The History of Habs Blockbuster Trades Post Sam Pollock

[Price is Wright]

I often wondered back in the 90s if the problem was not simply that the Habs were broke and could no longer afford star players. That would explain a lot of things

92-93: $10.3 million (8th)
Highest in league: $15.2 million (Pittsburgh)
Average: $10 million

95-96: $17.9 million (18th)
Highest in league: $31.8 million (New York)
Average: $19.8 million

98-99: $33.5 million (7th)
Highest in league: $48.3 million (Detroit)
Average: $29.8 million

92-93 had Roy/Damphousse/Muller/Savard/Bellows but otherwise it was a very young team. 95-96 of course was when they shed Roy's salary, which is a big reason why it was around the bottom of the league. But even when the team absolutely sucked in 98-99, they were a Top 10 spender, and spent over league average.

 

[scrubadam]

Molson company didnt want to put money into the team when salaries started rising dramatically in the mid-90's, that's true. But, if they had a bit of foresight, they would've improved their marketing like Gillette did, make sure to advertise the product and raise the ticket prices. Also, the new arena was completely funded by the company, which put a dent into the budget at the same moment Molson sales were declining.

I just don't think the money was there in Canada at the time to match up with the growth of the game. Quebec was a different place back then too. Lost the Nords to Colorado. Big time brain drain and the PQ pushing speration. The big TV dollars weren't there. I don't think corporate sponership was as sophisticated either.

Now Molson were cheap back then as well and eventually they got out of the hockey game. But yes they didn't have the foresight to see what they actually had on their hands and it took an American to come in and monetize the habs history and turn the fanchise into a $$$ juggernaut.

I wonder the shape the habs would be in if Uncle George never took over. Who knows maybe it would be the Las Vegas Habs or Seattle Habs as Molson continued to run the team into the ground.

 

[echeck]

The real game was money, not hockey!

What was a reasoning behind this trade?

To begin with, at that time in NHL history, there was no salary cap. Therefore the team with the deepest pockets had the best players. How did teams acquire the deepest pockets? TV advertising contracts were the major source and this is still the standard, but now we have salary caps.

For us, the major portion of hockey game broadcasts and TV ads were from Toronto. So the Toronto had one of the best teams in the NHL, i.e. the best budgets yielded the best player contracts. As were New York, Detroit, etc., they were the cities with major broadcasting rights over the largest populations, as in Toronto being Canada's team!

They crushed the Winnipeg Jets out of business, as well as the Quebec Nordique, kicked La Soiree du Hockey off Radio-Canada and almost destroyed Les Canadiens de Montreal. It was rumoured at the time that the finances of the team had become so bad that the team could be moved to Hamilton.

So players had to be moved in order to save the team in Montreal.

 

[Price is Wright]

To begin with, at that time in NHL history, there was no salary cap. Therefore the team with the deepest pockets had the best players. How did teams acquire the deepest pockets? TV advertising contracts were the major source and this is still the standard, but now we have salary caps.

For us, the major portion of hockey game broadcasts and TV ads were from Toronto. So the Toronto had one of the best teams in the NHL, i.e. the best budgets yield the player contracts. As were New York, Detroit, etc., they were the cities with major broadcasting rights over the largest populations, as in Toronto being Canada's team!

They crushed the Winnipeg Jets out of business, as well as the Quebec Nordique and almost destroyed Les Canadiens de Montreal. It was rumoured the team was to be moved to Hamilton at the time the finances of the team had become so bad.

So players had to be moved so as to save the team in Montreal.

In 98-99, Montreal spent 0.05K less ($33.5M) than the Toronto Maple Leafs ($34M)

http://www.hockeyzoneplus.com/$maseq_e.htm

There were a few seasons where Toronto was spending around $10 million more than Montreal, with 03-04 being almost $20 million more, but it wasn't like Montreal was this small market team with no money back in the 90s/early 00s.

They spent around league average, sometimes more, sometimes less. Even during times when the team was absolute crap and they should have probably only spent $20 million on them and tanked the season.

The Rangers almost always outspent everyone and pushed the league average up despite winning nothing. In 03-04 their salary was $77 million. That's higher than today's salary cap.

 

[BLONG7]

Back in the 90's alot of those trades, were made because of the value of the Cdn dollar also...........but man, we made some brutal moves...

 

[echeck]

In 98-99, Montreal spent 0.05K less ($33.5M) than the Toronto Maple Leafs ($34M)

http://www.hockeyzoneplus.com/$maseq_e.htm

There were a few seasons where Toronto was spending around $10 million more than Montreal, with 03-04 being almost $20 million more, but it wasn't like Montreal was this small market team with no money back in the 90s/early 00s.

They spent around league average, sometimes more, sometimes less. Even during times when the team was absolute crap and they should have probably only spent $20 million on them and tanked the season.

The Rangers almost always outspent everyone and pushed the league average up despite winning nothing. In 03-04 their salary was $77 million. That's higher than today's salary cap.

After Mr Pollock left, and Serge Savard came on board, the team was strong but could barely pay its players. We probably could have taken another Stanley Cup after '93 had it not been for the financial fiasco the team found itself in.

http://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2010/2/12/1307248/a-trade-habs-fans-will-never-forget

Why would any team give up on its core roster players? More than the coach or the GM, it was the finances. Both the US dollar, but most of all the national TV advertising market was cornered by Toronto across most of Canada. They wanted to buy a winning team and chocked off the competition to get it.

