The overwhelming feeling I am getting from the Canadiens media these last few days is that they are a happy bunch. And why not?
To understand how pleased they must be, it bears reflecting on where they were just a year ago.
With Gauthier in charge and Jacques Martin installed as coach, the world of soundbytes and stories was getting to be hard work. Gauthier a man who rarely had a press conference, and when he did said nothing of substance, and Martin genuine in his plainness, just honestly taking everything in stride and wondering what the fuss was about.
I sincerely believe that that constituted a moment of panic for the gigantic media machine that has assembled itself to live parasitically off the Canadiens. Without the fruits of preferred access, without privelege of any extra information, what was there to be to continue to define the professional media with the amateur pundit?
With all access pass provided by full broadcast of every game and tightened communication strategies limiting all expression from top to bottom, the distinction was to stay at time and the salary commanded.
If the Gauthier way had time to fully establish itself as the way forward, one would have to guess that higher ups at media outlets would resort with the Canadiens press to many of the same measures they have implemented for the reporting of all other news -- syndication with copy and pastes.
I think we understood just how real this fight was for the media and just how dire they believed their own circumstances to be when the Markov affair unfolded last fall. Not many paid to provide elaborate coverage was able to scoop Gauthier on the status of the best player in town. They reacted as if they had been duped. Really they had been made obsolete for an instant. If the media genuinely knew nothing of Markov, then why would we defer to their opinions instead of the hordes of willing and even fresh-viewed amateurs who go about their coverage with more joy and reckless abandon.
The Gauthier removal was the blessing they craved, and I wonder whether or not they had their say. The Canadiens, you see, are not so far removed from the media machine that they feed, they certainly enjoy the reach and notoriety it can give the team. A paid crew will still write reviews on a season laid dead months before. Publicity that would not be guaranteed from amateurs fatigued with the thought of hockey in bleu, blanc, rouge.
And their relief was further enhanced by the hiring of Marc Bergevin. Never mind that he speaks French for a minute (although that certainly is important). The fact he is a personable character who seems to have no qualm with open policy is much more valuable to the machine. Today I read Bertrand Raymond's opinion on the matter and it reads like a Hallelujah. He even retreads every former GM he has known, praising those who enhanced his life and slagging those who did not. It's telling that Andre Savard comes out with a shinier review than Sam Pollock. The vilification of Gainey and Gauthier is a contrast to the apology he offers for the affable Rejean Houle.
So understand then that the media has more than one agenda here, or so it seems to me. I say understand, to you knowledgeable folks I should say don't forget. Bergevin will ultimately be judged for the hockey he manages to coax from a team he puts together, but that judgment is a way off. Until such time, it seems he will be cast in rays of appreciation just for smiling, talking and letting the media back in. I would think that the media being as pleased as punch with man in a year should not determine how each fan feels about the situation. Just my observations.
On the coach
I guess now Marc is in his chair, the attention of the organization and the speculation moves firmly to the position of head coach.
It's an interesting decision, and I hope to offer more comment in a full reflection on the topic.
I do have some preliminary questions/concerns:
What are the criteria really going to be?
I ask because M. Raymond rambled briefly on how HNIC misunderstands Quebec when they might suggest someone like Quenneville. His line: "Heureusement, le nom de Quenneville vient de s'effacer de lui-même" is a troubling stance for a fan who wants the best candiate available. Especially when it is followed by discussion on the glory years of Savard-Therrien.
I understand the importance of language as a factor in the decision, but funnily I look at the Cunneyworth episode from a different lens than many. Most fans weren't in constant uproar over Cunneyworth (well not until they realised he would lose more than Martin). The fanbase was surprisingly accepting, I thought, actually.
I all factors should be weighed in a balance. With the GM, I feel comfortable this was carried out. Bergevin won out because he was a serious candidate. He happens to be from Montreal, and this definitely weighed in, but it doesn't stand out as his main quality.
A candidate like Michel Therrien for me is a non-starter, and I'mappalled to see his name in the mix. Yes he did pretty well with the Penguins, but he has certainly been outdone by a fair margin by the newcomer Bylsma, and most of the time without the same arsenal. He was not in my estimation part of some golden age with the Habs, but part of a dark age, and I surely recall rejoicing at his departure more than any other. Would he be on a list that did not start with language? Not one you'd be happy to not have to include Quenneville on.
Anyway, enjoy the Flyerless playoffs and catch up soon.
Showing posts with label Savard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Savard. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Game #79
11th Habs Shootout Loss Helps Buffer Gap With Leafs
Details
Date: 31/03/2012
Opponent: Capitals
Location: Washington DC
Loss: 2-3 (SO)
Habs Goalie: Budaj (L)
Opposition Goalie: Neuvirth (W)
Habs goalscorers: Cole, Plekanec
Opposition goalscorers: Perrault, Beagle (Hendricks, Semin, SO)
Play of the game
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the domeForwards
Erik Cole - Game Puck
Let's face it, no shootout shot for Cole in this one was an admission of defeat. He was the most dangerous shooter all night and he's been the most dangerous all season. IN this game, he scored of course, but impressed at many other points as he recognized the standoffish defending to cut to the middle on many more occasions than usual. His best play came when he did this, had his shot blocked and proceeded to recover the puck, walk around more defense and get an even better chance away.
Lars Eller
On RDS they were talking a bit about Eller. I heard but wasn't really registering. I think they were saying that he needed some wingers. It was very apparent in this game. What Eller can do well is baffle that first defender. Often after that he opens a great passing lane or just walks into second coverage. Get him a pure scorer who knows positioning (imagine we had had one of those to gel with him...) and he'll make these plays count for more than good impressions.
Tomas Plekanec
Pleks is having a sub-par season and has played most of the time with slumping (sometimes incapable) wings. So when he notched his 16th goal and 50th point, it was an opportunity to remember his quality. In better circumstances, he's a 70-point producer who can make a scorer's life easier. He was good in this one. His goal was outstanding.
Defencemen
Andrei Markov
I've already alluded to his PP skill. IN tonight's game, I thought he stepped up from recent games his defensive play as well. The Habs really did play quite a good defensive coverage after that 2nd Caps goal and Markov was a big part, often seen ushering his mar wide or stealing the puck from unexpectant stick.
PK Subban
It's perhaps a bit boring that Subban keeps getting the write ups. He is earning this recognition now by simply being the best defender on the ice. There's a lot we already take for granted with Subban. It's important we shouldn't forget that much of that are things others simply could never do. He'll be as disappointed as anyone that the season ends in a week. However, for him that lottery is guaranteed to mean something.
Goaltender
Peter Budaj
Budaj ended with a familiar clatter in the shootout. 0 saves, 1 miss, 1 loss. In the game he was adequate and was complicit in gathering the unwanted point. In the comments for yesterday's game, Bruins24 mentioned the complete black hole after Carey Price in Canadiens goaltending, and I'd include Budaj here. He's been OK, but not an option to replace Price in the event of injury. For that reason, one must think his last minutes as a Hab were played out in a Washington shootout.
Comments
When they make the playoffs, they squeak in. This team appears to want to squeak in the other way too. They played a heck of a last 40 minutes plus OT to get a point. They should have and so nearly won. Fortunately, that bad luck that placed them in this scenario made a timely return to halt the unfortunate.
All will be thrilled to hear that the Leafs also won to prepare a 4 point gap and leave the Habs in the losing seat. Minnesota have a point as I write in OT, and we'll hope for another. The Habs look poised to go bottom 5 and possibly bottom 3 with a team that really needs a defender. The possibility of Grigorenko, Yakupov or Galchenyuk is getting pretty exciting.
The big game this week, however, takes place in the boardroom as any decision on GM will be 100 times more important than even a 5-draft pick swing at this stage. The rumour is that Molson and Savard are formalizing the list come Monday for the hunt. I don't agree with CBC panels who suggest a wait for a failed GM. I think Molson would have waited to fire Gauthier if he agreed with the Milburys of the world. It could be a week as exciting as any playoff push. Hold onto your hats.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Canadiens As All-Stars
Montreal Canadiens have figured prominently since the modern NHL All-Star Game began in 1947. In the early years, when the game was a contest between the league stars and the Stanley Cup Champions (wow, I wonder how they could create more interest in the modern All-Star game?), it was the Canadiens as a team 8 times from 1953 to 1967.
1968 was the last using this format, as expansion meant the league had twice as many players to choose from.
Since the 1969 game (the first after expansion), the game has been staged 36 times (this year being the 37th edition). And since that time, there have been 96 players associated with the Canadiens taking part in the game proper and 100 taking part in the weekend. PK Subban, with his replacement selection will be the 101st Montreal Canadien to take part in the modern All-Star Game -- a game taking place in the very symmetrical 101st Montreal Canadiens season.
The most times in the Habs sweater
96 times since 1969 players have represented the Montreal Canadiens.
The most players the Canadiens ever sent to a post-expansion All-Star game was 7 in 1978, when Ken Dryden was accompanied by Serge Savard and Larry Robinson, together with forwards Lafleur, Shutt, Cournoyer and Gainey. Nobody probably batted an eye at the time because the Habs were setting points records, piling up Cups and sending at least 6 to the All-Star game every year anyway.
The most times that any one player has represented the Habs since expansion is Larry Robinson. The standard he set of 9 games looks virtually untouchable, especially when one considers the next closest are no great slouches: Patrick Roy (6), Guy Lafleur (5), Yvan Cournoyer (5) and Ken Dryden (5). Carey price is on the right path, with two selections at this early stage. But 8 more to surpass Robinson is asking a Hall of Fame career from him.
