GDT: Locker cleanup and Final Season interviews: Bergvein Press Conference at 4:00pm EST

[Braun]

If by fine you mean win a couple rounds here and there, I agree!

Habs fans standards are to high, gotta get down to "just fine" level to really apricate being fan of this franchise.

All teams win a few rounds here and there except for the cup winners which are usually the same 2-3 teams for a decade. We are a very good hockey team and usually in the playoffs winning teams have a nobody player step up and produce. We didn't get that. If we did we would of won and the top
Scorers probably would of picked it up in round 2. Bad time to go cold that's all. Everything is overblown because we are MTL.

 

[uiCk]

Why are you shocked? He's been repeating the safe stuff for the last five seasons. I just don't know whst you expected.

Bowman level of accountability? Any sign he actually sees what a SC winner should be like?

Yea it's been the same, he hasn't learned anything, his arrogance and inflated ego is still prevalent going into year 6? How can we be content with a rookie GM, being a rookie GM after 5 years, and not changing his attitude/tune whatsoever?

We expected MAYBE some humility and a sign that he himself has improved/needs to improve.

 

[mariolemieux66]

Benoit Pouliot was the guy they really wanted if my memory serve correctly but he was drafted at #4 right before Price

So yeah in retrospect Kopitar would have been a great choice as well but it's not like we came out with nothing. We did land a Hart Vezina winning goalie

Imagine if the Wild drafted Price or Kopitar instead of Pouliot. Chances are that it's us who would have grabbed him. Now that would have been a colossal mistake

Not Drafting Price could actually have been the best thing to happen. Team would have draft lower and more likely better player since 2005 and not solely focusing on Price saving the day all the time.

 

[Miller Time]

Molson has other shareholders he needs to be accountable to. He's not the sole proprietor. I'd like to see him replaced with a hockey man, somewhat like what Toronto did. I don't mind the multiple levels of management as long as they're all intelligent, independent thinkers and have a successful history. And the Habs can certainly afford it. Enough with snake oil salesmen. Let's get some serious knowledge and experience running this franchise.

yup. that's what the best in any business do... it's not a particularly hard model to emulate, the hard part is finding the right architect and having ownership patient and long-term focused enough to let them work.

We've had no strong leader in place for far too long and as a direct result, no clear team identity or culture (aside from the "smurf" identity, which sadly was neither intentional nor effective)

Absolutely correct and my thoughts exactly. It is funny reading these posts. They make it seem so easy, and what were they expecting? Did Ridiculous.

did you happen to see the Blackhawks presser?

a PC is just what it is... PR. But at the minimum, expecting a commitment to excellence (which in the pro sport area is quite simple, win the cup) and a refusal to accept or make excuses.

You are right about one thing, none of us should be surprised by yet another excuse ladden, largely incoherent and inconsistent PC from MB... that is and has been his m.o since day one (although in year 1 & 2 it was at least believable since we didn't have his body of work to hold up to his comments).

 

[1909]

All teams win a few rounds here and there except for the cup winners which are usually the same 2-3 teams for a decade. We are a very good hockey team and usually in the playoffs winning teams have a nobody player step up and produce. We didn't get that. If we did we would of won and the top
Scorers probably would of picked it up in round 2. Bad time to go cold that's all. Everything is overblown because we are MTL.

Yeah. It is just a sport. Won't change the face of the Earth. Just a big business.

Fans are childish....


But for some people, it has a real impact on their lives. You have to respect that.

And I am sure, businesses, restaurants, bar owners across Quebec (and Canada) have also the blues today.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

How is that we can't hold Bergevin to the same exacting standard? Is losing more acceptable or excusable in Montreal than it is in Chicago?

As I said before after you win a few cups you can say that.

MB can't talk like that. Hasn't earned the right to be direct.

 

[uiCk]

All teams win a few rounds here and there except for the cup winners which are usually the same 2-3 teams for a decade. We are a very good hockey team and usually in the playoffs winning teams have a nobody player step up and produce. We didn't get that. If we did we would of won and the top
Scorers probably would of picked it up in round 2. Bad time to go cold that's all. Everything is overblown because we are MTL.

No, your expectations are just ridiculously low, which is contradictory to the expectations set forward by the habs utilizing the habs past success as a foundation of what habs SHOULD be.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

He made a mistake, people do.

