What happened?

Well it looks like we might have a deal in the hockey lock-out. It better happen for the sake of hockey not for the sake of the NHL or Gary Bettman. Even die-hard fans are beginning to be repulsed by this dreary capitalistic soap opera that no one cares about. I have observed the tweets and PR wars going on by both sides. It's easy to blame both sides when both sides earn seven figures. However, there are some economic principles involved that we cannot ignore. One thing should be obvious this is not a case of a failed league trying to salvage its existence. Gary Bettman does not earn 7.5 million a year because he is trying to rescue a sinking ship. The league's revenues have quadrupled in a decade and are now in the 3 billion range. Have the player's salaries quadrupled? Jaromir Jagr made more money fifteen years ago than Sidney Crosby makes now. The owners are paying Gary Bettman in part for destroying the backbone of the player's union in 2004 and in part for the

Ahh it was forty years ago...In September 1972, Jean Beliveau one of the classiest hockey players of all time had been retired for over a year. I mention Jean Beliveau because in September 1972 Canada won the historic series against the Soviet Union but class should not be used to describe the victory. This series was incendiary, traumatic, and barbaric. It pitted Soviet athletes who were well-disciplined educated soldiers trained in a totalitarian regime versus barely educated junior-trained professional athletes raised in a capitalist regime. For Canada the series was a revelation in that we saw Canadian players we had grown up with and who we believed to be vastly superior demi-hockey gods turn into mere mortals. The once demi-gods also wilted to extreme and bizarre behaviour patterns. The first four games in Canada created severe stress for the rabid hockey fan and some went into shock. It wasn't that the Soviets won but my god how they won. They toyed with our greats, Khar

I will miss  TSN990 if  it's actually going to be closing its station in the future. I was listening that first day with Ted Blackman and I think Mitch Melnyk who were on that morning. I also remember winning free hockey tickets the first week and I think the question was about the rover in the 20's. There have been some entertaining personalities on the radio station including Melnyk, Marinaro, Stock and even Joey Elias. What do we have to look forward to?  Well I was listening to the French sports talk on 98.5 tonight and the main topic of conversation was Mathieu (AHL) Darche . Somebody actually called in and said that the fact Darche was not offered a contract was the first major blunder by Bergevin. He also went on to say that the Robinson non-hiring was ok since they hired a francophone instead in J J Daigneault. The host of the show agreed with both points. This folks is what we have to look forward to when we listen to French sports talk. Larry Robinson was cast

Okay I remember the time Ron Wilson mocked opposing coach Michel Therrien when he saw Therrien using  a sketch board to outline strategy. Wilson made everyone aware he didn't think Therrien had any idea about hockey strategy. Well maybe he didn't and still doesn't. Jacques Martin could not be accused of lacking strategic comprehension, but the habs started going downhill with that so-called know-how. Ron Wilson and all his supposed hockey savvy couldn't lift the Leafs out of their slumber and is now out of a job. So what does Michel Therrien bring to the job and why was he so highly thought of by Marc Bergevin. Outward appearances show a thuglike demeanor.  Ex players like Terry Ryan call him an ignoramus. However, there seems to be a split opinion as others like Sydney Crosby and Maxime Talbot seem to give Therrien credit for turning the Penguins around. Therrien's background was initially as a junior coach and then four years as an AHL coach in the Habs organi

I don't know about you but I'm really befuddled as to who should be GM and  Head Coach of the once mighty habs. The other big bewildering issue is who will be the third pick overall? The GM conundrum seems to have divided us along linguistic lines again as the Anglophones and the Anglophone media seem to support Pierre McGuire, while the Francophone media and Francophones seem to support Patrick Roy. The Francophone media is slightly divided between having Patrick as the habs GM or as their coach. I guess if Geoff Molson wanted to appease both sides he would  find the middle ground and hire Pierre as the GM and Patrick as the coach. However both sides concede that Patrick would not be able to work for any GM other than himself. I  believe that the future habs GM should be someone with great powers of persuasion and a keen awareness of hockey talent. The powers of persuasion will come in handy when he has to discuss trades with other GMs and persuade them that the habs have ta

Well I actually thought Gauthier had begun to do well with his trades. Here we were giving up on old long in the tooth Hal Gill for a second round pick and someone with a decent pedigree like Blake Geoffrion. Gill had shown not much of anything this year and frankly other then finding himself on a Stanley Cup team with the Penguins had really been a big bust in the NHL his whole career. Well one out of two trades ain't bad if your a gambling man. AK46 has played most of the year in a fog. He has shown only glimpses of his innate hockey skills and offensive capablilities. He has averaged over 20 goals a year in his career. He uses the body more frequently then most Hab forwards. He seemed to show some pride as well when he demanded more ice time to show what he can do. He still has a poor command of english and this may create some communication problems with teammates and coaches  However, with his impending UFA status it was clear that unless he signed soon, the Habs should put

Thank God the habs traded Gill. I don't understand this whining about giving up on the season. We can still give it the 100% try without Gill, and for that matter Ak46 and Moen and Weber and Campoli and even others if we get the right offer. Has anyone actually seen Gill play this year. He has slowed down to a snail's pace. Added to his lack of pace is the fact he is the softest 6'7" player in the history of the NHL. He cannot deliver a bodycheck, and he has virtually no upperbody strength to move opposing power forwards. He is a total waste in the offensive zone with his shot being as fast as his skating. Granted his one strength was his penalty killing where he could take up space in front of the net and make it hard for point shooters to zone in or forwards on the wing to get the puck across for a pass. All to say a second round pick would have been great to get for this unrestricted free agent with diminishing returns. However, we also got 2 prospects. Is this trad

Mr. Molson : I have written this blog to discuss my blueprint for the Habs future. Since this is a forward-looking statement, several hypotheses will be elaborated upon without any documentary evidence. I can unequivocally state that we have had a dismal year caused by the recessionary actions of Jacques Martin and Pierre Gauthier. Therefore, we must look to the future, and since we will be distributors of excess surplus before the trade deadline, the financial considerations of which assets we will divest and what should be the asking price is of primary importance? However,  before my exhaustive analysis of the trade possibilities let us discuss some past achievements by  the company and its cup winning managers. History The legendary Sam Pollock did not have an unblemished record as a General Manager. He traded Red Berenson for Garry Peters and Ted Taylor. What, are you kidding? He traded Danny Grant, Claude Larose, and Bob Murdoch for Dave Gardner. Grant would score 50 g

I am depressed about the habs so I wrote this blog to make me feel better. So we are headed towards another dark ages phase for the habs. The Cammalleri trade a sure sign we are going to be sellers up to the trade deadline. I think we should say our goodbyes and thanks to the likes of Hal Gill and Travis Moen. In the darkest and coldest period of the Montreal year, when hockey is the only  bright spot in the winter landscape we are doomed to watch in silence as the Leafs try to make the playoffs. Since we can't get intoxicated with the present day habs, let us commemorate the past.The case I want to make is where does Jean Beliveau stand among the elite of great hockey players. I encountered Jean Beliveau when I was a kid. He was shooting a commercial in a shopping mall. Since I was only 6 or 7, I had to look up at what seemed like a godlike tall figure. Everyone seems to admire the man, from Jean Chretien who wanted to make him the Governor General,  to his hockey peers past and