Canadiens Wrap Up Their "100th Season" Celebrations

Last night, while the Canadiens players put on a show against a team of NHL novices to a subdued crowd of what might as well have been a few hundred given the excitement; the Canadiens organisation and extended family were busy filling the Bell Centre with the customary roar of applause.



By all accounts, the celebration was great and on a great scale. This blogger expresses his amazement at the sight of so many Habs greats, the thrill of mingling with politicians and mentions how the orchestra played hockey music where they could (such as the HNIC theme, among other tunes).


The Gazette covered the story in its entertainment section, but all proof of its existence on the sports pages or their satellites seems to be missing. It nevertheless gave the impression that this was the show to watch if you wanted to be entertained from 7:30 pm last night:

But again the proof was in the performance, galloping and remarkably clear. Nagano, looking animated, got much more than sheer sound out of the 1,500 singers. As for the solo quartet: two minutes for sounding so good.

The night sounded like an out-and-out success. Certainly from an entertainment and musical standpoint. The night also served as the launch for the MSO foundation, which it self was a smashing success to rival a 5-1 playoff-solidifying romp, as a whopping $2 million was raised!

At the beginning of the year, I remember writing that this would be one of the absolute highlights of the Canadiens celebratory calendar. I remember others saying as much. But I sit here feeling like the only one to remember the big party even happened.

April 2009
2. Montreal Symphony Orchestra Concert at the Bell Centre
Opening of the Montreal Canadiens Hall of Fame

Never mind that "Canadiens Hall of Fame" comes up with virtually no relevant results despite the fact it was meant to open this week. I did manage to find (with some trouble) that it does exist.

Considering all the fanfare that surrounded the initial announcements and the early events like the Builders' night, this decline is surprising. It's clear the ADD media gang moved on long, long ago on this one; but have the Canadiens moved on too? If so, does anyone think they're regretting starting their 100th season celebrations in their 99th season of play? Will anyone be able to muster any excitement by the time the 100th anniversary rolls around 4 years after that first press release?


Have the Canadiens soured on the whole thing at this point?

As I was saying, it seems to me that we are hearing less and less about 100 seasons these past few weeks than we had been for the preceding few hundred weeks (the first press release was 3 1/2 years ago). The players have other things on their minds, as do the coaches and GM (/coach). One has to think the fact the owner and his administrative support also have other things on their minds just now as well.

If the MSO concert had taken place in October with the parade of Cup winners who turned up, this event would surely have made the front page of the Gazette. Probably even the sports pages, and Habs Inside/Out would not have overlooked it altogether.

Even the whole shirt thing has been played down more recently than say in December. Tobalev was right to point out that the Canadiens wore a different shirt than the one they were slated to wear.


According to RDS:
"Le Canadien devait porter son uniforme dit de "barbier" de la saison 1912-1913. Bob Gainey a estimé que ce costume n'était pas approprié pour un match aussi important. Il s'est tourné vers l'uniforme plus sobre de la saison 1915-1916."


Don't blame the barber shirt

While we're all a bit fatigued by the centennial celebrations, I imagine. One can't really take it all out on the barber shirt can they? I mean, we saw it for all of 3 hours (except for that guy in the low bowl of the Bell Centre every game...). Even it's record isn't dismal enough to be blamed for the slide:

1970-71: 2-0-0, 8 GF, 4 GA
1945-46: 0-2-0, 2 GF, 5 GA
1915-16: 2-1-0, 12 GF, 8 GA
1912-13: 0-1-0, 1 GF, 3 GA

If you remember, that game was a tight 3-1 affair against the Bruins. We lost, but it also happened to be our best game over the span of a month. You could be forgiven for blaming the 45-46 vintage, which certainly didn't help anyone emulate the Punch line.

If you want something to blame, blame the whites that seem to bring the road play home:

White sweaters (Present day, 1970-71, 1945-46): 18-21-3
Red sweaters (Present day, 1915-16): 22-5-7



Alas, I'm sure Bob Gainey would put an end to the white sweaters and, more importantly, the road games if he could. Instead, he seems to have taken a look and don't what he could by putting a lid on the celebrations for the rest of the season, not just the fancy dress show. He seems to have realised that this team exists for the fans that watched a certain game in Long Island and not really those who went to meet Damphousse and Quintal after they trotted out to the strings of Beethoven.



Perhaps he was tired of giving the visitors one more reason to want to spoil the party. Or, maybe he realised that like the team did over this hockey season, this 100th season needs a rest, a talking too and a reboot before the big push:

2009-2010 SEASON

October, November, December 2009
Centennial Jersey Nights (1910 – 1911, 1909 – 1910)

December 2009
Public launch of the Canadiens motion picture « Pour toujours, les Canadiens ! »

4. Centennial game at the Bell Centre
5. Centennial Gala

I appreciate the pageantry when I see it, but I certainly don't mind waiting if Gainey thinks that might mean some more games against Boston or Washington...

Ceremonies On The Rise

I think other teams will dread playing in Montreal even a little bit more this season. From the looks of things, most games will be preceded by a ceremony of some kind.

Yesterday, the Canadiens revealed their plans for the next 15 months leading up to their 100th birthday. By and large, there was nothing unexpected – no outdoor games, no fan participatory events. 90% of goings on will be pre-game material.