It's different from Bergevin, who has a pattern of making mistakes.

He wanted us to trade subban in a package for a yakupov package or Jordan staal package.

Those are no joke.

 

[groovejuice]

Bowman level of accountability? Any sign he actually sees what a SC winner should be like?

Yea it's been the same, he hasn't learned anything, his arrogance and inflated ego is still prevalent going into year 6? How can we be content with a rookie GM, being a rookie GM after 5 years, and not changing his attitude/tune whatsoever?

We expected MAYBE some humility and a sign that he himself has improved/needs to improve.

Well, he did say after last season's travesty that "It's on me". That's good enough for a few more seasons of his personal failures, right?

 

[1909]

Bowman level of accountability? Any sign he actually sees what a SC winner should be like?

Yea it's been the same, he hasn't learned anything, his arrogance and inflated ego is still prevalent going into year 6? How can we be content with a rookie GM, being a rookie GM after 5 years, and not changing his attitude/tune whatsoever?

We expected MAYBE some humility and a sign that he himself has improved/needs to improve.

I don't see it that way.

For me it's a lack of communication skills, education, and cleverness + shyness, that make him look that way.

But the worst part is that he is no better now than 5 years ago when he was hired.

 

[Jeffrey]

I really liked Pierre McGuire take on the habs.
He said the habs are doom. Their biggest weakness is center and they cannot fix it internally. Their best prospects are defenseman and that they have an aging core that have no replacement internally. Finally all other teams in the conference are on the rise and they will blow past the habs sooner than later. He is right on every point.

 

[Braun]

No, your expectations are just ridiculously low, which is contradictory to the expectations set forward by the habs utilizing the habs past success as a foundation of what habs SHOULD be.

No team can do what the Canadiens did in the past. That's over. I am disappointed every year we don't win, more than you think. I just know when we win it'll be that much sweeter. Every year my expectation is a cup. It'll happen....when it does....people will still complain.

 

[Miller Time]

As I said before after you win a few cups you can say that.

MB can't talk like that. Hasn't earned the right to be direct.

You can possess the mindset of a winner before actually winning... in fact, most winners develop that mindset long before they actually win.

that's where Casper's "process" comments are somewhat valid. Winners do the right things everyday, and understand that the outcome in any given moment won't necessarily reflect the quality of process, but over time doing things the right way sets you up for success.

Any GM can and should only speak like a winner. Babcock and Shannahan certainly did from day one in their jobs, and matched with the discipline and ability to actually walk the talk, surprise surprise, they are on their way to building one hell of contender. *edit- sorry, bad example since Babcock obviously has won before, though shanny hasn't in his current role... but I can pull you a list of people from various places who talked the same way before winning and after being validated by winning (Sutter comes to mind quickly in the hockey world... Tomlin, Carroll, Belicheck in the NFL, Kerr in the NBA, Guardiola and Ferguson in the soccer world and on and on. people's whose mindset and narrative shifts after winning are more often then not products of circumstance vs process.


We have a GM that talks like a loser (excuses, defensive, finger pointing, inconsistent), and manages the team in pretty much the same way... no plan, no vision, no consistency.

 

[groovejuice]

yup. that's what the best in any business do... it's not a particularly hard model to emulate, the hard part is finding the right architect and having ownership patient and long-term focused enough to let them work.

We've had no strong leader in place for far too long and as a direct result, no clear team identity or culture (aside from the "smurf" identity, which sadly was neither intentional nor effective)



did you happen to see the Blackhawks presser?

a PC is just what it is... PR. But at the minimum, expecting a commitment to excellence (which in the pro sport area is quite simple, win the cup) and a refusal to accept or make excuses.

You are right about one thing, none of us should be surprised by yet another excuse ladden, largely incoherent and inconsistent PC from MB... that is and has been his m.o since day one (although in year 1 & 2 it was at least believable since we didn't have his body of work to hold up to his comments).

You'll also notice that his 'fun guy, charming persona' has disappeared completely, to be replaced by his true nature of arrogance, simplicity, poor judgement, and primitive hockey acumen.

 

[loudi94]

This.
In a vacuum Price at n.5 is a tremendous pick. That said when you take in consideration the team's shear ineptness at finding a true 1C for the last 20+ years, Kopitar is a perfectly reasonable pick.

Sure he is. We would have picked Gilbert Brule with the pick though. He was the first best C in the draft after Crosby.