The most appearances by a Canadiens alum
If we count games where a Habs alum skated, regardless of which team he was on, the numbers change. In all, Former, Present and Future Habs have played in 246 games (96 Present, 95 Former, 55 Future).
The players of note here are Patrick Roy and Chris Chelios. Both appeared in 11 All-Star contests over their careers. Robinson is next, with 10 (he had one honourary skate around with the Kings). They're followed by two players at 7 (Mark Recchi and Denis Savard) and a big group at 6.
The most consecutive appearances
There's a lot to be said for consistency. Consistent selection to the All-Star game is Hall of Fame stuff.
The most consecutive selections to a post-expansion game by a former, present or future Hab was 8. Chelios achieved this from 1990 to 1998. Unfortunately for the Canadiens, 7 of these appearances came after the famous trade to Chicago.
The most consecutive appearances by a player at the time he was with the Habs was 5 selections. This was done by Patrick Roy and Guy Lafleur.
All-Star traded away
It happens, to get you have to give. Chelios is mentioned above. But one hops that in trading an All-Star calibre player, one might at least just it at the tail end of a career.
The most All-Star seasons after leaving the Habs is a dubious record which is held by Chris Chelios at 9. You'd be wrong in thinking that Roy was next. His 5 were painful to watch, but Carol Vadnais and Tony Esposito both had 6 All-Star appearances after leaving Montreal.
At least Patrick also had some All-star years in Montreal. Neither Vadnais or Esposito did. Nor did John Leclair or Red Berenson, who each went to the All-Star game 5 times after leaving Montreal.
Bringing in an All-Star
Getting stars in the yes, it's happened to us all. We all dream up trades. Some people make a website empire out of it.
The perils of trading an All-Star can be balanced with getting an All-Star, if timed just right. Players who later became Habs dressed in 55 All-Star games since 1968.
The best acquisition here has to be Frank Mahovlich. He appeared in the first two post-expansion All-Star games as a Red Wing before being brought in to Montreal. Following that acquisition, he suited up for 4 more games, all consecutive from 1971-74. The next best is possibly Mark Recchi, who was three times an All-Star in Montreal before Rejean Houle discharged him for the sake of profit margins.
Other than Recchi, only Kirk Muller, Pierre Turgeon, Denis Savard and Alexei Kovalev ever replicated their All-Star form after being brought in to help the Habs.
Aging vets
At the last Stanley Cup parade, I had Gary Leeman sign his hockey card. As if to show his teammates that he once wore All-Star colours, he passed that card around the whole float to show his 51-goal season.
Unfortunately for Habs fans, Leeman wasn't the only star to ever be brought in after his All-Star days were behind him. 19 players in all fit this bill. There's still time for some (Hamrlik and Gomez among them).
Prospects lost
In the expansion era, losing prospects was an inevitability. Losing All-Stars too. But what's the excuse for GMs now? Ribeiro, Streit and Robidas are all recent alums that have gone onto recognition in other towns.
Years of shame
Someone was commenting the other day on Dadonov as the only Florida player at this weekend. They have no representation in the game itself. The Habs came mighty close this year too, with price the lone Canadien at the game proper.
Twice, though, 2001 and 2003, the Habs sent no one at all to the All-Star game. At least, Koivu was selected in 2003. 2001 was just a horrid year to be a fan of this team.
1968 was the last using this format, as expansion meant the league had twice as many players to choose from.
Since the 1969 game (the first after expansion), the game has been staged 36 times (this year being the 37th edition). And since that time, there have been 96 players associated with the Canadiens taking part in the game proper and 100 taking part in the weekend. PK Subban, with his replacement selection will be the 101st Montreal Canadien to take part in the modern All-Star Game -- a game taking place in the very symmetrical 101st Montreal Canadiens season.
The most times in the Habs sweater
96 times since 1969 players have represented the Montreal Canadiens.
The most players the Canadiens ever sent to a post-expansion All-Star game was 7 in 1978, when Ken Dryden was accompanied by Serge Savard and Larry Robinson, together with forwards Lafleur, Shutt, Cournoyer and Gainey. Nobody probably batted an eye at the time because the Habs were setting points records, piling up Cups and sending at least 6 to the All-Star game every year anyway.
The most times that any one player has represented the Habs since expansion is Larry Robinson. The standard he set of 9 games looks virtually untouchable, especially when one considers the next closest are no great slouches: Patrick Roy (6), Guy Lafleur (5), Yvan Cournoyer (5) and Ken Dryden (5). Carey price is on the right path, with two selections at this early stage. But 8 more to surpass Robinson is asking a Hall of Fame career from him.
The most appearances by a Canadiens alum
If we count games where a Habs alum skated, regardless of which team he was on, the numbers change. In all, Former, Present and Future Habs have played in 246 games (96 Present, 95 Former, 55 Future).
The players of note here are Patrick Roy and Chris Chelios. Both appeared in 11 All-Star contests over their careers. Robinson is next, with 10 (he had one honourary skate around with the Kings). They're followed by two players at 7 (Mark Recchi and Denis Savard) and a big group at 6.
The most consecutive appearances
There's a lot to be said for consistency. Consistent selection to the All-Star game is Hall of Fame stuff.
The most consecutive selections to a post-expansion game by a former, present or future Hab was 8. Chelios achieved this from 1990 to 1998. Unfortunately for the Canadiens, 7 of these appearances came after the famous trade to Chicago.
The most consecutive appearances by a player at the time he was with the Habs was 5 selections. This was done by Patrick Roy and Guy Lafleur.
All-Star traded away
It happens, to get you have to give. Chelios is mentioned above. But one hops that in trading an All-Star calibre player, one might at least just it at the tail end of a career.
The most All-Star seasons after leaving the Habs is a dubious record which is held by Chris Chelios at 9. You'd be wrong in thinking that Roy was next. His 5 were painful to watch, but Carol Vadnais and Tony Esposito both had 6 All-Star appearances after leaving Montreal.
At least Patrick also had some All-star years in Montreal. Neither Vadnais or Esposito did. Nor did John Leclair or Red Berenson, who each went to the All-Star game 5 times after leaving Montreal.
Bringing in an All-Star
Getting stars in the yes, it's happened to us all. We all dream up trades. Some people make a website empire out of it.
The perils of trading an All-Star can be balanced with getting an All-Star, if timed just right. Players who later became Habs dressed in 55 All-Star games since 1968.
The best acquisition here has to be Frank Mahovlich. He appeared in the first two post-expansion All-Star games as a Red Wing before being brought in to Montreal. Following that acquisition, he suited up for 4 more games, all consecutive from 1971-74. The next best is possibly Mark Recchi, who was three times an All-Star in Montreal before Rejean Houle discharged him for the sake of profit margins.
Other than Recchi, only Kirk Muller, Pierre Turgeon, Denis Savard and Alexei Kovalev ever replicated their All-Star form after being brought in to help the Habs.
Aging vets
At the last Stanley Cup parade, I had Gary Leeman sign his hockey card. As if to show his teammates that he once wore All-Star colours, he passed that card around the whole float to show his 51-goal season.
Unfortunately for Habs fans, Leeman wasn't the only star to ever be brought in after his All-Star days were behind him. 19 players in all fit this bill. There's still time for some (Hamrlik and Gomez among them).
Prospects lost
In the expansion era, losing prospects was an inevitability. Losing All-Stars too. But what's the excuse for GMs now? Ribeiro, Streit and Robidas are all recent alums that have gone onto recognition in other towns.
Years of shame
Someone was commenting the other day on Dadonov as the only Florida player at this weekend. They have no representation in the game itself. The Habs came mighty close this year too, with price the lone Canadien at the game proper.
Twice, though, 2001 and 2003, the Habs sent no one at all to the All-Star game. At least, Koivu was selected in 2003. 2001 was just a horrid year to be a fan of this team.
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Habs in the Noughties
Ten Low Points
As noted in the last post on this vein, January first this year marked the first day of the second decade of the millennium. Last time, we gave you some Habs High Points, this time I share with you what I thought were ten low points.
A decade that began inauspiciously enough with a roster that on a cold January day once sported Aaron Asham, Craig Darby, Chad Kilger, Eric Landry, Juha Lind, Gino Odjick and Patrick Poulin had its fair share of lows.
Here are the worst ten for me:
10. Bernie Geoffrion's passing
It wasn't anyone's fault. But although Bernie Geoffrion died knowing his #5 was to be retired by his team, he never got to see it happen - to experience again how much the city appreciated him. It was a terribly sad thing.
9. Expansion
Most of the expansion took place prior to 2001, but its effects were still felt into the pre-lockout years. The timing of expansion couldn't have been worse for the Habs. They had their worst management team in decades, scouts who weren't on the ball with player assessments (if you think it's bad now, spare a thought for your 2001 self). The Habs had been on the rebuild through a draft and had accumulated a small stable of good, if not great players. Guess who doesn't get protected in expansion drafts?
8. Not calling Larry Robinson
This one was totally avoidable. Last December at the Centennial game, Robinson feeling the nostalgia was told he'd be getting a call for later in the year re: possible ways to work together. No call. No call to a member of the all-time team, a valued alum. I don't care if there were no positions for the next 25 years, there's no excuse for not making this call. This, together with my estimation that a defenceman to coach our young defencemen might be a tonic to some ills down the road, and it still feels like a real low.
7. Randy McKay signing
In direct contrast with the Cammalleri signing is the McKay signing of 2002. It wasn't a big year for free agency, but Philippe Boucher might have looked nice. The Habs at he time dressed this up like it was big, as they were desperate that it would be. Doing nothing at all that July 4th would have led to better results.
