Confirmed with Link: Jean-François Houle Parts Ways with Habs/Rocket to Coach at Clarkson University

[Adam Michaels]

Great experience. We'll see who will surround him.

And I was surprised to learn how much Scott is in charge.

I remember Anthony Marcotte saying he would see Mellanby more than anyone from management at Place Bell.

And I remember him saying about over a year ago saying that he had seen Marc-Andre Bergeron at Place Bell with Mellanby. Back when we were wondering if 3R will have an ECHL team and if they will be affiliated with Habs.

So I kept getting the sense that part of Mellanby's focuses was Laval. Same as how Timmins is an Assistant GM but is more focused on the amateur draft.

 

[cphabs]

My God! We hired a developmental coach from the “Q” that went on to “hone” his craft with the f***ing Oiler’s... lmfao!

 

[montreal]

what i like about it is he has a lot of experience in the AHL, not as a HC but still that means he knows the league well. We never played his team so I can't speak to the job he did there but at least he will know the league well. I am impressed by his playoff record in the Q as well. While I'm not a big fan at all of the ECAC I like that he knows the NCAA, Q and AHL since Laval has a lot of players from those leagues usually. Interested to see who he picks as assistants.

 

[Whitesnake]

JF Houle is NOT Nick Carrière. Yes, he,s also the son of....but it ends there and it's not a reason why he was hired. He is a good coach. That communicates well.

Also for whoever wants to use the Stefan Matteau experience....please note that the incident ALONE is not the reason why they just released the guy....Matteau was me, myself and I for the time he was there. Huge prima donna. Hey daddy was also an assistant coach so he had the right to do so. Well Bouchard and Houle said no. And they were right.

 

[Vachon23]

Honestly, Houle isn’t really know here because it’s been a longtime since he’s in the AHL elsewhere but when he was in the Q he was considered one of the best coach in the league and there is a reason why he stayed with the Oilers AHL team all this years even if there was a lot of coaching change

 

[Adam Michaels]

JF Houle is NOT Nick Carrière. Yes, he,s also the son of....but it ends there and it's not a reason why he was hired. He is a good coach. That communicates well.

Also for whoever wants to use the Stefan Matteau experience....please note that the incident ALONE is not the reason why they just released the guy....Matteau was me, myself and I for the time he was there. Huge prima donna. Hey daddy was also an assistant coach so he had the right to do so. Well Bouchard and Houle said no. And they were right.

Anyone comparing Houle to Carriere is obviously not paying attention.

All you have to do is look at Carriere's resume when he was hired as assistant coach and Houle's resume today.

This isn't to say Houle will step in and be the right candidate. But the day of their hiring, one guy barely had a resume while the other has coached in different leagues and at different levels for about 20 years.

 

[Whitesnake]

Anyone comparing Houle to Carriere is obviously not paying attention.

All you have to do is look at Carriere's resume when he was hired as assistant coach and Houle's resume today.

This isn't to say Houle will step in and be the right candidate. But the day of their hiring, one guy barely had a resume while the other has coached in different leagues and at different levels for about 20 years.

True. And I'm not saying Houle will work miracles. Actually, we can have opinions right off the bat, that's what a board is for. It's all good. But when the analysis starts and stops at his last name...it makes no sense to me. But it's okay. I've also had opinions that made no sense...lol.

The guy is experienced. Has ties in almost every league there is. Has assistant and head coaching experience. Has seen different organizations. Knows the Habs market to have been raised in it and having worked up close in Blainville. I mean...it might actually the best candidate possible. But in no way shape or from does that mean he will do the job. That remains to be seen. Every coach that was fired 3 years after they were hired were ALSO, at the time of their hiring, the best coach possible.

 

[Miller Time]

This thread is funny. But not in a good way.

Aside from @Vachon23 and @Whitesnake, nobody here knows the man. Yet, what I read here about his results at other levels of hockey, is just a reminder that a large portion of posters here are posers and trolls.

They know sweet f*** all. But just go against the grain, because, hey! That's my thang, right?

Houle has a good resume. I suspect he's also been choosen because he's not an attention whore, and he doesn't have the immediate ambition in becoming the next shiny new toy for the NHL.

And he'll tow the company line. Which, as a boss, is key.