 

[Beaker]

Why should Price leave money on the table while Bergevin spends on junk like Plekanec / Shaw / Desharnais? Get what you're worth Carey... a good GM can properly balance a salary cap...

 

[Habs]

I really liked Pierre McGuire take on the habs.
He said the habs are doom. Their biggest weakness is center and they cannot fix it internally. Their best prospects are defenseman and that they have an aging core that have no replacement internally. Finally all other teams in the conference are on the rise and they will blow past the habs sooner than later. He is right on every point.

You forgot the fact he's an unemployable idiot who makes a living creating drama and fictional situations.

Our only issue is the GM and scouting , there are more than enough pieces lying around to solve a few issues.

 

[GlassesJacketShirt]

He wanted us to trade subban in a package for a yakupov package or Jordan staal package.

Those are no joke.

I remember him suggesting the trade from Edmonton's perspective.

And to be fair, his suggestion would have been quite the grab for Edmonton.

As for Bergy, if I had one suggestion for future press conferences: stop saying everything is hard.

 

[deandebean]

Bowman level of accountability? Any sign he actually sees what a SC winner should be like?

Yea it's been the same, he hasn't learned anything, his arrogance and inflated ego is still prevalent going into year 6? How can we be content with a rookie GM, being a rookie GM after 5 years, and not changing his attitude/tune whatsoever?

We expected MAYBE some humility and a sign that he himself has improved/needs to improve.

He never WILL!!!! That's what I've been repeating in this thread. I'm not saying he's right. My opinion is worth **** anyways, because I have ZERO influence on the team.

Stan Bowman is in a different hockey market. Comparing apples and oranges.

Bergevin loves keeping expectations low in Montreal, it's been his m.o. from the beginning.

I do like how the different media have responded though.

 

[Jeffrey]

You forgot the fact he's an unemployable idiot who makes a living creating drama and fictional situations.

Our only issue is the GM and scouting , there are more than enough pieces lying around to solve a few issues.

Really?
other than getting Tavares I don't see any quick fix to the center position.

Not to mention the habs are handicapped by bad contracts with little wiggle room.

 

[uiCk]

You can possess the mindset of a winner before actually winning... in fact, most winners develop that mindset long before they actually win.

that's where Casper's "process" comments are somewhat valid. Winners do the right things everyday, and understand that the outcome in any given moment won't necessarily reflect the quality of process, but over time doing things the right way sets you up for success.

Any GM can and should only speak like a winner. Babcock and Shannahan certainly did from day one in their jobs, and matched with the discipline and ability to actually walk the talk, surprise surprise, they are on their way to building one hell of contender. *edit- sorry, bad example since Babcock obviously has won before, though shanny hasn't in his current role... but I can pull you a list of people from various places who talked the same way before winning and after being validated by winning (Sutter comes to mind quickly in the hockey world... Tomlin, Carroll, Belicheck in the NFL, Kerr in the NBA, Guardiola and Ferguson in the soccer world and on and on. people's whose mindset and narrative shifts after winning are more often then not products of circumstance vs process.


We have a GM that talks like a loser (excuses, defensive, finger pointing, inconsistent), and manages the team in pretty much the same way... no plan, no vision, no consistency.

This pretty much sums it up.

 

[mariolemieux66]

You forgot the fact he's an unemployable idiot who makes a living creating drama and fictional situations.

Our only issue is the GM and scouting , there are more than enough pieces lying around to solve a few issues.

We have pieces lying around to solve a few issues? Without creatinf other issues?

I am all ears.

 

[Whitesnake]

We once fired Carbonneau because he admittedly said that he had no solutions and yet.....we have 5 more years with a GM who just said the same freakin thing....

 

[groovejuice]

No team can do what the Canadiens did in the past. That's over. I am disappointed every year we don't win, more than you think. I just know when we win it'll be that much sweeter. Every year my expectation is a cup. It'll happen....when it does....people will still complain.

People have a right to complain. The templates for success are out there for everyone to see and comprehend. How is it not a complete failure for Bergevin to stick to his guns promoting team building strategies that have been defunct for over a decade? He's delusional, if nothing else.

 

[LaP]

Benoit Pouliot was the guy they really wanted if my memory serve correctly but he was drafted at #4 right before Pricee

Even worse some people wanted Gilbert Brule who was drafted aftre price.