6. Playoffs 2009
The 100th season in operation ended much like the first, and much like the early years of the Noughties - without a playoff win to speak of. It was especially disappointing considering it was the fifth year of Gainey's plan, and a year after winning the conference and challenging well enough in the playoffs. More important than the sweeping itself was the repercussions of the sweep, as those four losses became four nails in the career coffins of Koivu, Kovalev, KOmisarek, Tanguay and others. Regardless of what came later, the way those players were treated leading up to July 1 was a low point for a franchise that likes to think of itself as the embodiment of class.
5. The grooming of Mike Ribeiro
The mishandling of Mike Ribeiro began early. The Habs knew they had an egomaniac on their hands, and one that liked to party. What better way to bring him along than to play him in 19 games at the age of 19, boosting his idea of himself and burning a year of his contract in the process. The next season, he played a mere 2 games and was then on prolonged probation until he finally stopped being relegated to Quebec/Hamilton at age 23 in 2003. His grooming to that point was typical of the Canadiens approach with pure offensive players - play them with Aaron Asham and Jason Dawe. That's to say, he wasn't given much freedom. A breakout season in 2003-04 was seen as good news, but was the straw which broke the camel's back in terms of his later entitlement and corresponding work ethic. Traded for another tram's garbage, he has gone on to 5 consecutive good seasons as an offensive player. A true shame that the team could find neither the time for him on the ice, or the time for him off the ice, as he is exactly what this team craves in their Quebec recruitment program.
4. Therrien carry-on
A coach hired in the time-honoured tradition of simply looking at the QMJHL standings and nothing else, Therrien didn't have a very good time of it with the Habs. His low moment came during what had been his high moment. Following the 2002 knockout of the Bruins (courtesy, Koivu, Gilmour, Zednik, Theo), the Habs were rolling along nicely. The Habs had battled with the Hurricanes in three games to earn a 2-1 series lead. They were winning in Game 4 and looking to bury the Canes with a 3-0 going into the third. Quintal took a simple cross-checking penalty, Therrien's temper came out of check. Two-man penalty, Carolina goal, momentum shift, game slipped away, Canadiens lose in 6.
3. Brisebois contract extension, December 2001
At the time, the extension was going to make Brisebois the highest paid Montreal Canadien in all of history. Of course, he'd just had his -31 season and wasn't exactly able to hide his warts as much as previously. The contract made him untradeable even without the clause that said it in writing. It was a decision that hampered a rebuild from happening prior to the lockout.
2. Cristobal Huet trade
Probably the worst justification for any move the franchise has made since trading Patrick Roy. Huet, fresh off a hot start, an All-Star appearance, and a tiny wobble in February was traded so that Carey Price could be handed the reins without fear of losing them. We didn't even need retrospect to know this was a recipe for disaster. Starting Carey Price looks like a move of genius for a while, but then having a back-up the coach and GM are so reluctant to use they leave Carey to be dismantled by the Flyers shows why Huet should have been retained. Not even the return on the trade justifies the move. And now, with retrospect, nor does the experience Price gained.
1. The year with no hockey
There's not much to say. it was unfortunate and unnecessary. Nothing bottoms below this one. It remains the black eye of the decade for all teams (and players).
And again for those interested:
Blogs were less prevalent in 2001, this one wasn't conceived, i can assure you. But I did find one amateur account of the beginning of the decade. It's fun read.
A decade that began inauspiciously enough with a roster that on a cold January day once sported Aaron Asham, Craig Darby, Chad Kilger, Eric Landry, Juha Lind, Gino Odjick and Patrick Poulin had its fair share of lows.
Here are the worst ten for me:
10. Bernie Geoffrion's passing
It wasn't anyone's fault. But although Bernie Geoffrion died knowing his #5 was to be retired by his team, he never got to see it happen - to experience again how much the city appreciated him. It was a terribly sad thing.
9. Expansion
Most of the expansion took place prior to 2001, but its effects were still felt into the pre-lockout years. The timing of expansion couldn't have been worse for the Habs. They had their worst management team in decades, scouts who weren't on the ball with player assessments (if you think it's bad now, spare a thought for your 2001 self). The Habs had been on the rebuild through a draft and had accumulated a small stable of good, if not great players. Guess who doesn't get protected in expansion drafts?
8. Not calling Larry Robinson
This one was totally avoidable. Last December at the Centennial game, Robinson feeling the nostalgia was told he'd be getting a call for later in the year re: possible ways to work together. No call. No call to a member of the all-time team, a valued alum. I don't care if there were no positions for the next 25 years, there's no excuse for not making this call. This, together with my estimation that a defenceman to coach our young defencemen might be a tonic to some ills down the road, and it still feels like a real low.
7. Randy McKay signing
In direct contrast with the Cammalleri signing is the McKay signing of 2002. It wasn't a big year for free agency, but Philippe Boucher might have looked nice. The Habs at he time dressed this up like it was big, as they were desperate that it would be. Doing nothing at all that July 4th would have led to better results.
6. Playoffs 2009
The 100th season in operation ended much like the first, and much like the early years of the Noughties - without a playoff win to speak of. It was especially disappointing considering it was the fifth year of Gainey's plan, and a year after winning the conference and challenging well enough in the playoffs. More important than the sweeping itself was the repercussions of the sweep, as those four losses became four nails in the career coffins of Koivu, Kovalev, KOmisarek, Tanguay and others. Regardless of what came later, the way those players were treated leading up to July 1 was a low point for a franchise that likes to think of itself as the embodiment of class.
5. The grooming of Mike Ribeiro
The mishandling of Mike Ribeiro began early. The Habs knew they had an egomaniac on their hands, and one that liked to party. What better way to bring him along than to play him in 19 games at the age of 19, boosting his idea of himself and burning a year of his contract in the process. The next season, he played a mere 2 games and was then on prolonged probation until he finally stopped being relegated to Quebec/Hamilton at age 23 in 2003. His grooming to that point was typical of the Canadiens approach with pure offensive players - play them with Aaron Asham and Jason Dawe. That's to say, he wasn't given much freedom. A breakout season in 2003-04 was seen as good news, but was the straw which broke the camel's back in terms of his later entitlement and corresponding work ethic. Traded for another tram's garbage, he has gone on to 5 consecutive good seasons as an offensive player. A true shame that the team could find neither the time for him on the ice, or the time for him off the ice, as he is exactly what this team craves in their Quebec recruitment program.
4. Therrien carry-on
A coach hired in the time-honoured tradition of simply looking at the QMJHL standings and nothing else, Therrien didn't have a very good time of it with the Habs. His low moment came during what had been his high moment. Following the 2002 knockout of the Bruins (courtesy, Koivu, Gilmour, Zednik, Theo), the Habs were rolling along nicely. The Habs had battled with the Hurricanes in three games to earn a 2-1 series lead. They were winning in Game 4 and looking to bury the Canes with a 3-0 going into the third. Quintal took a simple cross-checking penalty, Therrien's temper came out of check. Two-man penalty, Carolina goal, momentum shift, game slipped away, Canadiens lose in 6.
3. Brisebois contract extension, December 2001
At the time, the extension was going to make Brisebois the highest paid Montreal Canadien in all of history. Of course, he'd just had his -31 season and wasn't exactly able to hide his warts as much as previously. The contract made him untradeable even without the clause that said it in writing. It was a decision that hampered a rebuild from happening prior to the lockout.
2. Cristobal Huet trade
Probably the worst justification for any move the franchise has made since trading Patrick Roy. Huet, fresh off a hot start, an All-Star appearance, and a tiny wobble in February was traded so that Carey Price could be handed the reins without fear of losing them. We didn't even need retrospect to know this was a recipe for disaster. Starting Carey Price looks like a move of genius for a while, but then having a back-up the coach and GM are so reluctant to use they leave Carey to be dismantled by the Flyers shows why Huet should have been retained. Not even the return on the trade justifies the move. And now, with retrospect, nor does the experience Price gained.
1. The year with no hockey
There's not much to say. it was unfortunate and unnecessary. Nothing bottoms below this one. It remains the black eye of the decade for all teams (and players).
And again for those interested:
Blogs were less prevalent in 2001, this one wasn't conceived, i can assure you. But I did find one amateur account of the beginning of the decade. It's fun read.
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Can Teams Bring Contracts Forward For Reneging?
A few sources today are reporting that the NHL is taking a hard line after Kovalchuk and may investigate a few contracts that they have previously approved.
Among those to be potentially investigated (if you believe any of the claims) would be those of Marian Hossa, Roberto Luongo, Chris Pronger and Marc Savard.
Never mind that the league won't be able to take away the Stanley Cup enabled by their previous soft stance. I prefer to see it in a different way.
If the league is dead set on killing all long-term front-end heavy contracts, let's get serious. What about making Gomez sign a new deal?
After all, he was one of the original new-era 7-year deal boys. His final season is paying him less than half of his first $10 million season.
And what about other teams who may want voided cap hits? Like Philly on Daniel Briere's $6.5 million? Maybe Detroit's rivals would want to investigate Franzen and Zetterberg.
Wouldn't seem fair otherwise, would it?
Among those to be potentially investigated (if you believe any of the claims) would be those of Marian Hossa, Roberto Luongo, Chris Pronger and Marc Savard.
Never mind that the league won't be able to take away the Stanley Cup enabled by their previous soft stance. I prefer to see it in a different way.
If the league is dead set on killing all long-term front-end heavy contracts, let's get serious. What about making Gomez sign a new deal?
After all, he was one of the original new-era 7-year deal boys. His final season is paying him less than half of his first $10 million season.
And what about other teams who may want voided cap hits? Like Philly on Daniel Briere's $6.5 million? Maybe Detroit's rivals would want to investigate Franzen and Zetterberg.
Wouldn't seem fair otherwise, would it?