And he knows how to deal with kids. The way he dealt with the situation with l'Armada is what I'd be looking for.

yup, just like Lefevre right

considering our franchise situation and the state of our development pipeline, the priority and importance of getting this hire right is about as big as it could be. Going with a guy that has no head coaching experience at that level, and spent the past 6 years as an assistant, isn't a problem in and of itself, but it does raise the fair question of wether he was the best candidate.... or, as you alluded to, the candidate most likely to "tow the party line".

That most certainly was not, or should not, have been the "key" factor in this hire...

totally unfair for anyone to criticize him outright, his resume is decent for the role, but there are absolutely some reasonable question-marks that come up. We'll see pretty quickly next year if he was the right choice. MB hit it out of the park with Bouchard, tough act to follow...

 

[Miller Time]

True. And I'm not saying Houle will work miracles. Actually, we can have opinions right off the bat, that's what a board is for. It's all good. But when the analysis starts and stops at his last name...it makes no sense to me. But it's okay. I've also had opinions that made no sense...lol.

The guy is experienced. Has ties in almost every league there is. Has assistant and head coaching experience. Has seen different organizations. Knows the Habs market to have been raised in it and having worked up close in Blainville. I mean...it might actually the best candidate possible. But in no way shape or from does that mean he will do the job. That remains to be seen. Every coach that was fired 3 years after they were hired were ALSO, at the time of their hiring, the best coach possible.

agree with everything except the bolded... there are lots of bad hires. The fact of being hired does not mean you were the best candidate possible, just the successful one. Lots of bias and poor-decision making can go into hiring. Well run organizations typically do a much better job of it (and even they can get a hire wrong).

One of the best hiring examples in pro sports i recall is the Steelers & Mike Tomlin... They wen't way "off board" in selecting him... chose him over Zimmerman who looked to be a lock for the position and had a much better resume/internal ties to the org. But Tomlin nailed the interview and the leadership there, being committed to excellence and understanding what it looks like, went with the best candidate. Rest is history...

 

[Habs13]

It isn't fair of me to hate the guy because he is the son of Le Foul; but that's what is going to happen. Never wanted to see THAT name associated with anything related to the Habs again.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

JF Houle is NOT Nick Carrière. Yes, he,s also the son of....but it ends there and it's not a reason why he was hired. He is a good coach. That communicates well.

Also for whoever wants to use the Stefan Matteau experience....please note that the incident ALONE is not the reason why they just released the guy....Matteau was me, myself and I for the time he was there. Huge prima donna. Hey daddy was also an assistant coach so he had the right to do so. Well Bouchard and Houle said no. And they were right.

If we're talking actual nepotism , Matteau is the one who takes the freaking cake, by far. It's been the story of his entire career. He got a whole bunch of opportunities based on his name alone and very little else. Houle has paid 10 time the dues he has.

 

[WinterLion]

It isn't fair of me to hate the guy because he is the son of Le Foul; but that's what is going to happen. Never wanted to see THAT name associated with anything related to the Habs again.

The sad thing is that Rejean Houle was great as a spokesperson and by all accounts a really nice guy... he was just badly badly miscate in the position of GM.

Anyway I'm looking forward to seeing JF as coach. I get a good vibe from his interviews. I remember him as a prospect back in the dark dark days of organizational depth...

 

[jaffy27]

He's a 6th round pick from the Philadelphia Flyers in 2015.

These players are huge longshots to ever make the NHL.

Framing it that JF Houle is somehow responsible for him not having reached the NHL at this point is odd.

Well that’s it….WTK had Griffin Reinhart in his list……ughhhh…..this player had already failed in the Islanders system. Certainly not a knock on any of the coaches…..and I constantly here how bad Oilers are at drafting…..if that’s the case then hard to pin the lack of success on the coaches.



As for Houle, Don’t know anything about this guy but I’m more than happy to give him his fair shot at being coach of the Rocket

Just my humble opinion

 

[Habs13]

The sad thing is that Rejean Houle was great as a spokesperson and by all accounts a really nice guy... he was just badly badly miscate in the position of GM.

Anyway I'm looking forward to seeing JF as coach. I get a good vibe from his interviews. I remember him as a prospect back in the dark dark days of organizational depth...

I just can't forgive him for destroying the team - it still hasn't recovered. I know I shouldn't hold these feelings about his son, its dumb... but yet there they are.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

The only framing I've seen is insinuating a list of prospects who've gone through their development system is 'blaming' Houle for it.. which is clearly not the case at all.

