think that Gainey's days are numbered).

Oh, I dont think he will do anything in MTL, all I'm saying is what he did in Ottawa was nothing but good and shouldnt be ignored.

I also just wanted to make it clear that he was doing what was best for Spezza and The Sens when Spezza came into the league. Again, to this day I blame Muckler for how Spezza has turned out.

He may have been doing what was good for Spezza and the team, but he went out in public and said things that should have been kept private.

And I'm not ignoring the good he did in Ottawa. It's just that the team progressed and he did not.

Mind you, all that said, with all those UFAs/RFAs in Montreal, they might be starting a lineup filled with 1st and 2nd year players. So, perhaps, Martin will do a good job with the kids.

We'll have to agree to not agree, is that it? We'll see how this shakes out by next April.

I think he was forced to when everyone was asking him "why isnt Spezza here, right now?!?!" consistantly for a long period of time. Everyone knew why, but like the Ottawa media always does, they make a mountain out of a mole hill. He prob could have kept somethings out of the public spotlight, but it's not like Martin is known for that and usually keeps things, 100% in house.

They also got rid of the goalie coach rolly mellanson at last ... need some new to spark the netting in montreal ...

Neely4Life wrote:

I think he was forced to when everyone was asking him "why isnt Spezza here, right now?!?!" consistantly for a long period of time. Everyone knew why, but like the Ottawa media always does, they make a mountain out of a mole hill. He prob could have kept somethings out of the public spotlight, but it's not like Martin is known for that and usually keeps things, 100% in house.

His dislike of Spezza was very evident and very public. How do you hope to build trust if you publicly state that this is a man's game and a player is still a child? Surely, there were a million better ways of saying the same thing??!

The same way Julian did with Kessel, VERY publicly. Same was done with Vinny when the C was yanked. If Spezza's skin is that thin then there is no way in hell a team should ever be built around him, like it is now.

Coaches have called out and done it very publicly for a long time. Again, nothing wrong with challenging the players, especially young ones to be better.

Martin was very right though, it is a man's game and Spezza STILL acts like a kid right out of jr out there.

Also, calling it a dislike when he was in Ottawa is a bit over the top IMO. Martin probably had more of a long term plan for him and Spezza was forced down his throat by Muckler. I dont think it was dislike initially, but thats what it turned into.

Neely4Life wrote:The same way Julian did with Kessel, VERY publicly. Same was done with Vinny when the C was yanked. If Spezza's skin is that thin then there is no way in hell a team should ever be built around him, like it is now.

Coaches have called out and done it very publicly for a long time. Again, nothing wrong with challenging the players, especially young ones to be better.

Martin was very right though, it is a man's game and Spezza STILL acts like a kid right out of jr out there.

Actions, not words. Saying he was a child in a man's league was demeaning and hurtful. The message has to be sent, granted, but doing it out in public and using incediary words really just put Martin on Spezza's level (childish).

Are you honestly going to sit there and say Scotty Bowman would have done the same thing? Or Killer?

Different strokes for different folks. Torts (who everyone was screaming for) made a living off humiliating players in public, and won a cup doing so. He turned Vinny into what he is today.

You dont think Bowman (along with Holland) publicly shopping Yzerman was humiliating? He's a pro, not some kid playing jr hockey thinking he is good enough to be in the NHL. Spezza was very public as well in saying he "thought he was ready". If anything, Spezza had to be taken down a peg or two back then, but in the long run the spoiled brat got his way.

These are men getting paid good money to play a game... I have absolutly no problems when coaches say anything about a player as long as its within the context of the sport. Martin was 100% correct in saying that, he might still be right.

EDIT: To this day Vinny is known as a winner because of Torts. Nothing more humilating then being stripped of the captaincy.