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Top 100 Habs By Decade:
1. 1969-1979
In recognition of the Canadiens Centennial tomorrow, we at Lions in Winter have been doing what we like best – making lists. As a precursor to publishing the definitive LIW top 100, we will be counting down the decades from least successful to most successful and naming our LIW top 10 players for the ten-year span.
This is the last in the series. if you want to find the other decades, you can use the archives or the link at the top of the home page.
The lates 1960s to late 1970s. Was there a headier time to be a sports fan in Montreal? Baseball moves in, the Olympics come to town (nearly twice if you consider Lake Placid is a 2-hour drive) and the Montreal Canadiens laid most of their competition to waste. The decade I define here has 6 Cups. It was nice to come into the decade on a run of 4 Cups in 5 years as well. 10 Cups in 15 years – it boggles the mind (are we sure they don't mean first-round appearances?).
The players to represent this elite time are all the toast of the Canadiens, with Hall-of-Fame in all of their email sign-offs. No other decade had so many Hall of Famers, no other decade would bump a two-time 100-point man to the bench. These are the final 10 names in this series.
[Note: Each player only appears in one decade's top 10 – cross-decade stars like Laperriere have been given their dues, as you know]
10. Frank "The Big M" Mahovlich (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
A ready-made all star with a Hall of Fame nod already in the bag, Frank was brought in late in his career to bolster the Habs who were about to lose their top 2 centres.
9. Steve Shutt (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
On any other team, he might be the all-time goalscoring hero. 60 goals in 80 games led the league. For Latendresse fans, Shutt put the 14-goal man to shame with 52 ES goals that year.
8. Guy "Pointu" Lapointe (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
The third corner of the Big Three, he had a definite knack for scoring goals, and important ones too.
7. Jacques "Coco" Lemaire (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
Played the way he asks everyone of his players to play, with determination and intelligence. With typical efficiency, he retired on scoring the Stanley Cup winning goal in 1979.
6. Yvan "Roadrunner" Cournoyer (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
The archetypal Canadiens winger – speedy and quick-shooting goalscoring machine. His 1972-73 playoffs were magisterial.
5. Bob Gainey (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
Famously described as "technically, the best player in the world" by Russian coach Tarasov, Gainey was certainly the best in the world at defending as a shadow. In a league of Bobby Orrs and Bobby Clarkes, his role was just as valuable to the team as those ahead of him on this list.
4. Serge Savard (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
If the Canadiens brass today could dream up a defender to anchor their team for the future, it would probably be Serge Savard. He could and did do everything, including adapt to the effects that 2 broken legs had on his once-great speed.
3. Ken Dryden (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
Less career losses than a Vesa Toskala season. He must also be the only starting goalie in modern history to virtually double his losses with shutouts. In his 7-and-a-bit-year turn in the NHL, he won 6 Stanley Cups, 5 Vezinas and earned a law degree.
2. Larry "Big Bird" Robinson (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
If we had the stats and ran a Corsi on it, what do you think 1976-77 would look like for +120 Larry Robinson? Robinson was key to the Canadiens adapting to the new Philadelphia Flyers domination of the league. His gaudy offensive numbers can't show on paper what a good defender he was.
1. Guy "Flower" Lafleur (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
A goal more than every other game, a game-winning goal once in ten, this guy had the knack for scoring and scoring when it was called for. No one has more silverware in their Habs trophy cases than Guy, and with good reason.
* Awards: H = Hart trophy; AR = Art Ross trophy, C = Calder trophy; FS = Frank Selke trophy; N = Norris trophy; V = Vezina trophy; LP = Lester Pearson tropby; BM= Bill Masterton trophy; AS= All-star; HOF = Hall of Fame; CS = Conn Smythe trophy; SC = Stanley Cup.
This is the last in the series. if you want to find the other decades, you can use the archives or the link at the top of the home page.
1969-1979
The lates 1960s to late 1970s. Was there a headier time to be a sports fan in Montreal? Baseball moves in, the Olympics come to town (nearly twice if you consider Lake Placid is a 2-hour drive) and the Montreal Canadiens laid most of their competition to waste. The decade I define here has 6 Cups. It was nice to come into the decade on a run of 4 Cups in 5 years as well. 10 Cups in 15 years – it boggles the mind (are we sure they don't mean first-round appearances?).
The players to represent this elite time are all the toast of the Canadiens, with Hall-of-Fame in all of their email sign-offs. No other decade had so many Hall of Famers, no other decade would bump a two-time 100-point man to the bench. These are the final 10 names in this series.
[Note: Each player only appears in one decade's top 10 – cross-decade stars like Laperriere have been given their dues, as you know]
10. Frank "The Big M" Mahovlich (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1970-74 | 263 | 129 | 181 | 310 | +104 | 14 | AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1971-72 | 76 | 43 | 53 | 96 | +42 | 4 | AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1971-74 | 49 | 27 | 31 | 58 | 0 | 2 SC | |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1970-71 | 20 | 14 | 13 | 27 | 0 | SC |
A ready-made all star with a Hall of Fame nod already in the bag, Frank was brought in late in his career to bolster the Habs who were about to lose their top 2 centres.
9. Steve Shutt (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1972-85 | 871 | 408 | 368 | 776 | +409 | 50 | AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1976-77 | 80 | 60 | 45 | 105 | +88 | 9 | AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1973-84 | 96 | 50 | 48 | 98 | (+5) | 5 | 5 SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1976-77 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 3 | SC |
On any other team, he might be the all-time goalscoring hero. 60 goals in 80 games led the league. For Latendresse fans, Shutt put the 14-goal man to shame with 52 ES goals that year.
8. Guy "Pointu" Lapointe (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1968-82 | 777 | 166 | 406 | 572 | +347 | 20 | AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1976-77 | 77 | 25 | 51 | 76 | +69 | 6 | AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 2002-06 | 112 | 25 | 43 | 68 | 4 | 6 SC | |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1972-73 | 17 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 1 | SC |
The third corner of the Big Three, he had a definite knack for scoring goals, and important ones too.
7. Jacques "Coco" Lemaire (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1967-79 | 853 | 366 | 469 | 835 | +349 | 58 | AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1972-73 | 77 | 44 | 51 | 95 | +59 | 5 | AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1968-79 | 145 | 61 | 78 | 139 | 11 | 8 SC | |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1978-79 | 16 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 2 | SC |
Played the way he asks everyone of his players to play, with determination and intelligence. With typical efficiency, he retired on scoring the Stanley Cup winning goal in 1979.
6. Yvan "Roadrunner" Cournoyer (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1963-79 | 968 | 428 | 435 | 863 | (+272) | (68) | AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1971-72 | 73 | 47 | 36 | 83 | +23 | 5 | AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1965-78 | 147 | 64 | 63 | 127 | (12) | 10 SC | |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1972-73 | 17 | 15 | 10 | 25 | 3 | CS, SC |
The archetypal Canadiens winger – speedy and quick-shooting goalscoring machine. His 1972-73 playoffs were magisterial.
5. Bob Gainey (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1973-89 | 1160 | 239 | 262 | 501 | +196 | 34 | 4 FS, AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1978-79 | 79 | 20 | 18 | 28 | +11 | 1 | FS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1974-89 | 182 | 25 | 48 | 73 | (-4) | 7 | CS, 5 SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1978-79 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 1 | CS, SC |
Famously described as "technically, the best player in the world" by Russian coach Tarasov, Gainey was certainly the best in the world at defending as a shadow. In a league of Bobby Orrs and Bobby Clarkes, his role was just as valuable to the team as those ahead of him on this list.
4. Serge Savard (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1966-81 | 917 | 100 | 312 | 412 | +492 | 13 | BM, AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1974-75 | 80 | 20 | 40 | 60 | +71 | 2 | |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1968-81 | 130 | 19 | 49 | 68 | 6 | CS, 8 SC | |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1975-76 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 2 | SC |
If the Canadiens brass today could dream up a defender to anchor their team for the future, it would probably be Serge Savard. He could and did do everything, including adapt to the effects that 2 broken legs had on his once-great speed.
3. Ken Dryden (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | W | L | T | GAA | SO | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1970-79 | 397 | 258 | 57 | 74 | 2.24 | 46 | C, 5 V, AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1976-77 | 56 | 41 | 6 | 8 | 2.14 | 10 | V, AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1971-79 | 112 | 80 | 32 | 0 | 2.40 | 10 | 6 SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1970-71 | 20 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 3.00 | 0 | CS, SC |
Less career losses than a Vesa Toskala season. He must also be the only starting goalie in modern history to virtually double his losses with shutouts. In his 7-and-a-bit-year turn in the NHL, he won 6 Stanley Cups, 5 Vezinas and earned a law degree.
2. Larry "Big Bird" Robinson (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1972-89 | 1202 | 197 | 686 | 883 | +700 | 29 | 2 N, AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1976-77 | 77 | 19 | 66 | 85 | +120 | 3 | N, AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1973-89 | 203 | 25 | 109 | 134 | (+6) | 3 | CS, 6 SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1977-78 | 15 | 4 | 17 | 21 | 0 | CS, SC |
If we had the stats and ran a Corsi on it, what do you think 1976-77 would look like for +120 Larry Robinson? Robinson was key to the Canadiens adapting to the new Philadelphia Flyers domination of the league. His gaudy offensive numbers can't show on paper what a good defender he was.
1. Guy "Flower" Lafleur (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1971-85 | 961 | 518 | 728 | 1246 | +477 | 93 | 2 H, 3 AR, 3 LP, AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1977-78 | 78 | 60 | 72 | 132 | +73 | 12 | H, AR, LP, AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1972-84 | 124 | 57 | 76 | 133 | (-2) | 14 | CS, 5 SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1976-77 | 14 | 9 | 17 | 26 | 2 | CS, SC |
A goal more than every other game, a game-winning goal once in ten, this guy had the knack for scoring and scoring when it was called for. No one has more silverware in their Habs trophy cases than Guy, and with good reason.
