When does Therrien get fired?

[Toronthab]

I'm just angry about the PK thing. Cant you guys recognice a rage induced rant when you see one? Lol

Hahaah.. I miss PK.

[hab29RETIRED]

I think one of the biggest indictments of le idiot as a coach is MB's own comment that most of the UFA's he pursued were not interested in playing in Montreeal. Can't have anything to do with us having a complete ass for a coach that most offensively minded players would steer clear off.

[dlbalr]

I think one of the biggest indictments of le idiot as a coach is MB's own comment that most of the UFA's he pursued were not interested in playing in Montreeal. Can't have anything to do with us having a complete ass for a coach that most offensively minded players would steer clear off.

He didn't say most. He said some UFA's told him that they don't want to play in Montreal. And we also can't immediately jump to the conclusion that the only reason that's the case is because of Therrien. There are quite a few other factors that could be in play as well. (I'm not saying Therrien isn't among those factors, just not that he's the only reason some don't want to play for the Habs.)

[Machine of Loving Grace]

In Montreal if you win it was because Carey Price and if you lose it's because you suck and everyone in town will tell you that you suck and you make too much and they never should have signed you in free agency and there's a good Quebec kid who didn't get signed because of you and the only reason this team ever wins any games is because of Carey Price.

Even when the Habs win games you're a loser. Why come here? Because if you do win the Cup they'll forget about hating you for a couple months? The Leafs have sold that song for decades now. It's hard to feel good in Montreal.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

It would be nice if the 'journalists' who cover the Habs were to follow up with Dumber about that. 'In your press conference, you said some players don't want to come to Montreal under any circumstances...could you elaborate on the reasons they give?' And if he says he doesn't ask for their reasons, follow up again and ask, 'why not? Wouldn't that be potentially useful information in terms of knowing what you need to do to attract them in the future?' As it is, we're left with pure speculation.

Frankly I think that if Price had stayed healthy and the team had reeled off another top-of-the-Conference performance as a result, UFAs would have been more interested.

[hab29RETIRED]

It would be nice if the 'journalists' who cover the Habs were to follow up with Dumber about that. 'In your press conference, you said some players don't want to come to Montreal under any circumstances...could you elaborate on the reasons they give?' And if he says he doesn't ask for their reasons, follow up again and ask, 'why not? Wouldn't that be potentially useful information in terms of knowing what you need to do to attract them in the future?' As it is, we're left with pure speculation.

Frankly I think that if Price had stayed healthy and the team had reeled off another top-of-the-Conference performance as a result, UFAs would have been more interested.

I don't think Dumber has the brains to ask those questions. All he seems to be concerned about is brining in the guys he scouted or were on the hawks back when he worked with them.

The rest of the league is going toward relying more on analytics and a possession game and value puck moving dmen. MB just picked up a 1990's/mid 2000's type of dman who is signed for the next 10 years until he is 41 and another 3rd liner grinder that will make almost $4M for the next 6 years.

Even the usual laughable panthers made a number of improvements. I'd rather pay Yandle the money he is going to get than what we are paying Emelin, Shaw, DD and declining guys like Pleks and Markov (both of who I've always liked, but one is clearly near the end and the other is starting to decline).

[DON]

It would be nice if the 'journalists' who cover the Habs were to follow up with Dumber about that. 'In your press conference, you said some players don't want to come to Montreal under any circumstances...could you elaborate on the reasons they give?' And if he says he doesn't ask for their reasons, follow up again and ask, 'why not? Wouldn't that be potentially useful information in terms of knowing what you need to do to attract them in the future?' As it is, we're left with pure speculation.

Frankly I think that if Price had stayed healthy and the team had reeled off another top-of-the-Conference performance as a result, UFAs would have been more interested.

Because some questions they simply will dodge, and when arnt fans basing a lot on speculation?

I think all would agree a top of standings season is more attractive for recruitment, than a less than spectacular one like last season.

[JoeLassister]

It would be nice if the 'journalists' who cover the Habs were to follow up with Dumber about that. 'In your press conference, you said some players don't want to come to Montreal under any circumstances...could you elaborate on the reasons they give?' And if he says he doesn't ask for their reasons, follow up again and ask, 'why not? Wouldn't that be potentially useful information in terms of knowing what you need to do to attract them in the future?' As it is, we're left with pure speculation.

Frankly I think that if Price had stayed healthy and the team had reeled off another top-of-the-Conference performance as a result, UFAs would have been more interested.

