Paul, stop playing these cruel jokes on Habs fans.  Our hearts can’t take it.

Posted by Mick Kern from Toronto on 06/01/09 at 09:58 AM ET

Mick, this one has me scratching my head.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 06/01/09 at 10:00 AM ET

TSN text blast says they’ll introduce him this afternoon. Confuses me a bit too, especially if he’s going to introduce the style he used in Ottawa to Montreal. You have to speak the language, though.

Posted by SENShobo from Waterloo, ON on 06/01/09 at 10:16 AM ET

Maybe Gainey’s fourth (fifth?) coaching hire will be the charm.

Keep believing, Habs fans.

Posted by HockeyinHD on 06/01/09 at 10:41 AM ET

You have to speak the language, though.

Medicore Coach-ese?

Posted by HockeyinHD on 06/01/09 at 10:41 AM ET

With good players, he can make a successful regular season team, putting up great GF/GA spreads with the Senators, though in 9 seasons he only made it past the first round three times.

Posted by SENShobo from Waterloo, ON on 06/01/09 at 10:46 AM ET

I agree with the sentiment you guys are showing. It seems like an odd choice. Montreal looked like a team in desperate need of not just a new coach, but a true organizational leader. They need a Bowman or Arbour type of guy right now.

Honestly, with where they’re at, and I know this might make some people cringe, but hear me out… they could do damn well with a guy like Bryan Murray or Andy Murray. Both guys have shown an ability to take teams with decent talent, and make necessary progress.

For Bryan Murray, he took a mediocre Anaheim team, and from a management perspective, brought in the right players that really put that team on the track to the success they’ve had the last three seasons. Burke gets most of the credit, and he deserves some, but Murray did more of the hard work that dug up the young talent the Ducks rode to the ‘07 Cup.

For Andy Murray, he’s a guy whose style fits exactly what the players in Montreal need right now, after a bizarre season of off-ice controversy and legal troubles, and the constant rumors and rumblings about the state of Habs ownership—because he brings structure. By all accounts, Andy Murray is the most structure-oriented coach in the game, and that says a lot considering coaches are typically structured by nature of the position… methinks players like the Kostitsyns and Carey Price would fight it at first, but as camp finished up, and the season progressed, they would appreciate the structure and the consistency of their games would show it.

Now, with that said, I don’t look at either of those Murrays as guys that can seal the deal, and that’s a problem in Montreal. But after a bizarre season of disarray, the Habs might be best just building a solid foundation, solidifying themselves as what they should be—a 3, 4, 5, or 6 seed—and moving from there. Some structure for Price would probably help him develop his game because he’s got tons of talent. But admittedly, even if the Habs went that route, it would take another upgrade in a couple years to a coach that can close, like Babcock or Carlyle.

If they wanted to really try and get both the guy that could develop that team and settle the atmosphere, and have the know-how and savvy to close the deal and make his club a legit Cup threat, they’d pry Hitchcock away from the BJs.

Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 06/01/09 at 10:59 AM ET

I’m having a hard time deciding which is worse, coaching the Habs, or being the Florida Panthers GM.

Posted by Russian Rocket on 06/01/09 at 11:00 AM ET

Well as everybody knows you have to be French Canadien to begin with & that severely limits the candidates

But Martin Blows Goats DEAD ONES!!!

won’t have to worry about them, When does Gainey get kicked to the curb??

Posted by Evilpens on 06/01/09 at 11:10 AM ET

You have to speak the language, though.

Medicore Coach-ese?

Posted by HockeyinHD on 06/01/09 at 11:41 AM ET

I don’t remember that language listed on the Rosetta Stone commercials.

I do not get why they can’t just hire the best coach they can find and then pay someone to teach him French in the offseason - at least enough to get by with the appropriate cliches.  They could spin it as showing such dedication to the team that he learned a second language for the opportunity.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/01/09 at 11:13 AM ET

What sort of compensation the Canadiens would give to the Panthers isn’t clear

Surely some mistake… think the author got that phrase the wrong way round.

My Panthers-supporting mate will be utterly delighted if this goes through

Posted by fredster from manchester on 06/01/09 at 11:35 AM ET