* Awards: H = Hart trophy; AR = Art Ross trophy, C = Calder trophy; FS = Frank Selke trophy; N = Norris trophy; V = Vezina trophy; LP = Lester Pearson tropby; BM= Bill Masterton trophy; AS= All-star; HOF = Hall of Fame; CS = Conn Smythe trophy; SC = Stanley Cup.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Top 100 Habs By Decade:
9. 1989-1999
In recognition of the Canadiens Centennial next Friday, we at Lions in Winter have been doing what we like best – making lists. As a precursor to publishing the definitive LIW top 100, we will be counting down the decades from least successful to most successful and naming our LIW top 10 players for the ten-year span. You should expect a few each day for the next few days.
Though this celebration has inevitably lost some steam due to relentless marketing and pre-game ceremonies for all of living memory, it would be a shame to let it pass unnoticed just because Mr. Gillett wanted to cash in before he cashed out.
An objective look reveals what we all fear – that we became fans of this team just as its fortunes began to turn. From a Cup final to end the decade previous, these ten years took the team to its lowest in 1999.
There were good years, of course, and a Stanley Cup. But after that amazing run of 1993, the years were not kind to the Canadiens, as they went from perennial contender for league and playoff crowns to being just one of 24 odd teams.
Thanks to the early years, there were good players on the team and good players to trade for other good players. One trade chain (the Richer chain) provided 4 players for our top 10 from the 1990s.
[Note: Each player only appears in one decade's top 10 – so Brisebois fans, hold on to your hats]
10. Shayne Corson (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
A good solid player from the 1980s who had his best offensive seasons with Richer. Came back for a stint where he was captain and all-star again.
9. Eric Desjardins (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
A player who would have held his own in the dynasty years, I bet. He saved his best year for when it counted, and his 1 playoff GWG, well we all know that...
8. Denis Savard (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
Came to Montreal under immense pressure to be THE star. Wasn't the dominant force, but still a big contributor over his 3 seasons in town.
7. Mathieu Schneider (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
Learned to play offense from the back in Montreal. Was a pretty good option for D as well.
6. Pierre Turgeon (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
The best season from a Canadiens player since Naslund, and it still stands.
5. Mark Recchi (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
Like clockwork, both in being healthy for games and scoring.
4. Kirk Muller (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
Could find a new gear in important games and was pivotal in helping the whole team to do just that in several consecutive OTs.
3. Stephane Richer (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
The last 50-goal season from a Canadiens player, a link to Lafleur. Richer was a serious threat in the first few years of the decade.
2. Vincent Damphousse (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
The most unheralded scoring machine, captain, cup-winning, hometown hero you could imagine. Going out on a low note shouldn't eclipse what he managed in the mid-90s.
1. Patrick Roy (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
He finds himself in the 1990s, but could head the 1980s list. Patrick was the source of most success in this decade – winning most individual honours and taking the team for a nice ride to LA to receive the silverware.
* Awards: V = Vezina trophy; WJ = William Jennings trophy (GA); AS= All-star; HOF = Hall of Fame; SC = Stanley Cup; CS = Conn Smythe.
Though this celebration has inevitably lost some steam due to relentless marketing and pre-game ceremonies for all of living memory, it would be a shame to let it pass unnoticed just because Mr. Gillett wanted to cash in before he cashed out.
1989-1999
An objective look reveals what we all fear – that we became fans of this team just as its fortunes began to turn. From a Cup final to end the decade previous, these ten years took the team to its lowest in 1999.
There were good years, of course, and a Stanley Cup. But after that amazing run of 1993, the years were not kind to the Canadiens, as they went from perennial contender for league and playoff crowns to being just one of 24 odd teams.
Thanks to the early years, there were good players on the team and good players to trade for other good players. One trade chain (the Richer chain) provided 4 players for our top 10 from the 1990s.
[Note: Each player only appears in one decade's top 10 – so Brisebois fans, hold on to your hats]
10. Shayne Corson (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1985-2000 | 662 | 168 | 255 | 423 | +70 | 26 | AS |
| Decade best (Season) | 1989-90 | 76 | 31 | 44 | 75 | +33 | 6 | AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 2002-06 | 90 | 28 | 35 | 63 | +16 | 7 | |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1990-91 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 15 | +5 | 3 |
A good solid player from the 1980s who had his best offensive seasons with Richer. Came back for a stint where he was captain and all-star again.
9. Eric Desjardins (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1988-95 | 405 | 43 | 136 | 179 | +55 | 7 | AS |
| Decade best (Season) | 1992-93 | 82 | 13 | 32 | 45 | +20 | 1 | |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 2002-06 | 71 | 9 | 20 | 29 | +6 | 1 | SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1992-93 | 20 | 4 | 10 | 14 | +2 | 1 | SC |
A player who would have held his own in the dynasty years, I bet. He saved his best year for when it counted, and his 1 playoff GWG, well we all know that...
8. Denis Savard (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1990-93 | 210 | 72 | 107 | 179 | +6 | 7 | AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1991-92 | 77 | 28 | 42 | 70 | +6 | 5 | AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1990-93 | 38 | 5 | 25 | 30 | -3 | 0 | SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1991-92 | 11 | 3 | 9 | 12 | +1 | 0 |
Came to Montreal under immense pressure to be THE star. Wasn't the dominant force, but still a big contributor over his 3 seasons in town.
7. Mathieu Schneider (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1987-2009 | 383 | 68 | 148 | 216 | +36 | 13 | |
| Decade best (Season) | 1993-94 | 75 | 20 | 32 | 52 | +15 | 4 | |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1990-2009 | 46 | 5 | 16 | 21 | +5 | 0 | SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1990-91 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 9 | +2 | 0 |
Learned to play offense from the back in Montreal. Was a pretty good option for D as well.
6. Pierre Turgeon (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1994-96 | 104 | 50 | 77 | 127 | +35 | 8 | AS |
| Decade best (Season) | 1995-96 | 80 | 38 | 58 | 96 | +19 | 6 | AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1995-96 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | +1 | 0 | |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1995-96 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | +1 | 0 |
The best season from a Canadiens player since Naslund, and it still stands.
5. Mark Recchi (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1994-99 | 346 | 120 | 202 | 322 | +23 | 18 | AS |
| Decade best (Season) | 1995-96 | 82 | 28 | 50 | 78 | +20 | 6 | |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1996-98 | 21 | 11 | 13 | 24 | +5 | 2 | |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1997-98 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 12 | +2 | 2 |
Like clockwork, both in being healthy for games and scoring.
4. Kirk Muller (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1991-95 | 267 | 104 | 143 | 247 | +1 | 15 | AS |
| Decade best (Season) | 1992-93 | 80 | 37 | 57 | 94 | +8 | 4 | AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1992-94 | 38 | 20 | 12 | 32 | +3 | 6 | SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1992-93 | 20 | 10 | 7 | 17 | +4 | 3 | SC |
Could find a new gear in important games and was pivotal in helping the whole team to do just that in several consecutive OTs.
3. Stephane Richer (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1984-98 | 490 | 225 | 196 | 421 | +65 | 36 | AS |
| Decade best (Season) | 1989-90 | 75 | 51 | 40 | 91 | +35 | 8 | |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1986-97 | 77 | 36 | 21 | 57 | +1 | 9 | SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1990-91 | 13 | 9 | 5 | 14 | E | 1 |
The last 50-goal season from a Canadiens player, a link to Lafleur. Richer was a serious threat in the first few years of the decade.
2. Vincent Damphousse (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1992-99 | 519 | 184 | 314 | 498 | +26 | 35 | |
| Decade best (Season) | 1992-93 | 84 | 39 | 58 | 97 | +5 | 8 | |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1993-98 | 48 | 19 | 24 | 43 | E | 5 | SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1992-93 | 20 | 11 | 12 | 23 | +8 | 3 | SC |
The most unheralded scoring machine, captain, cup-winning, hometown hero you could imagine. Going out on a low note shouldn't eclipse what he managed in the mid-90s.
1. Patrick Roy (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | W | L | T | GAA | S% | SO | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1984-2005 | 551 | 289 | 175 | 66 | 2.78 | 0.904 | 29 | 3 V, 4 WJ, AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1991-92 | 67 | 36 | 22 | 8 | 2.36 | 0.914 | 5 | V, WJ, AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1986-94 | 114 | 70 | 42 | 0 | 2.46 | 0.914 | 5 | 2 SC, 2 CS |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1992-93 | 20 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 2.13 | 0.929 | 0 | SC, CS |
He finds himself in the 1990s, but could head the 1980s list. Patrick was the source of most success in this decade – winning most individual honours and taking the team for a nice ride to LA to receive the silverware.
* Awards: V = Vezina trophy; WJ = William Jennings trophy (GA); AS= All-star; HOF = Hall of Fame; SC = Stanley Cup; CS = Conn Smythe.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Andre Savard?
Jack Todd's Man Made Gainey Look Like The Genius In The First Place
It seems each time I muster up the energy to respond to something Jack Todd is saying it begins something like this: "I remember when I used to like reading Jack Todd..."
I think it's probably time to admit that I must have been wrong and that perhaps it's not Jack Todd that has changed. Perhaps he's always done sensationalism with a hacksaw; perhaps he's always chased the headline while going short on the substance.
I hope not. I hope that my one time favourite Expos-booster was full of sharp and accurate observation. Clearly now he's running low on that.