Here is an educated guess of a mix of reasons :

- Taxes

- Weather

- Taxes

- Language

- Taxes

- Medias/exposure

- Taxes

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Here is an educated guess of a mix of reasons :

- Taxes

- Weather

- Taxes

- Language

- Taxes

- Medias/exposure

- Taxes

Taxes are hardly a problem for most players. Many players are fine with going to places like New York, Philadelphia, any California team, etc. where the taxes are high as well. The guys who care about taxes usually stay in Florida.

Everything you listed is an excuse for a GM. They can just do a half ass job and say hey, it wasn't under my control! When Justin Williams chose Washington over Montreal, he didn't mention taxes or media. He mentioned the centres he'd rather play with. When guys leave Montreal, they usually talk about wanting to play for a winning culture or praise the coaches of where they are about to go. That stuff matters to players a lot more than taxes.

People balked at Eller talking about Washington's winning culture, but Washington is always after the Cup. It's not about how they've failed, it's about how they've pushed for it. Trust me, everyone leaving Montreal remembers Bergevin sitting on his hands and doing absolutely nothing to try to repair the ship last season. He just let the team sink so he could draft Sergachev and make some major changes he wanted to make when the team was winning. Players talk.

[kaos]

Taxes, ability to win and media/fans are the biggest issues.

Who in their right mind chooses a fishbowl exsistence with the highest taxes and shitty weather to play in?

Nobody. Because until Milan Lucic choose Edmonton on July 1st almost none of the biggest free agents in the last 20 years have chosen Canada as a place to play.

Agents almost universally say their clients avoid Canadian cities because of these issues, as well as including them in NTC.

Hate Bergevin and Therrien all you want, they aren't the reason players are not choosing Montreal

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Taxes, ability to win and media/fans are the biggest issues.

Who in their right mind chooses a fishbowl exsistence with the highest taxes and shitty weather to play in?

Nobody. Because until Milan Lucic choose Edmonton on July 1st almost none of the biggest free agents in the last 20 years have chosen Canada as a place to play.

This summer actually had four of the top 10 free agents goto crappy Canadian teams: Lucic (Edmonton), Brouwer (Calgary), Eriksson (Vancouver), and Radulov (Montreal). It was a rare summer.

[Commandant]

Taxes, ability to win and media/fans are the biggest issues.

Who in their right mind chooses a fishbowl exsistence with the highest taxes and shitty weather to play in?

Nobody. Because until Milan Lucic choose Edmonton on July 1st almost none of the biggest free agents in the last 20 years have chosen Canada as a place to play.

Agents almost universally say their clients avoid Canadian cities because of these issues, as well as including them in NTC.

Hate Bergevin and Therrien all you want, they aren't the reason players are not choosing Montreal

Alberta Teams have some of the lowest tax rates in the NHL, and yet as you say before Lucic no high profile guys were going there.

[kaos]

This summer actually had four of the top 10 free agents goto crappy Canadian teams: Lucic (Edmonton), Brouwer (Calgary), Eriksson (Vancouver), and Radulov (Montreal). It was a rare summer.

Lucic decision came down to McDavid and he's closer to home. Also Edmonton paid with top dollar and term

Brouwer was in the 2nd tier group of free agents and was building a house already in Calgary and will be close to home in Vancouver.

Erickson is a mystery....I'm guessing dollars and term of contract.

Radulov I'm guessing Montreal had to overpay for. Most GM's were probably scared of his past too.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Lucic decision came down to McDavid and he's closer to home. Also Edmonton paid with top dollar and term

Brouwer was in the 2nd tier group of free agents and was building a house already in Calgary and will be close to home in Vancouver.

Erickson is a mystery....I'm guessing dollars and term of contract.

Radulov I'm guessing Montreal had to overpay for. Most GM's were probably scared of his past too.

Radulov wanted to come to Montreal. Only free agent with any value who wanted to (though the Kris Russell scare is still out there.) Simple as that.

Lucic was choosing between Edmonton and Montreal. Picked Edmonton because he couldn't see himself in a Habs sweater.

Brouwer was a Top 10 free agent this summer.

Eriksson said he wanted to play with the Sedin's. Plus he got a long term deal.

[BCHabnut]

Isn't real estate in Montreal reasonable compared to Toronto and Vancouver? You would think that the low dollar would offset any tax issues. Foreign investment in real estate is crazy right now and mostly due to the low canadian dollar. The southern states homes are way cheaper but California Philly Boston New York not so much.

