The worst of the Montreal Canadiens

[The Panther]

So, the Canadiens are still generally thought of as the greatest N.A. hockey franchise, and, up to the mid-90s, their legacy was consistently impressive despite the odd down year or short period. (Since then, kind of a different story.)

As I type, the Canadiens are 8-26-7 on the 2021-22 season and are the worst team in the NHL. Historically, their worst regular season ever was 1939-40, when they went an awful 10-33-5. However, in pre-loser point NHL points percentage, this year's club is on pace to be the worst Canadiens' team ever. (Aurele Joliat and Rocket Richard must be rolling over in their graves.)

What are the worst Montreal Canadiens teams you can remember seeing?

Who are the worst players / captains / coaches of the Montreal Canadiens?

Will this season's team be the worst ever?

 

[Moose Head]

Worst player: Normand Baron - former bodybuilder who was brought in to be a face puncher. Didn’t do anything well.

Worst captain: Pierre Turgeon- he hated being captain and it showed.

worst Coach (tie) - Tremblay, Cunnyworth and Ducharme

Yes, this is far and away the worst Hab team I’ve seen

 

[BenchBrawl]

It's the worst team, but it's not the most hopeless point to be a fan. Montreal has a decent prospect pool and is looking at another top pick next draft. Plus it's generally easier to become competitive again in the recent NHL than it was in the past.

No, the most hopeless point to be a Montreal Canadiens fan was in the early 2000s, when it seemed there was no light at the end of the tunnel. No hope in sight whatsoever.

 

[Big Phil]

I would say their worst coach is Mario Tremblay. Came in and replaced the popular Jacques Demers, who they won a Cup with, and two months later drove arguably the greatest goaltender of all-time out of town and therefore ruining the mystique of the Canadiens, which led them on a downward spiral that has never really returned up. I don't know why they didn't just give Demers more of a shot early in the 1995-'96 season. It was 5 games in!

Worst GM has got to be Rejean Houle, am I right? Grundman possibly from 1978-'83 as well. If anything just based on the talent that left Montreal after 1979.

Andre "Red Light" Racicot is up there if not as worst player but worst goalie. Miraculously he has a Stanley Cup ring.

I am not sure why Damphousse didn't get the captaincy in 1995 after Keane left. I am pretty sure Patrick Roy wouldn't have described Damphousse as someone with "balls the size of snowpeas" (I believe that is close to the exact quote) when talking about the captain, which was Pierre Turgeon. But was he the worst captain in history? He was only there for basically a year and it was a horrible trade to bring Corson back in 1996-'97. I never thought Turgeon was a great leader, but worst captain? Whoever it is, my guess is that the guy is post-1995 either way.

 

[bobholly39]

It's crazy the impact Carey Price has on this team. On the ice of course - but also off. If Price was playing this season they'd 100% in my mind be flirting with ~500 or close, at the very least. No confidence/no leadership without him. The team completely imploded in the same way the last time Price missed most of a season (2015-2016), going from first overall 2 months in to close to last place after he got injured.

I became a fan during the last cup run in 1993 - this is the worst season by far since then, yes. Worst "team"? I guess so, by virtue of worst season - but I think they're certainly better than they're playing, so it depends how you look at it.

Worst coach is Tremblay I agree with that. I don't know about Ducharme - I think he's been horrible this year - but this comes after an inspired cup run last year where you have to give the coach some credit right?
I'd also agree with Turgeon as worst captain - he didn't want it, and wasn't good at it.

 

[bobholly39]

I would say their worst coach is Mario Tremblay. Came in and replaced the popular Jacques Demers, who they won a Cup with, and two months later drove arguably the greatest goaltender of all-time out of town and therefore ruining the mystique of the Canadiens, which led them on a downward spiral that has never really returned up. I don't know why they didn't just give Demers more of a shot early in the 1995-'96 season. It was 5 games in!