The reason I bring this up today is because Jack is pulling an easy one – criticising Bob Gainey. Not only that he's criticising Bob while grandstanding Andre Savard, the Canadiens saviour we must have overlooked; the last GM to work here with a plan.
Jack suggests that Gainey's time, despite outward appearances, has been ruled by panic throughout. He suggests that trades, free agent wooing and contract renegotiations were all part of this frantic attempt to keep head above water. In contrast, he puts forward Andre Savard who (in retrospect) did everything with cold and accurate calculation.
But is this really the case? Or is Jack merely playing to an audience he knows will have forgotten the Czerkawski debacle and the Traverse trade as they fret about Game 8 of the season?
When I see wild claims with such questionable basis, it always prompts me to do a bit of investigating. So investigate I did. I thought you might all like to share in the investigation.
Drafting
At one point, Jack takes quite a liberty in exalting M. Savard as he credits him not only with his draft picks from 2000-2003 when he was GM of the team, but then also with the picks he made after he was shown his graceful redundancy package and lingered on in the organization from 2004-2006. Now, I don't want to belittle Savard's drafting in his own time, because it was a massive improvement on the previous regime, but I think we have to settle on whether it is the GM or the assistant GM who should get credit here.
Perhaps it would be different if Todd gave Gainey any due for the picks from 2003-2006 in his piece, but he doesn't:
That's why I'll re-appropriate Gainey's fair dues from 2004 draft to present and credit him with the Mark Streit pick (NHL star), and for restocking the farm.
I think the alternative would be something like crediting Martin Madden with all those picks from 2001-2003, because, after all, he was assistant GM at the time. In building his somewhat shaky case for Savard better than Gainey, it seems Jack Todd employed the favourite technique of all spin-doctors in shifting the black and the white through the gray. I'll try to be fairer.
For me that's a push. Though Savard's picks only come from 3 drafts (2 really, if you account for his dismal 2002), he did well to select just about 10 NHLish players. Gainey has had more drafts, but really only 3 drafts (2004-2006) have produced any NHLers so far – simply because those younger than that are still in college or Hamilton.
Trades
I'm not going to reinvent the wheel here. If you want a look at the complete list of trades, you'll get a start at GoHabs.com. If you want to fill in any omissions, there's more info at NHL Trade History for you.
Looking down the complete list of trades certainly puts an end to any illusion that Andre Savard might have been the GM this team needed to reconstruct it in the early years of the millennium. Apart from trading for just about every player that Michel Therrien had coached in junior, the only moves he made of any consequence were sideways or backwards. if I was to stretch for a big win, I'd have to hide a smirk and say Future considerations for Joe Juneau or even 4th round pick for Quintal, for such was his record.
Gainey on the other hand, seems to know that to deliver a winning trade one has to take a chance. And in taking chances, at least he has delivered some winners. There was the Alex Kovalev triumph of a trade (unmentioned by Mr. Todd since it didn't fit his argument?), and wins like Garon for Huet and Bonk, 2nd rounder for Lang and the Rivet deal which is a Habs winner (unless you happen to be developing a case against Gainey, in which case it's a push).
Unlike Savard, whose biggest moves involved sideways swaps of Linden and Zubrus for Zednik and Bulis, or Rucinsky and Brunet for Audette and Van Allen; Gainey has dealt in stars. He's brought in players like Kovalev, Tanguay, Gomez and Schneider and at times he's traded stars of his own like Theodore and Ribeiro. While Savard's trades might never look as bad because he was playing around the edges, he certainly never took a good swipe for the fences, and hence never came close to hitting one out of the park. And while he may never have really gone for, Savard did still strike out hard a few times, such as Weinrich for Traverse, Hackett for Sundstrom, Savage and a 3rd for berezin and Asham and a pick for Czerkawski.
Gainey may be the Henry Rodriguez of trading averages, but at least he's shown pop. Andre Savard is the 0.189 hitting Peter Bergeron who's hits meet applause if they clear the second base coach.
Free agent signings
This shouldn't take long.
When Savard was here, bless him, he did once pursue Brett Hull. And maybe he pursued others that we may never know about. But what did he deliver in free agent signings to the might Montreal Canadiens? Why, Yanic Perrault, Doug Gilmour and Randy McKay. Not great, considering the adulation for the draft wizard. You'd almost think he'd set himself a fifteen year plan with that glacial rate of signing and upgrade to the horrible 200o team.
Gainey, as Todd eagerly points out, does have some marks on his record in the free agent arena. However, just as in the realm of trades, the fact that Gainey has taken chances in order to rebuild is a good leg up on Andre Savard. Add to that the fact we now boast Roman Hamrlik and Jaroslav Spacek in lieu of the old guard and that Gainey just this summer won the lured the prized scorer Cammalleri to Montreal, the Brett Hul debacle gone right.
Contracts
Usually I wouldn't have touched on contracts in this rebuilding piece, because it seems the very minimum requirement of the GM job (i.e., if you can't do this, then what can you do). But since, Jack Todd slings mud at Gainey for some albatrosses he created, I have decided to remind everyone of Andre's own gaffes:
Where to start? Well how about signing Patrice Brisebois to a 3-year contract extension with a no-trade clause for the highest salary ever paid to a Canadiens player in season?
Not enough?
Andre replicated that stellar form with a lovely 3-year extension to Dykhuis too and an extension to Traverse. Spotting the amateur talent might have been a strength but locking up these three while Francois Beauchemin slips through the cracks wasn't something to brag about. Maybe he's forgiven because there's no limit to the amount of money you could hand out back then. Might be more convincing if he'd made a free agent signing...
The verdict
If you've followed me this far in the piece, I trust I won't find you re-penning Jack Todd's opening words anytime soon:
I think if anything is clear after this little examination it is that no matter our current GM's faults and mis-steps, Gainey still trumps Savard. To be fair to Andre, he was a very effective talent spotter (probably still is), but in the other aspects of a GM's job, he was a massive disappointment for fans hoping for rebuilding. Gainey, by contrast has tried a few methods and failed, but he has also had his successes.
This season Gainey must take the slings and arrows as they come, because this new team was all his idea. But let's not mistake decisiveness and committing to a course for panic. I see more panic in resigning 3 underachieving hometown defencemen than I do in the Gomez trade. I'm glad Gainey didn't panic and trade Streit for nothing (aka Berezin) when his contract was coming up. And, quite the opposite of panic, I think Gainey finally does have a plan and is in the midst of putting his pieces together on the stage. Though, a losing streak offers a carrion-picking headline writer more reads, I still much prefer it to be bcked by some substance. Maybe in the future it will be. After all, we have Monday morning's column offering the possibility of a withdrawal with the proviso of 12 more impossible OT comeback wins.
Oh, and as a final note on lazy journalism. Though I'm sure we're all thrilled Glen Metropolit had a good game the day before Jack wrote his piece, the guy doesn't hold a candle to Steve Begin as a steal on the waiver wire (another Gainey era move, btw)...
I think it's probably time to admit that I must have been wrong and that perhaps it's not Jack Todd that has changed. Perhaps he's always done sensationalism with a hacksaw; perhaps he's always chased the headline while going short on the substance.
I hope not. I hope that my one time favourite Expos-booster was full of sharp and accurate observation. Clearly now he's running low on that.
The reason I bring this up today is because Jack is pulling an easy one – criticising Bob Gainey. Not only that he's criticising Bob while grandstanding Andre Savard, the Canadiens saviour we must have overlooked; the last GM to work here with a plan.
Jack suggests that Gainey's time, despite outward appearances, has been ruled by panic throughout. He suggests that trades, free agent wooing and contract renegotiations were all part of this frantic attempt to keep head above water. In contrast, he puts forward Andre Savard who (in retrospect) did everything with cold and accurate calculation.
But is this really the case? Or is Jack merely playing to an audience he knows will have forgotten the Czerkawski debacle and the Traverse trade as they fret about Game 8 of the season?
When I see wild claims with such questionable basis, it always prompts me to do a bit of investigating. So investigate I did. I thought you might all like to share in the investigation.
Drafting
At one point, Jack takes quite a liberty in exalting M. Savard as he credits him not only with his draft picks from 2000-2003 when he was GM of the team, but then also with the picks he made after he was shown his graceful redundancy package and lingered on in the organization from 2004-2006. Now, I don't want to belittle Savard's drafting in his own time, because it was a massive improvement on the previous regime, but I think we have to settle on whether it is the GM or the assistant GM who should get credit here.
Perhaps it would be different if Todd gave Gainey any due for the picks from 2003-2006 in his piece, but he doesn't:
"When you review Gainey's own draft choices after six years, you can find only one who is anywhere near star status in the NHL"
That's why I'll re-appropriate Gainey's fair dues from 2004 draft to present and credit him with the Mark Streit pick (NHL star), and for restocking the farm.
