New GM Discussion Thread

[Chili]

Would like to see the next gm have a strong scouting background.

Based on the Ducks drafting history, I would hope Martin Madden (son of the former NHL gm) gets an interview.

 

[overlords]

I feel the same way I do about the coaching language debate. I most wanted Boucher as our head coach, who happens to speak french. This case is similar in that I like Julien Brisebois as an option and it was annoying to let him go in the first place. If the top candidates for GM happen to speak french, or if that added PR skill can tip the scales in their favor, fantastic. I'd still, however, expect the hiring effort to pool candidates of all backgrounds. Your top choice might not want the gig. Someone else might completely blow you away in an interview and bring forward a really fresh perspective you hadn't considered. The habs should be the team most willing to spend money and think outside of the box to reclaim its past glory. If anything, we're one of the most stubbornly conservative organisations in the league.

Oh, and dinosaurs like Serge Savard need to be kept far the f*** away from any future decisions regarding this franchise. Please and thank you.

 

[WinterLion]

These days management is a team effort. In the end Bergevins biggest weakness might be the team he has hired. I would like a decisive GM with experience and the ability to pull a good team together. I think Quintal might be a great fit if he had the right people supporting him.

 

[shao01]

It is extremely narrow-minded to think that the our GM has to speak French. Sure the ability to speak french could be a deciding factor in case there is a tie between two or more candidates; but we should pick our GM and any other personnel solely based on who we think is best for the job.

 

[Zorba]

MB wont be canned unless the team keep losing at an unsustainable rate. He's here for at least two other years.

What??? Habs have won 1 playoff series in the last 3 season. If they don’t make the playoffs this year he’s gone.
He’s ignored the offence for so long and now the D sucks as well. It’s all on him. f*** him

 

[Rapala]

This team is playing like it knows exactly what it is doing.

 

[Trumpet Hab]

Maybe they will hire MT

I wonder if the team is a bit pissed that MT was hired back as a scout ... maybe they're trying to get MB fired

 

[Roke]

These days management is a team effort. In the end Bergevins biggest weakness might be the team he has hired. I would like a decisive GM with experience and the ability to pull a good team together. I think Quintal might be a great fit if he had the right people supporting him.

Is there anything out there showing Quintal thinks differently than your typical Hockey Man™? With Shanahan you had his tenure as VP of Player Safety he tried to make suspensions and actual deterrent so players wouldn't be so dirty (but then teams complained and he was forced to ease up).

Quintal seems to be utterly conventional and if you're bringing in a conventional hockey guy you're going to get conventional hockey results.

An ideal structure would be to have a good GM to carry out the day-to-day operations (and Brisebois and Dubas are the two guys who interest me) with a President on top of them who's more big picture and can modernize the front office by injecting sports science and analytics into the club's operations. I don't see a hockey guy out there that fits that role and think you'd have to go to basketball or baseball for it since that kind of stuff is pretty much universal there these days.

 

[jfm133]

Why would you say its under exploited? Other teams hire qualified francophone/bi lingual coaches and managers. Julien BriseBois in TB for example. (does he really have two capital letters in his name?)

Almost all francophones in the NHL, GM, assisrant GM, coaches, were first given a chance in pro hockey by Montréal. Strangely Bergevin is one of the few exceptions. Dorion, Brisebois, Vigneault, Boucher and Julien got his first NHL job with the Habs. So who else is giving first chances to francophones? The Nordiques back in the days.

 

[S Bah]

No, he speaks the same language all players/executives speak

Hockey

Bergevin has changed the Habs immensely during his tenure, for a lifelong Habs fan that has been paying attention to not only the Habs but all NHL teams. He has done a great job bringing the Habs back to respectability, rebuilding the Habs from the Front Office right through the whole organization, whilst receiving criticism the whole time. Many fans will find only heartache if Bergevin isn't the GM, IMHO!!!...

 

[Frank Drebin]

Almost all francophones in the NHL, GM, assisrant GM, coaches, were first given a chance in pro hockey by Montréal. Strangely Bergevin is one of the few exceptions. Dorion, Brisebois, Vigneault, Boucher and Julien got his first NHL job with the Habs. So who else is giving first chances to francophones? The Nordiques back in the days.

Well the talent pool obviously isn't that big as we have to be the only franchise to recycle not one but two head coaches in the last 15 years.

Are you saying it should be Montreal's responsibility to hire and train if need be, francophone execs?

 

[sergejean]

I would like to see Julien Brisebois or Stephane Quintal.

 

[sandviper]

Well the talent pool obviously isn't that big as we have to be the only franchise to recycle not one but two head coaches in the last 15 years.

Are you saying it should be Montreal's responsibility to hire and train if need be, francophone execs?

Dunno about “responsibility” but I would not be opposed to hiring a highly experienced in the business world and highly educated Francophone from the business world who happens to be a dedicated Habs fan. Somebody who is capable of thinking big and critically.

Fresh eyes and attitude is what we need. It happens though that BriseBois hits all my criteria plus he has actual hockey management experience.

 

[puckeater]

Dale Tallon please.

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

Apparently not. It's probably because they discriminate on language which is allowed by the Quebec government, which is why I left Quebec.

Good riddance !

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

I don't think Bergevin has many days left as the GM of the Montreal Canadiens
If he does get fired, who is available for the GM's position?

You can include candidates that don't speak french, but specify it
You can also include someone that is currently working for another team, but could potentially be available (Bergevin was Chicago's assistant gm when we got him)

 

[sergejean]

Julien Brisebois
Stephane Quintal

 

[Skip Bayless]

It doesn't matter. The organization needs to finally evolve from the stone age in philosophy.

 

[Habs13]

Me. I'm sure I can't do a worse job...

 

[nhlfan9191]

Roy. Can’t take orders from anyone in a coaching position but might be alright if he has a form of control. The rest of the French Canadian talent is trash.

 

[Roke]

Kyle Dubas and Julien Brisebois are the only guys (in hockey) that interest me and Dubas doesn't speak French so I guess it's Brisebois or bust for me.

But I'm wondering, what has Stephane Quintal done to make him a potential GM candidate? Is it just he has Brendan Shanahan's old job and Shanahan turned out to be a good executive? His name has been thrown around a fair bit

Because Quintal seems to be completely conventional to me, whereas Shanahan showed early on when he tried to ramp up the consistency, severity, and number of suspensions that he was a bit different then most hockey men. If Quintal's conventional and you're hiring him, you're just going to get conventional hockey man results.

 

[habsterr]

President: Stephane Quintal
GM: Julien Brisebois
AGM: Patrick Roy

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

The Brisebois guy has a pretty solid pedigree, in addition to being a local . He's a modern mind too, which is something we could use I think. I'd be fine with him, he's got enough experience now to handle it. It would have to be a clean sweep though, let him rebuilt everything i.e pro and amateur scouting, AHL/ECHL management,etc.

 

[SnapVirus]

Quintal is a Joke!

 

[Bouboumaster]

Julien Brisebois