Worst GM has got to be Rejean Houle, am I right? Grundman possibly from 1978-'83 as well. If anything just based on the talent that left Montreal after 1979.

Andre "Red Light" Racicot is up there if not as worst player but worst goalie. Miraculously he has a Stanley Cup ring.

I am not sure why Damphousse didn't get the captaincy in 1995 after Keane left. I am pretty sure Patrick Roy wouldn't have described Damphousse as someone with "balls the size of snowpeas" (I believe that is close to the exact quote) when talking about the captain, which was Pierre Turgeon. But was he the worst captain in history? He was only there for basically a year and it was a horrible trade to bring Corson back in 1996-'97. I never thought Turgeon was a great leader, but worst captain? Whoever it is, my guess is that the guy is post-1995 either way.

Definitely Rejean Houle as worst gm, yes. Seemed like a nice enough guy, but simply wasn't qualified at all, and it showed.
Damphousse 100% should have been made captain, yes.

 

[MadLuke]

I think Montreal had such a ridicously rich history of captain than when Charbonneau and the Forum close almost at the same time putting a spotlight on it, it created a bit of an impossible bar with Muller-Kean-Turgeon-Damphousse really rapid musical chair.

I am really not sure Turgeon was a worst captain than Pacioretty, but I imagine it would be between those 2 since Blake, with possibly a massive step to the next ones.

No, the most hopeless point to be a Montreal Canadiens fan was in the early 2000s, when it seemed there was no light at the end of the tunnel. No hope in sight whatsoever.

This, no way Montreal reach the Stanley Cups over the Devils type of team back in those days, today there is a bit more of a anyone can turn thing around and if they make the playoff who knows sentiment in the air, then back went all time great team were dominating the NHL for long period. Also maybe we care a lot less and used for mediocrity to be the goal trying to achieve and happy with. Back in the early 2000s, there was we will ever be great again ? Now, will we achieve to be mediocre again soon ? Which is less daunting.

 

[Michael Farkas]

It's crazy the impact Carey Price has on this team.

Yeah, but he only has a .909 save pct over the last four seasons...so he can't possibly be the only thing keeping the Habs from being sent to the AHL.

I always go back to it...but people that aren't really deep into it, don't recognize just how good Price is.

 

[Nerowoy nora tolad]

It's crazy the impact Carey Price has on this team. On the ice of course - but also off. If Price was playing this season they'd 100% in my mind be flirting with ~500 or close, at the very least. No confidence/no leadership without him. The team completely imploded in the same way the last time Price missed most of a season (2015-2016), going from first overall 2 months in to close to last place after he got injured.

I became a fan during the last cup run in 1993 - this is the worst season by far since then, yes. Worst "team"? I guess so, by virtue of worst season - but I think they're certainly better than they're playing, so it depends how you look at it.

Worst coach is Tremblay I agree with that. I don't know about Ducharme - I think he's been horrible this year - but this comes after an inspired cup run last year where you have to give the coach some credit right?
I'd also agree with Turgeon as worst captain - he didn't want it, and wasn't good at it.

I remember that season (2015-16), thinking "well theyve got to be at least a playoff team without Price, right? Cant be that bad of a roster in front of Condon"

Apparently not

 

[The Panther]

Is anyone on here old enough to remember Montreal having a crappy regular season before, say, 1983-84 (in which they were below .500 but still managed to go three playoff rounds)? [Checks the history...]

Okay, 1950-51 was the first losing season prior to 1984... so maybe no one here is old enough...

 

[MXD]

Worse coach? Randy Cunneyworth (can't really assess prior to Pat Burns).
Worse regular player over the course of a season? Probably Patrick Traverse
Most useless player? Andrei Bashkirov.
Worse GM : That's Houle though, with Grundman VERY close.

Late 90ies and very early 00ies were the worse time to be a fan.

The current team is a badly built team, the result of, basically, every assessment made about a player being wrong.