I think the alternative would be something like crediting Martin Madden with all those picks from 2001-2003, because, after all, he was assistant GM at the time. In building his somewhat shaky case for Savard better than Gainey, it seems Jack Todd employed the favourite technique of all spin-doctors in shifting the black and the white through the gray. I'll try to be fairer.
| Rank | Andre Savard pick | Year drafted | Level attained | Bob Gainey pick | Year drafted | Level attained |
| 1 | Tomas Plekanec | 2001 | Offensive centre | Mark Streit | 2004 | All-star PP QB |
| 2 | Jaroslav Halak | 2003 | NHL goalie | Carey Price | 2005 | NHL goalie |
| 3 | Andrei Kostitsyn | 2003 | Offensive winger | Guillaume Latendresse | 2005 | Offensive winger |
| 4 | Mike Komisarek | 2001 | Average defender, worst NHL team | Mikhail Grabovski | 2004 | First line centre, worst NHL team |
| 5 | Chris Higgins | 2002 | NHL winger, can he score? | Max Pacioretty | 2006 | NHL winger, can he score? |
| 6 | Maxim Lapierre | 2003 | Some time 3rd line centre | Kyle Chipchura | 2004 | Some time 3rd line centre |
| 7 | Alex Perezhogin | 2001 | Disgruntled winger, in Russia | Sergei Kostitsyn | 2005 | Disgruntled winger, may go to Russia |
| 8 | Ryan O'Byrne | 2003 | Borderline NHLer | Matt D'Agostini | 2005 | Borderline NHLer |
| 9 | Konstantin Korneev | 2002 | Defensive prospect (Russia) | PK Subban | 2007 | Defensive prospect (Hamilton) |
| 10 | Corey Locke | 2003 | Minor leaguer | Yannick Weber | 2007 | Defensive prospect (Hamilton) |
For me that's a push. Though Savard's picks only come from 3 drafts (2 really, if you account for his dismal 2002), he did well to select just about 10 NHLish players. Gainey has had more drafts, but really only 3 drafts (2004-2006) have produced any NHLers so far – simply because those younger than that are still in college or Hamilton.
Trades
I'm not going to reinvent the wheel here. If you want a look at the complete list of trades, you'll get a start at GoHabs.com. If you want to fill in any omissions, there's more info at NHL Trade History for you.
Looking down the complete list of trades certainly puts an end to any illusion that Andre Savard might have been the GM this team needed to reconstruct it in the early years of the millennium. Apart from trading for just about every player that Michel Therrien had coached in junior, the only moves he made of any consequence were sideways or backwards. if I was to stretch for a big win, I'd have to hide a smirk and say Future considerations for Joe Juneau or even 4th round pick for Quintal, for such was his record.
Gainey on the other hand, seems to know that to deliver a winning trade one has to take a chance. And in taking chances, at least he has delivered some winners. There was the Alex Kovalev triumph of a trade (unmentioned by Mr. Todd since it didn't fit his argument?), and wins like Garon for Huet and Bonk, 2nd rounder for Lang and the Rivet deal which is a Habs winner (unless you happen to be developing a case against Gainey, in which case it's a push).
Unlike Savard, whose biggest moves involved sideways swaps of Linden and Zubrus for Zednik and Bulis, or Rucinsky and Brunet for Audette and Van Allen; Gainey has dealt in stars. He's brought in players like Kovalev, Tanguay, Gomez and Schneider and at times he's traded stars of his own like Theodore and Ribeiro. While Savard's trades might never look as bad because he was playing around the edges, he certainly never took a good swipe for the fences, and hence never came close to hitting one out of the park. And while he may never have really gone for, Savard did still strike out hard a few times, such as Weinrich for Traverse, Hackett for Sundstrom, Savage and a 3rd for berezin and Asham and a pick for Czerkawski.
Gainey may be the Henry Rodriguez of trading averages, but at least he's shown pop. Andre Savard is the 0.189 hitting Peter Bergeron who's hits meet applause if they clear the second base coach.
Free agent signings
This shouldn't take long.
When Savard was here, bless him, he did once pursue Brett Hull. And maybe he pursued others that we may never know about. But what did he deliver in free agent signings to the might Montreal Canadiens? Why, Yanic Perrault, Doug Gilmour and Randy McKay. Not great, considering the adulation for the draft wizard. You'd almost think he'd set himself a fifteen year plan with that glacial rate of signing and upgrade to the horrible 200o team.
Gainey, as Todd eagerly points out, does have some marks on his record in the free agent arena. However, just as in the realm of trades, the fact that Gainey has taken chances in order to rebuild is a good leg up on Andre Savard. Add to that the fact we now boast Roman Hamrlik and Jaroslav Spacek in lieu of the old guard and that Gainey just this summer won the lured the prized scorer Cammalleri to Montreal, the Brett Hul debacle gone right.
Contracts
Usually I wouldn't have touched on contracts in this rebuilding piece, because it seems the very minimum requirement of the GM job (i.e., if you can't do this, then what can you do). But since, Jack Todd slings mud at Gainey for some albatrosses he created, I have decided to remind everyone of Andre's own gaffes:
"From the panicky signing of José Theodore to a lucrative three-year deal to the decision to send everyone from Koivu to Komisarek to Kostopoulos and Alex Kova-lev packing, panic has been the rule of the day since Gainey took over.
Where to start? Well how about signing Patrice Brisebois to a 3-year contract extension with a no-trade clause for the highest salary ever paid to a Canadiens player in season?
Not enough?
Andre replicated that stellar form with a lovely 3-year extension to Dykhuis too and an extension to Traverse. Spotting the amateur talent might have been a strength but locking up these three while Francois Beauchemin slips through the cracks wasn't something to brag about. Maybe he's forgiven because there's no limit to the amount of money you could hand out back then. Might be more convincing if he'd made a free agent signing...
The verdict
If you've followed me this far in the piece, I trust I won't find you re-penning Jack Todd's opening words anytime soon:
"When a tall, dignified chap in a well-tailored suit came strolling into the press dining room at the Bell Centre before the Canadiens home opener, it struck me.
There was the best general manager the Canadiens have had since the early years of Serge Savard's reign, before Savard got too caught up in business activities to give the GM job his full attention.
No, I'm not talking about Bob Gainey. I'm referring to André Savard..."
I think if anything is clear after this little examination it is that no matter our current GM's faults and mis-steps, Gainey still trumps Savard. To be fair to Andre, he was a very effective talent spotter (probably still is), but in the other aspects of a GM's job, he was a massive disappointment for fans hoping for rebuilding. Gainey, by contrast has tried a few methods and failed, but he has also had his successes.
This season Gainey must take the slings and arrows as they come, because this new team was all his idea. But let's not mistake decisiveness and committing to a course for panic. I see more panic in resigning 3 underachieving hometown defencemen than I do in the Gomez trade. I'm glad Gainey didn't panic and trade Streit for nothing (aka Berezin) when his contract was coming up. And, quite the opposite of panic, I think Gainey finally does have a plan and is in the midst of putting his pieces together on the stage. Though, a losing streak offers a carrion-picking headline writer more reads, I still much prefer it to be bcked by some substance. Maybe in the future it will be. After all, we have Monday morning's column offering the possibility of a withdrawal with the proviso of 12 more impossible OT comeback wins.
Oh, and as a final note on lazy journalism. Though I'm sure we're all thrilled Glen Metropolit had a good game the day before Jack wrote his piece, the guy doesn't hold a candle to Steve Begin as a steal on the waiver wire (another Gainey era move, btw)...
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Stanley Cup Heroes:
Gary Leeman – Critical Piece?
Of all the stories passed down over the years about the 1993 Stanley Cup win, very few cast Gary Leeman as a central character. This is right. Gary was not a central character – he was benched in many playoff games and relegated to fourth line on many others. But at the time, Gary Leeman was a very important and significant player to me.
My first acquaintance with Gary Leeman was made in 1989-90. I had recently begun taking hockey very seriously and Stephane Richer was my favourite player. Back then, it was customary to think that the Canadiens would be in the running for awards and league leads in various categories. 1989 was laden in trophies for the Canadiens and Patrick Roy was setting standards.
For me the race to watch was the goalscoring lead. Gretzky could shut down the Art Ross competition in December, but since he wasn't a goal man, that race seemed open to me. What's more we had a horse, and his name was Stephane Richer. He'd done 50 goals before, so he was legit. Anyway, as the season went on and I watched for Richer goals and Habs wins on HNIC, it became clear that Stephane was going to have a little rivalry going with Gary Leeman.
Though I certainly kept tabs on Gary from that point (thinking back, I was probably unlucky enough to have picked him in the pool the next year), his career didn't really make that big an impression on me. The Leafs back then were in the West and I wasn't even aware that I was supposed to dislike them. They were sufficiently bad anyway, so there seemed little point. Any hockey fan would certainly cite the 10 player holiday season swap announced during HNIC as a big moment, but again it was Campbell conference fodder (Leafs:Flames), I was immersed in Habs:Bruins.
The next big Leeman moment in my life came on January 28, 1993. That was the day Serge Savard traded Brian Skrudland to the Calgary Flames for the now severely fading star.
Brian Skrudland, you see was a special player in my household. For one thing, he was my younger brother's favourite player. But for another, he happened to be the only NHL player I knew personally, as he was the only one on my paper route. I wouldn't say that Brian and I were friends or anything, but he was my best tipper and probably the best house to go collecting money from on a cold January afternoon. He'd always invite me in to warm up and talk about hockey, his car, or the very cold weather of course. He was a nice guy.
By 1993 I was no longer a paper boy, but the Leeman trade was a full dose of reality for a young impressionable fan. I knew that players were traded – I'd seen my favourite Richer traded and a few more. But I thought that certain players were Canadiens for life, players like Brian. Now I knew the truth.
Leeman as a Hab
My memory of Leeman as a Canadiens player is patchy at best. I'd be lying if I told you I remembered his storming 0.9 point-per-game introduction to the Canadiens faithful. And he doesn't figure greatly in my memories of the Stanley Cup run. Certainly not in the way that Lecalir, DiPietro, Dionne, Lebeau, and the star players did.
My lasting memory of him, if I'm honest, came during the Stanley Cup parade. When I got the chance to touch the Stanley Cup that day and get every Canadiens hockey card I owned signed by the corresponding new champion, it is Leeman I remember best. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that as the mob moved towards Roy and Damphousse that Gary was one of the less popular Canadiens autographs that day. When it came time for him to sign the card I gave him (a Leafs card as it was), he seemed to relish the occasion. With my permission, he took the card and promptly showed the back of it to everyone on his float that day. There was real glee on his face when combined with the Stanley Cup winner's aura he could now verify his 51-goal season to his teammates. Signed and handed back to me, Gary Leeman thanked me for the chance to show off a bit. It was a cool moment for me – even more so looking back.
