What happened?

La nouvelle décennie approche du reset ou de la reconstruction de l'Habs. Les habs n'ont pas été à une finale de stanley cup au cours de la dernière décennie, mais ont fait techniquement deux finales de conférence. Techniquement, parce qu'on était dans la 2009 - 2010. On peut dire que les gerants de habs  nous ont laissé frustrés, confus ou exaltés parfois mais il y avait très peu de moments ennuyeux. Voici donc un récapitulatif annuel de la décennie. 2009 à 2010 Je mentionne cette année parce que les habs ont fait un finale de conférence même si la saison s'est étendue à deux décennies. C'était la première saison de ce que je fais référence à l expérience Gainey. Avant la saison commencée, Bob Gainey déchargea Saku Koivu, qui il faisait référence à titre de champion en attente, et Alexei Kovalev qui avait effectivement gagné une coupe avec l'Rangers et avait des quantorms de talent. Koivu avait été le capitaine des habs pour presque aussi longtemps qu

Well the decade is closing on the resetting er rebuilding habs. The habs did not go to a Stanley cup final during the last decade, but did make it technically to two conference finals. Technically because one was in the 2009-2010 year. We can say that the Habs Gms left us frustrated, confused, or exhilarated at times but there were very few dull moments. So here is a year-by-year recap of the decade. 2009-2010 I mention this year because the habs made it to a conference final even though the season spanned two decades. This was the first season of what I refer to as the Gainey experiment. Before the season started, Bob Gainey unloaded Saku Koivu, who he once referred to as a champion in waiting, and Alexei Kovalev who had actually won a cup with the Rangers and had quantums of talent. Koivu had been the hab’s captain for almost as long as Jean Beliveau. He had a courageous bout beating cancer. However, his tenure led to no cups and no playoff success. The reality wa

Once upon a time in a hockey town named habsland there was a goalie trade. No not that one the other one. Vezina and Hart winner Jose Theodore was traded away for David Aebischer. Nobody blinked. Little reaction by the french media for one of their own being traded away. Everyone more or less let go a sigh of relief. Jose Theodore was a Memorial cup winning goalie drafted by the habs in the second round. He also married into a quebecois entertainment family and was the toast of the town for a year or two. Theodore took the long road to the NHL. He played over two seasons in the AHL where his numbers were average at best. During this same period, the habs had Tomas Vokoun in their system who would become a starting goalie for several NHL teams. Theodore was given preference in the habs organization and he slowly progressed until he became the habs starting goalie. After his Hart and Vezina winning season in 2001-2002, the accolades followed including a sizeable long term contract.

It is rare to follow a trade long-term. However, the Craig Rivet trade has been fascinating to follow and has multiplied fruitfully for the habs franchise. Craig Rivet was drafted in the third round by the Habs in 1992 by GM Serge Savard. He had been a high scoring defenceman in junior with the Kingston Frontenacs. He had an above average career with the habs becoming a 3rd or 4th defenceman on the team. He also became an alternate captain and part of the Saku Koivu clique with the habs. He had a memorable long fight with Brian Marchment of the leafs which ended in a draw. When Savard’s ex-teammate Bob Gainey became GM he decided to trade Rivet to San Jose in 2007. Rivet had had a lengthy career with the habs and the return was interesting even for a 33 year old. The habs received for Rivet an unknown defenceman at the time, Josh Gorges, and a first round pick number 22 overall in 2007. The habs chose Max Pacioretty with this pick. Josh Gorges became a steady de

The Canadian election is over. There is no clear cut winner but Canada has rejected Donald Trump. We can pretend what we want but this election was about Trump and those that support what he represents.   The influence the American media has on Canada is significant and Trump and Obama do make a difference in swaying Canadian popular opinion. Only 36% of the Canadian population voted for the right wing parties and if you include a portion of the Bloq vote then it was close to 40%.   These are the people that in the majority do not believe in climate change, LBGTQ rights, right to choose, letting in refugees or illegal immigrants etc etc. Obviously their votes were not all centered on all these issues and some voters, like those in the western provinces, were more inclined to rally around energy policy and pipelines. Also the Bloq gains was probably an outgrowth of the CAQ victory, but Trudeau still earned the most votes in Quebec. Quebecois nationalism is far from making any realis

Ok I promised no more hockey blogs since the habs are out of it. However, the Don Cherry rant on Saturday got me to thinking of the habs draft preferences during the years and what we missed out on. Cherry railed against Brian Burke on Saturday for not having one player born in Ontario on the Leafs roster. So have the Habs management done better? We got David Desharnais, Mathieu Darche, and Louis Leblanc on the team and...well Rene Bourque sounds french and Blake Geoffrion has French roots. The issue for me has always been when selecting a player or a coach or a manager, the most talented should be drafted or chosen. The issue here is not only did we not draft the most talented but the most talented in most cases was a Quebec or francophone player. Some history to make my point. As already mentioned in another blog in 1977 we drafted Mark Napier in 10th spot overall. Who was drafted 15th overall none other than Mike Bossy probably the greatest sniper of all time in the NHL. Bossy w

C'est octobre, un jour de pluie froide, et après avoir regardé la série musicale de Ken Burns, ma boule de cristal a une Foggy  Mountain Breakdown. Voici donc mes previsions inane et profondément moitie à moitié saine pour la saison 2019 - 2020: 1) Steven Stamkos ou Sidney Crosby remportera le championnat de pointeurs s'ils restent en bonne santé. Dans les dix premiers, je m'attends à voir Marner, Mackinnon, Mcdavid, Barzal, Gaudreau, Stone et Kucherov. C'est l année où quelqu'un atteint 150 points? 2) Le Norris sera une bataille de suédois en tant que Hedman et Karlsson devrait se battre pour elle. Vous pouvez aussi compter sur Brent Burns et l'émergence de Morgan Reilly. L'un d eux pourrait gagner. Rasmus Dahlin peut en faire un trio de suédois. 3) Le trophée Maurice Richard ira à Mathews ou Mackinnon. Matthews  semble toujours blessé   alors s'il ne joue pas une saison complète, il pourrait aller à Mackinnon.  Les joueurs qui ont mo