[Commandant]

Real Estate prices don't effect much. Who cares? The house might be expensive now, but it will also be expensive in 5 years when you leave the city and sell it. So its a wash.

Taxes are money you aren't going to get back.

[DON]

Taxs, weather, language bigots, ZERO Cup wins this century, Low Can $, highly critical media, likely all factor in.

[Commandant]

Low Can $ likely helps. Players get paid in US Dollars regardless of what team they play for.

When the dollar drops, they actually can buy more.

[BCHabnut]

That's sort of what I was looking at. I realize these gus are rich, but a player making 2 million a year buys a million dollar home for 800 thou us, and sells it 5 years later at a better dollar. maybe for 1.2 mill. Chump change for these guys I know. But it would still be better than going to NYC, TO van, LA and having to settle for way less of a home or pay 10 times that for a suburban estate home.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

That's sort of what I was looking at. I realize these gus are rich, but a player making 2 million a year buys a million dollar home for 800 thou us, and sells it 5 years later at a better dollar. maybe for 1.2 mill. Chump change for these guys I know. But it would still be better than going to NYC, TO van, LA and having to settle for way less of a home or pay 10 times that for a suburban estate home.

Yeah, I think we forget that deprivation and wealth are always relative. People living in societies where everyone is poor generally don't suffer from a keen sense of deprivation; similarly, if you make $800 000 per year and you're hanging with millionaires, you feel less privileged than you would if your peers were regular folks with regular incomes. This is, I suspect, one reason why the wealthy always seem to seek yet more wealth - they always know some guy who has more than they do and want to keep up with those Jonses. Hockey players are no different. It's not a dynamic for which we should have much sympathy ('awww, poor MaxPac, he is under-paid at 4.5 mil') but it's a reality.

[kickass528]

I somewhat disagree I lived next door to Larry Robinson most down to earth you would ever meet he lived in a average house in a small town Steve Shutt was lived down the road same with him through them I meet a lot of the Habs players they never made me feel like trash. I had learnt from them some players don't like to play in MTL because of the pressure of playing in MTL and some player don't mind. Some of todays players do try to keep up with the jonses

Lucic was offered $700,000 more to play in MTL and went to the Oliers of all teams some times its not about the money

Edited July 13, 2016 by kickass528

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I somewhat disagree I lived next door to Larry Robinson most down to earth you would ever meet he lived in a average house in a small town Steve Shutt was lived down the road same with him through them I meet a lot of the Habs players they never made me feel like trash. I had learnt from them some players don't like to play in MTL because of the pressure of playing in MTL and some player don't mind. Some of todays players do try to keep up with the jonses

Lucic was offered $700,000 more to play in MTL and went to the Oliers of all teams some times its not about the money

Well those guys were a different generation. Players back then were well-paid but not super-rich like they are now.

(Notice that I never said that rich people treat others like trash, however. My point was just that their frame of reference is other rich people, including people richer than them; and that's part of the reason why they so often want more, despite already 'having everything' when seen from the perspective of the Proles like you and me).

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Chris Pronger is a really nice guy according to a friend of mine who went out drinking with him. He was nice to my friend who treated him like any other guy and a complete prick to the guy who kept trying to get hockey info out of him. That guy got told to fly a kite.

There's other stories I know and have experienced. I've known girls who dated some major stars back when they were in junior and people who still talk to former NHLers on a regular basis. Most are regular jocks. There's still only one Ken Dryden so you should never expect much else.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Chris Pronger is a really nice guy according to a friend of mine who went out drinking with him. He was nice to my friend who treated him like any other guy and a complete prick to the guy who kept trying to get hockey info out of him. That guy got told to fly a kite.

There's other stories I know and have experienced. I've known girls who dated some major stars back when they were in junior and people who still talk to former NHLers on a regular basis. Most are regular jocks. There's still only one Ken Dryden so you should never expect much else.

Yeah, 'regular jocks' sounds about right. I've heard all my life from media types that hockey players are far and away the least arrogant, most agreeable athletes of the four major North American sports, so presumably there's a lot of truth in that. This doesn't make them guys I'd want to hang out with - not being a 'jock' type myself - but that's a different thing.

It's sort of a fun question, which hockey players you'd personally most like to have a beer with, based on what you know about them. Bob Gainey and Ken Dryden would be high on my list. As for the current squad, I'm not sure.

[BCHabnut]

Have a beer with? Probably Carey Price. He seems like a laid back dude. Go drinking with? Definitely Ovechkin and Burns. I think those guys would be fun to hang out with.