As quickly as Gary came, he seemed to be gone. Obviously not a Demers player, Leeman was marginalised and then allowed to leave after the original lockout of 1994.
The 1993 Cup: the Leeman effect
Now, I wouldn't normally have been writing a section about the Leeman effect regarding a Stanley Cup run; but in my summer rambles I came across a very interesting piece that was lost in time about the Gary Leeman award (no, not the award for the least deserving 50-goal man).
The award (a bit of fun proposed by Chris Fell and his friends at the Meaford Express) is given to:
Every year since 1993, the reporter and his friends have been picking a player who emulates Leeman's run of luck and every year, sure enough they find one.
It got me thinking that there may be something to it. Perhaps a requirement of winning the Stanley Cup is to bring along a player who might not otherwise have had the chance. Perhaps it's the hockey gods' way of doling out some good will here and there.
It certainly can't just be coincidence, can it, that every Stanley Cup winner back to 1987 has had their very own version of Gary Leeman on the squad. A player from a team with no shot who suddenly lands on his feet to get his name engraved. It would be hard to prove the opposite, with so many trades in the league, but there are examples of good teams falling to lesser ones, perhaps all because of their flaunting of the charity Cup winner tradition. The 1994 New Jersey Devils come to mind, as do the 2007-08 Montreal Canadiens.
My Gary Leeman award winners
Unfortunately, Chris Fell and his friends don't publish their rulings anywhere I can find them, so we don't know who has won the award officially each season. Instead, I have gone through all the seasons back to 1986 (the last one without a trade-in winner) to pick out a winner:
1987 Edmonton Oilers: Moe Lemay (from Vancouver)
1988 Edmonton Oilers: Dave Hannan (from Pittsburgh)
1989 Calgary Flames: Brian MacLellan (from Minnesota)
1990 Edmonton Oilers: Petr Klima (from Detroit)
1991 Pittsburgh Penguins: Peter Taglianetti (from Minnesota)
1992 Pittsburgh Penguins: Ken Wregget (from Philadelphia)
1993 Montreal Canadiens: Gary Leeman (from Calgary)
1994 New York Rangers: Nick Kypreos (from Hartford)
1995 New Jersey Devils: Danton Cole (from Tampa Bay)
1996 Colorado Avalanche: Dave Hannan (from Buffalo)
1997 Detroit Red Wings: Tomas Sandstrom (from Pittsburgh)
1998 Detroit Red Wings: Dimitri Mironov (from Anaheim)
1999 Dallas Stars: Derek Plante (from Buffalo)
2000 New Jersey Devils: Vladimir Malakhov (from Montreal)
2001 Colrado Avalanche: Steven Reinprecht (from LA)
2002 Detroit Red Wings: Jiri Slegr (from Atlanta)
2003 New Jersey Devils: Richard Smehlik (from Atlanta)
2004 Tampa Bay Lightning: Stanislav Neckar (from Nashville)
2006 Carolina Hurricanes: Doug Weight (from St Louis)
2007 Anaheim Ducks: Richard Jackman (from Florida)
2008 Detroit Red Wings: Brad Stuart (from LA)
2009 Pittsburgh Penguins: Mathieu Garon (from Edmonton)
To Gary Leeman.
My first acquaintance with Gary Leeman was made in 1989-90. I had recently begun taking hockey very seriously and Stephane Richer was my favourite player. Back then, it was customary to think that the Canadiens would be in the running for awards and league leads in various categories. 1989 was laden in trophies for the Canadiens and Patrick Roy was setting standards.
For me the race to watch was the goalscoring lead. Gretzky could shut down the Art Ross competition in December, but since he wasn't a goal man, that race seemed open to me. What's more we had a horse, and his name was Stephane Richer. He'd done 50 goals before, so he was legit. Anyway, as the season went on and I watched for Richer goals and Habs wins on HNIC, it became clear that Stephane was going to have a little rivalry going with Gary Leeman.
Though I certainly kept tabs on Gary from that point (thinking back, I was probably unlucky enough to have picked him in the pool the next year), his career didn't really make that big an impression on me. The Leafs back then were in the West and I wasn't even aware that I was supposed to dislike them. They were sufficiently bad anyway, so there seemed little point. Any hockey fan would certainly cite the 10 player holiday season swap announced during HNIC as a big moment, but again it was Campbell conference fodder (Leafs:Flames), I was immersed in Habs:Bruins.
The next big Leeman moment in my life came on January 28, 1993. That was the day Serge Savard traded Brian Skrudland to the Calgary Flames for the now severely fading star.
Brian Skrudland, you see was a special player in my household. For one thing, he was my younger brother's favourite player. But for another, he happened to be the only NHL player I knew personally, as he was the only one on my paper route. I wouldn't say that Brian and I were friends or anything, but he was my best tipper and probably the best house to go collecting money from on a cold January afternoon. He'd always invite me in to warm up and talk about hockey, his car, or the very cold weather of course. He was a nice guy.
By 1993 I was no longer a paper boy, but the Leeman trade was a full dose of reality for a young impressionable fan. I knew that players were traded – I'd seen my favourite Richer traded and a few more. But I thought that certain players were Canadiens for life, players like Brian. Now I knew the truth.
Leeman as a Hab
My memory of Leeman as a Canadiens player is patchy at best. I'd be lying if I told you I remembered his storming 0.9 point-per-game introduction to the Canadiens faithful. And he doesn't figure greatly in my memories of the Stanley Cup run. Certainly not in the way that Lecalir, DiPietro, Dionne, Lebeau, and the star players did.
My lasting memory of him, if I'm honest, came during the Stanley Cup parade. When I got the chance to touch the Stanley Cup that day and get every Canadiens hockey card I owned signed by the corresponding new champion, it is Leeman I remember best. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that as the mob moved towards Roy and Damphousse that Gary was one of the less popular Canadiens autographs that day. When it came time for him to sign the card I gave him (a Leafs card as it was), he seemed to relish the occasion. With my permission, he took the card and promptly showed the back of it to everyone on his float that day. There was real glee on his face when combined with the Stanley Cup winner's aura he could now verify his 51-goal season to his teammates. Signed and handed back to me, Gary Leeman thanked me for the chance to show off a bit. It was a cool moment for me – even more so looking back.
As quickly as Gary came, he seemed to be gone. Obviously not a Demers player, Leeman was marginalised and then allowed to leave after the original lockout of 1994.
The 1993 Cup: the Leeman effect
Now, I wouldn't normally have been writing a section about the Leeman effect regarding a Stanley Cup run; but in my summer rambles I came across a very interesting piece that was lost in time about the Gary Leeman award (no, not the award for the least deserving 50-goal man).
The award (a bit of fun proposed by Chris Fell and his friends at the Meaford Express) is given to:
"recognize the season’s luckiest player, most fortunate player, or player that was in the right place at the right time."
Every year since 1993, the reporter and his friends have been picking a player who emulates Leeman's run of luck and every year, sure enough they find one.
It got me thinking that there may be something to it. Perhaps a requirement of winning the Stanley Cup is to bring along a player who might not otherwise have had the chance. Perhaps it's the hockey gods' way of doling out some good will here and there.
It certainly can't just be coincidence, can it, that every Stanley Cup winner back to 1987 has had their very own version of Gary Leeman on the squad. A player from a team with no shot who suddenly lands on his feet to get his name engraved. It would be hard to prove the opposite, with so many trades in the league, but there are examples of good teams falling to lesser ones, perhaps all because of their flaunting of the charity Cup winner tradition. The 1994 New Jersey Devils come to mind, as do the 2007-08 Montreal Canadiens.
My Gary Leeman award winners
Unfortunately, Chris Fell and his friends don't publish their rulings anywhere I can find them, so we don't know who has won the award officially each season. Instead, I have gone through all the seasons back to 1986 (the last one without a trade-in winner) to pick out a winner:
1987 Edmonton Oilers: Moe Lemay (from Vancouver)
1988 Edmonton Oilers: Dave Hannan (from Pittsburgh)
1989 Calgary Flames: Brian MacLellan (from Minnesota)
1990 Edmonton Oilers: Petr Klima (from Detroit)
1991 Pittsburgh Penguins: Peter Taglianetti (from Minnesota)
1992 Pittsburgh Penguins: Ken Wregget (from Philadelphia)
1993 Montreal Canadiens: Gary Leeman (from Calgary)
1994 New York Rangers: Nick Kypreos (from Hartford)
1995 New Jersey Devils: Danton Cole (from Tampa Bay)
1996 Colorado Avalanche: Dave Hannan (from Buffalo)
1997 Detroit Red Wings: Tomas Sandstrom (from Pittsburgh)
1998 Detroit Red Wings: Dimitri Mironov (from Anaheim)
1999 Dallas Stars: Derek Plante (from Buffalo)
2000 New Jersey Devils: Vladimir Malakhov (from Montreal)
2001 Colrado Avalanche: Steven Reinprecht (from LA)
2002 Detroit Red Wings: Jiri Slegr (from Atlanta)
2003 New Jersey Devils: Richard Smehlik (from Atlanta)
2004 Tampa Bay Lightning: Stanislav Neckar (from Nashville)
2006 Carolina Hurricanes: Doug Weight (from St Louis)
2007 Anaheim Ducks: Richard Jackman (from Florida)
2008 Detroit Red Wings: Brad Stuart (from LA)
2009 Pittsburgh Penguins: Mathieu Garon (from Edmonton)
To Gary Leeman.
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