Furthermore, Bergevin is re-building this team in the mold of Mr Pollock, from the goalie to your #1 center. I believe it's the missing piece to go for the 25th Cup!

 

[scrubadam]

Interesting stuff.

How close were the habs to going belly up before the cap and before Gillette came on board?

Hard to imagine an NHL with no Montreal Canadians but if things continued the way they were it seems like it might have become a reality...

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

After Mr Pollock left, and Serge Savard came on board, the team was strong but could barely pay its players. We probably could have taken another Stanley Cup after '93 had it not been for the financial fiasco the team found itself in.

http://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2010/2/12/1307248/a-trade-habs-fans-will-never-forget

Why would any team give up on its core roster players? More than the coach or the GM, it was the finances. Both the US dollar, but most of all the national TV advertising market was cornered by Toronto across most of Canada. They wanted to buy a winning team and chocked off the competition to get it.

Furthermore, Bergevin is re-building this team in the mold of Mr Pollock, from the goalie to your #1 center. I believe it's the missing piece to go for the 25th Cup!

Funny coincidence, that article came out just before Subban's first two games in the NHL.

 

[Price is Wright]

Why would any team give up on its core roster players? More than the coach or the GM, it was the finances.

I just showed you the numbers.

If the team was in real trouble they would have sold the players off for picks and prospects. Instead they acquired top line players like Recchi and Turgeon.

Savard was never afraid to move core players. Before the Cup he moved Richer, Corson, Lemieux, and Chelios. All important names to the 89 run. He was fired before he could trade Roy for Nolan and Fiset.

Houle came in and tried to compete. He didn't try to slash the teams finances. They usually spent around the average. Think about it. It's not hard. If the habs were in real trouble, why didn't they tank? Why not spend only $20 million on the team and roll in the draft picks?

 

[googlymoogly]

I don't remember hearing turgeon being unhappy with ice time but what I clearly remember is that the fans were all over him.

Everytime turgeon touched the puck towards the end of his tenure, he was booed fiercely by the crowd.

I'll never forget this one instance where the crowd was on him. Turgeon was entering the zone with the puck. The opponent came up to take the body on him and turgeon completely bailed. He just put the brakes on and softly chipped the puck forward. He was mentally done, and needed a change.

This is one way that the habs fan has changed over the years. Players were isolated and booed by the crowd in the 90s including brisebois, malakhov, and turgeon.

Actually, I haven't heard any booing like this since gainey ripped those fans early in his GM tenure.

Turgeon was unhappy as Koivu took over number 1 center as he flew out the gates and was leading the league in points. Then his first knee injury happened and we went from three great centers to one as Turgeon was gone and only Damphouse left. Add to it Conroy was traded away as well. We gutted out center depth like we gutted our fantastic Dmen.
Just think from 80s on we traded away
Langway
Chelios
Desjardin
Schneider

We finally got a good dman again in Markov but there was some dark periods until Markov came along. The problem was a chain was broken where the Hall of Fame vet dmen would bring along the up and coming talent. No wonder we haven't won a Cup since.

 

[groovejuice]

Turgeon was unhappy as Koivu took over number 1 center as he flew out the gates and was leading the league in points. Then his first knee injury happened and we went from three great centers to one as Turgeon was gone and only Damphouse left. Add to it Conroy was traded away as well. We gutted out center depth like we gutted our fantastic Dmen.
Just think from 80s on we traded away
Langway
Chelios
Desjardin
Schneider

We finally got a good dman again in Markov but there was some dark periods until Markov came along. The problem was a chain was broken where the Hall of Fame vet dmen would bring along the up and coming talent. No wonder we haven't won a Cup since.

You managed to ignore the guy after Markov.

 

[echeck]

I just showed you the numbers.

If the team was in real trouble they would have sold the players off for picks and prospects. Instead they acquired top line players like Recchi and Turgeon.

Savard was never afraid to move core players. Before the Cup he moved Richer, Corson, Lemieux, and Chelios. All important names to the 89 run. He was fired before he could trade Roy for Nolan and Fiset.

Houle came in and tried to compete. He didn't try to slash the teams finances. They usually spent around the average. Think about it. It's not hard. If the habs were in real trouble, why didn't they tank? Why not spend only $20 million on the team and roll in the draft picks?

Because they did not have the $20 million. Don't think about it, go look it up!

By the way, Les Canadiens have never tanked. It's not in the genes!

 

[echeck]

Funny coincidence, that article came out just before Subban's first two games in the NHL.

The team was still alive and rookies are cheap on the payroll.

 

[Bring Bak Damphousse]

Recchi was a good player for the Habs. The problem was more who they lost. Then Four years later they trade Recchi away for scraps.

The habs have terrible asset management, essentially taking a decent asset and through poor trades we're left with something with negative value. We sign highly touted Sekac, trade him for a guy with some upside in DSP, only to trade him for a career AHLer in Matteau. We take a good declining veteran in Prust, move him for a guy like Kassian only to dump him for a bum like scrivens. DSP and Kassian are two guys we could have used for our run, would have saved us going after guys like King and Ott. Obviously a small sample size but going through our trade history its littered with trades like this, we take a half decent trade chip and after a few moves have zero to show for it.

 

[HuGort]