 

[Buffalowing1988]

I don't quite know how the modern Canadiens are able to function. There will always be pressure on the organization to bring in French Canadien players and personnel. It's not as bad today but, man, do they feel some obligation to draft and trade a certain way and I don't know of any other team beholden to these preferences.

 

[MXD]

I don't quite know how the modern Canadiens are able to function. There will always be pressure on the organization to bring in French Canadien players and personnel. It's not as bad today but, man, do they feel some obligation to draft and trade a certain way and I don't know of any other team beholden to these preferences.

Well, frankly, their last French players haven't been bad all things considered. Disregard 2021 'cause it's too soon (and even then, Joshua Roy looks like a great pick so far) :

- The last French player picked was Raphael Harvey Pinard, 7th rounder, 201st total. Already played in the NHL, something of a fixture on the AHL squad. Accomplished more than your average 7th or even 6th and 5th rounder. Good pick.

- 5th rounder, 133th total, 2017 Samuel Houde. Bust and bad pick.

- 6th rounder Simon Bourque, 2015. Bust, but did play in the AHL. Never developped, but was a solid junior D-Man.

- 5th rounder Daniel Audette, 2014. Is currently about PPG in the KHL. Hopes are very low for an NHL career. Not a bad pick, though some cried nepotism.

- 2nd rounder Zac Fucale, 2013. Well... he made the NHL this season

(Not counting Andrighetto and Reway; both were good picks, shame for Reway)

- 6th rounder Gregoire played a bit in the AHL. Not a bad pick all things considered as he was one of the youngest available player in his draft, but never got over a relative lack of footsspeed.

- 2012 5th rounder Charles Hudon played 125 NHL games and is around PPG in the AHL this season. This is a good pick, and Hudon achieved more than about 90% of the 5th rounders do.

You'll notice one thing, and ignore Fucale : those are all late rounders. Two of these players played NHL games. Many years lately, the team ignored Q talent, and considering how things went generally speaking, it would probably have been better if they didn't.

(It also seems, more often than not lately, had they drafted the Q comparable or the right Q comparable, that would've been the better pick. Although this may also have to do with player developpement, which is THE main issue that's been plaguing the franchise, more than anything else really)

 

[MadLuke]

I don't quite know how the modern Canadiens are able to function. There will always be pressure on the organization to bring in French Canadien players and personnel. It's not as bad today but, man, do they feel some obligation to draft and trade a certain way and I don't know of any other team beholden to these preferences.

Should not be a big issue without the Nordiques there, they have a single one that is relevant at the moment (Drouin) the rest being easy to similar to replacement, showing that the line is extremely low, last year for a while Danault was the only one

 

[hacksaw7]

I think Montreal had such a ridicously rich history of captain than when Charbonneau and the Forum close almost at the same time putting a spotlight on it, it created a bit of an impossible bar with Muller-Kean-Turgeon-Damphousse really rapid musical chair.

I am really not sure Turgeon was a worst captain than Pacioretty, but I imagine it would be between those 2 since Blake, with possibly a massive step to the next ones.



This, no way Montreal reach the Stanley Cups over the Devils type of team back in those days, today there is a bit more of a anyone can turn thing around and if they make the playoff who knows sentiment in the air, then back went all time great team were dominating the NHL for long period. Also maybe we care a lot less and used for mediocrity to be the goal trying to achieve and happy with. Back in the early 2000s, there was we will ever be great again ? Now, will we achieve to be mediocre again soon ? Which is less daunting.

The Devils became what the Montreal Canadiens were. I mean look who Lou turned to time and time again to build the core of those Devils. Jacques Lemaire and Larry Robinson. Plus to key former Hab players...Claude Lemieux and Richer. In 02-03 he turned to another ex Hab Pat Burns. Lamoriello always tried to have a little bit of the old Habs formula in New Jersey

 

[sr edler]

What does the MTL faithful think of the Vigneault era? I see he isn't mentioned here among the most reviled coaches.