Looking at the list of events, the highlights have to be:

1. The MSO concert and opening of the Canadiens Hall of Fame
2. Patrick Roy's sweater retirement
3. The inauguration of the community outdoor rink programme

Beyond those events, I think it will certainly be very special to watch the Canadiens to play in different sweaters here and there and to learn more about the teams that wore those now-defunct editions of the Sainte-Flanelle.

But, in the same vein as my opinion piece on the Victoria Cup participation, I think the Habs have stopped a bit short on their list here. I'll tell you why.

First of all, over the past years, the Canadiens have made ceremony and presentations for just about everything imaginable. Olympians get honoured, I've been at games honouring Jacques Villneuve, Andre Dawson, and even the vilified GM Rejean Houle (after the GM bit, if you can imagine). Even last year, they honoured rivalries like that with the Red Wings. as a result of all this, it is my belief that others (based on my own example) may be desensitized to the merits of the ceremony. Just a thought.

Secondly, fans on TV (where you would find the vast majority) are most often deprived of the chance to see any of the ceremony as it happens and have to catch it in clips on TSN or RDS later. RDS in particular generally seem to prefer the chance to speak for the 80th hour of that week about line combinations, breakfast choices or contrived goalie controversies. So, most fans will not be privy to any of these ceremonies anyway (barring a dramatic change of heart from RDS, that is). Also, take into account that some people must be rushing to eat or clear up dinner (as I do) and will miss it even if it is shown.

Basically, my opinion is that the team should unveil another series of events that foster public (or at least fans at large) involvement, even participation. The Victoria Cup may not be participatory, but it would give the fans a thrill (at least one of us, anyway) to have another meaningful prize to shoot for. Other possibilities off the top of my head could be things like:

• A testimonial game (former and Canadiens) but at a large outdoor venue – a bit like the Heritage Classic
• A tour of small towns for next exhibition schedule – maybe the prominent hometowns of former greats (Thurso, anyone?)
• Something special against the Ottawa Senators, who it could be argued have the oldest name in the history of the NHA/NHL
  
• Games against thee top teams from the original opponents from 1909 (Montreal B and C teams?, Ottawa, Renfrew, Cobalt, Halleybury)
• Dedicate a new trophy for something like the best amateur team in Montreal or Quebec – it could be a tournament or a challenge Cup
• Plaques for important sites (Provigo on Mont-Royal?)

I could go on. Basically, my reaction here should not be construed as negative. I merely expected to be surprised by some of the events being announced. Quite simply, I wasn't.

I think particularly that the Habs should be honouring the earliest seasons of their history, which many fans (including myself up until I started writing more seriously) know nothing about. Honouring the original six is interesting and fine. But let's be honest, it has been done. What's more, though we know why the Canadiens loved the Original 6 era (Cups galore), it's strange to keep focusing again and again on an era that constitutes less than a third of a team's total history – I mean the Penguins have been in the league more than 40 years now guys...

Not to fret though, there's still plenty of time to surprise us all – I expect they will somehow. And if there's one thing the Canadiens have shown a penchant for, it is creating the most meaningful moments and ceremonies with no lead time – I'm thinking particularly of the reception they afforded Saku Koivu upon his return.

Halak shoulld start; Lemieux should sit

Tomorrow's game is against the (once and still) Mighty Red Wings.

Want a change to the way things have been going? How about starting a goalie that has never lost at the Bell Centre...

No not Brodeur, Jaroslav Halak.


In 7 starts at the Bell Centre (or Molson Centre if you're the editor of Yahoo), Halak has won every time out. He also has 2 shutouts on top of everything else. His stats in Montreal are sensational in fact (see here).

In other news, the Canadiens feel they need to prolong a Tuesday game by honouring the rivalry with the 81-year Red Wings. Apart from the timing being completely strange (will we do this every time a square number comes around?), the ceremony stands to be very strange. According to Habs Inside/Out:

The Red Wings are expected to be represented by legends Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, Alex Delvecchio, Marcel Pronovost and Marcel Dionne. The Canadiens are expected to have icons Jean Béliveau and Dickie Moore taking part, with Jean-Guy Talbot, Stéphane Richer and Claude Lemieux.

Now, I may not remember the rivalries of Gordie Howe, Pronovost, Beliveau and Moore, but I'm pretty sure the Habs are stretching when they ask Richer and Claude Lemieux to come along. In Richer's heyday (that would have been his first time here), the Red Wings were an awful outfit, only making the playoffs because Yzerman was putting up 120+ seasons and the North Stars and Maple Leafs couldn't get their acts together either. Lemieux was here during that time too, and left Montreal well before Sergei Fedorov and Niklas Lidstrom arrived to turn the RWs around.

Ironically though, of the post-expansion players. Claude Lemieux would probably be classified as Red Wing rival (maybe even enemy) #1. His hit on Kris Draper at the Avalanche-Red Wings back-and-forth was the powderkeg that set that (probably more tangible) on fire.

Besides the fact his hit was dirty. And that Draper will be on the ice. I don't see many good reasons for Lemieux to be at a ceremony with guys like Howe, Beliveau, Dionne and Delvecchio. I think Lemieux should call up tomorrow morning and excuse himself from this one.



His ceremony will come the day they reinstate the Hartford Whalers.