Bro you in your own words said he already had two strikes against him

 

[Adam Michaels]

I guess it was inevitable, but part of this thread has become how much Rejean Houle shit the bed as a GM.

Even Ronald Corey has made a few appearances.

 

[Vachon23]

agree with everything except the bolded... there are lots of bad hires. The fact of being hired does not mean you were the best candidate possible, just the successful one. Lots of bias and poor-decision making can go into hiring. Well run organizations typically do a much better job of it (and even they can get a hire wrong).

One of the best hiring examples in pro sports i recall is the Steelers & Mike Tomlin... They wen't way "off board" in selecting him... chose him over Zimmerman who looked to be a lock for the position and had a much better resume/internal ties to the org. But Tomlin nailed the interview and the leadership there, being committed to excellence and understanding what it looks like, went with the best candidate. Rest is history...

Bouchard didn’t had experience in the AHL either.. and Lefebvre didn’t had any experience has head coach what is not the case with Houle

 

[WeThreeKings]

Bro you in your own words said he already had two strikes against him

Yes, he's Houles son and he's coming from an organization with piss poor development.

That's two strikes against him. It doesn't lay the blame entirely at his feet, just that he is part of a staff that isn't exactly known for development.

 

[abo9]

Maybe being the son of Rejean Houle, he had to work harder than anyone to overcome the initial bad reaction?

Looking forward to see what he does in Laval

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Yes, he's Houles son and he's coming from an organization with piss poor development.

That's two strikes against him. It doesn't lay the blame entirely at his feet, just that he is part of a staff that isn't exactly known for development.

Please tell me you're being sarcastic with that Houle line. Like, I don't have to explain to you how deeply problematic that train of thought is, right?

 

[Gillings]

In after the who the and the hahaha “ fast and relentless “

 

[SlyIslands]

I liked him in junior, happy with the hire

 

[dinodebino]

yup, just like Lefevre right

considering our franchise situation and the state of our development pipeline, the priority and importance of getting this hire right is about as big as it could be. Going with a guy that has no head coaching experience at that level, and spent the past 6 years as an assistant, isn't a problem in and of itself, but it does raise the fair question of wether he was the best candidate.... or, as you alluded to, the candidate most likely to "tow the party line".

That most certainly was not, or should not, have been the "key" factor in this hire...

totally unfair for anyone to criticize him outright, his resume is decent for the role, but there are absolutely some reasonable question-marks that come up. We'll see pretty quickly next year if he was the right choice. MB hit it out of the park with Bouchard, tough act to follow...

Lefebvre was a nepotism hiring. Un chum c't'un chum. Unfair to compare both guys. Houle has had plenty more positive experience as a coach.

Towing the party line is important. In any business. Like it or not. That's how it is in most businesses when hiring a manager of any kind. Habs' brass has a philosophy, which you may not like. But its managers need to all be on the same page. Not so sure Bouchard was, if we're to believe some tweets made by beat reporters.

 

[1909]

Lefebvre was a nepotism hiring. Un chum c't'un chum. Unfair to compare both guys. Houle has had plenty more positive experience as a coach.

Towing the party line is important. In any business. Like it or not. That's how it is in most businesses when hiring a manager of any kind. Habs' brass has a philosophy, which you may not like. But its managers need to all be on the same page. Not so sure Bouchard was, if we're to believe some tweets made by beat reporters.

Bouchard was giving his own show. He is not that great of a coach.

 

[Miller Time]

Lefebvre was a nepotism hiring. Un chum c't'un chum. Unfair to compare both guys. Houle has had plenty more positive experience as a coach.

Towing the party line is important. In any business. Like it or not. That's how it is in most businesses when hiring a manager of any kind. Habs' brass has a philosophy, which you may not like. But its managers need to all be on the same page. Not so sure Bouchard was, if we're to believe some tweets made by beat reporters.

your comments about Bouchard are a bit contradictory…

there’s no doubt he was a net positive for the organization. If, as you suggest, he internally “didn’t tow the party line”, than that’s a great example of why that’s not as important as you suggest… IF excellence is the goal.

lots of companies & leaders prefer yes men to people that push and challenge…the best cultures allow space for that and value it rather than stifle it.

I sincerely hope that him being a yes-man was not a deciding factor in the choice.