Yeah, but he only has a .909 save pct over the last four seasons...so he can't possibly be the only thing keeping the Habs from being sent to the AHL.

I think I recognize Price, but they miss a bunch of other key defensive players from last years playoffs/season too in Danault, Byron, Edmundson and Weber. I still can't believe they let Danault go after that run, but perhaps he saw the writing on the wall himself and said 'au revoir'? And they had some other guys too who still contributed in some way or another (Perry, Kotkaniemi, Tatar). It's just not the same team this year (and the new additions suck pretty hard in Dvorak and Hoffman), and that team last year was still fairly mediocre until it stole all that playoff energy from the Leafs.

 

[MXD]

What does the MTL faithful think of the Vigneault era? I see he isn't mentioned here among the most reviled coaches.

Vigneault wasn't a bad coach, at all. The roster got progressively worse though no fault of his own. That 99-00 team should've been much further than two points out of the playoffs...But then again, had Vigneault not overplayed Shayne Corson, they may just have made it.

Danault was a cap casualty. A stupid casualty, yes (especially if you're to give most of the savings to Mike Hoffman), but a casualty nonetheless.

 

[MadLuke]

What does the MTL faithful think of the Vigneault era? I see he isn't mentioned here among the most reviled coaches.

That could have been overblown or true but completely overrating how much the actual head coach matter on a nhl team.

Carbonneau was hard to beat in term of bad coach, he had a 104 pts first position in the east season reaching round 2.

Vignault got an average team, lost Reechi, Damphousse and Koivu to injury, we got excited to a Petrov-Zholtok-Zubrus first line around that time.

I still can't believe they let Danault go after that run, but perhaps he saw the writing on the wall himself and said 'au revoir'?

I want to believe that, that they did try really hard, he is currently leading the Kings pts/60 at 5v5, while having the most defensive start on that team, with a ridicously good all alone that high on the team 67.50% GF, which seem to confirm him having some of the best stats years after years among nhl center at EV was not some anomaly.

 

[decma]

Does anyone know when the Habs last finished last in the league in scoring?

 

[Michael Farkas]

Close (bottom 3) a lot of times...but last time they finished last:
1947-48 (6/6)
1935-36 (8/8)
1922-23 (4/4)

 

[BenchBrawl]

The current team is a badly built team, the result of, basically, every assessment made about a player being wrong.

What do you mean?

 

[hacksaw7]

1998-99 was really something wretched. Montreal was 2nd to last in the NHL in goals, they did not have a single 20 goal scorer. Closest was Rucinsky who had 17 im 73 games. They didn't have that putrid a record (32-39-11) but they were just flat out unwatchable. A lot of fringe hangers on (or flat out shouldnt be heres) got into games for them that year. Jason Dawe, Eric Houde, Andrei Bashkirov etc

The last 19 games of the regular season, they did not score more than 3 goals once

99-00 They got off to a piss poor start (3-11-1) once again 2nd to last on goals scored. But after about mid January they started to come together and finished a little above .500. Hackett and Theodore had good years and their defense was respectable

 

[Nerowoy nora tolad]

Andrei Bashkirov etc

Whats the story with him, why is he regarded so poorly?

 

[GMR]

Has any NHL team been worse at drafting, developing, signing, or trading for superstars in the last 25 years?

They've had some decent players but no gamebreakers. No elite forwards or defensemen (maybe Subban for a little). Just Carey Price. Total failure on the organization. You can't win without great players.

 

[MadLuke]

gamebreakers

Price at is peak is one.

No elite forwards or defensemen (maybe Subban for a little).

Maybe peak Subban got to Markov level, but sustained Markov was close to that (he reached elite level imo).

In term of spectacular Skater in the last 25, Montreal must be close to the bottom, when Kovalev almost made a top 10 in 2007-2008 (#11) there was song about him and sadness to see him leave when he did, with the storyline did not had that talent in a forward since a third of season of Koivu before injuries 10 year's before that.