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Alain Vigneault New Canuks Head Coach


Peter Puck

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Therrien in Pittsburgh

Julien in NJ

now Vigneault in Vancouver.

Say what you want, I think this is a kick in the teeth of all the haters who whined and bitched that those three coaches only got the job in Montreal because they were Francophones.

I'm happy for all three of them to have found work as head-coaches elsewhere in the NHL. And I'm proud about the fact that the Habs were the first organization to give them a chance behind a bench in the NHL.

I think other teams in the NHL are starting to realize that it takes nerves of steel for a coach to work in Montreal where, on top of your normal job, you have to explain your every move over and over again on a daily basis to a wolfpack of generaly clueless journalists.

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Therrien in Pittsburgh

Julien in NJ

now Vigneault in Vancouver.

Say what you want, I think this is a kick in the teeth of all the haters who whined and bitched that those three coaches only got the job in Montreal because they were Francophones.

I agree, but maybe you could also say that Montreal gives NHL-inexperienced coaches, that do have potential, a shot because they are Francophones. It seems to me that (yet I could be wrong because I'm younger and actually don't know all that much about past coaches) Montreal does not often hire a rookie coach who isn't at least functionable in the French language (for obvious reasons).

I find it interesting that considering the lack of French-speaking players on the team, that the coaching staff is now pretty much anglophone. Since Gainey has arrived, he's cleared out some of the French players it seems... Theodore, Brisebois, Garon, Quintal (even if he was near retirement), etc(?) while bringing in an English coaching staff.

Only Gainey knows what he's doing, but I'm sure he had a plan all along (To bring in Carbo, etc).

Anyways..... back on topic: I think Vigneault will do fine in Vancouver. I don't remember him as a terrible coach, but at the same time not great. However, the team wasn't anything special during his stay in Montreal. I'm expecting some big changes in Vancouver though, likely a youth movement? So I'm sure the hiring will make more sense as the off-season progresses.

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I agree, but maybe you could also say that Montreal gives NHL-inexperienced coaches, that do have potential, a shot because they are Francophones. It seems to me that (yet I could be wrong because I'm younger and actually don't know all that much about past coaches) Montreal does not often hire a rookie coach who isn't at least functionable in the French language (for obvious reasons).

Since Toe Blake's retirement in 1968 (about 40 years), the Habs only had 1 head coach who couldnt function in French: Bob Berry from 81 to 84 (unless you count Al McNeil).

Montreal seems to be the ONLY team in the NHL that gives those French coaches a shot. I think the only other French coach who broke in the NHL with another team recently was Bob Hartley with Colorado and Guy Charron with Calgary. Before that you have to go back to the 80's with Lemaire, Burns, Martin, Pagé and Demers.

I find it interesting that considering the lack of French-speaking players on the team, that the coaching staff is now pretty much anglophone. Since Gainey has arrived, he's cleared out some of the French players it seems... Theodore, Brisebois, Garon, Quintal (even if he was near retirement), etc(?) while bringing in an English coaching staff.

English coaching staff? Carbo and Melanson are not English. Jarvis and Muller are. They're basically replacing Gainey and Green. So its pretty much the same as it was before.

As for the players, Breezer's days were numbers. Theodore can't hold his life together, Quintal was tired of the cliques and Garon had no place to play behind Theo (ironic).

Beside, Gainey replaced Garon with Huet, Theodore with Aebischer, Brisebois with Dandeneault, Quintal with Streit, added Begin, drafted from the QMJHL as much as his predecessors, etc. So basically the amount of French player is the same.

Anyways..... back on topic: I think Vigneault will do fine in Vancouver. I don't remember him as a terrible coach, but at the same time not great. However, the team wasn't anything special during his stay in Montreal. I'm expecting some big changes in Vancouver though, likely a youth movement? So I'm sure the hiring will make more sense as the off-season progresses.

Well Vigneault was coaching the Nucks' affiliate team (Manitoba), so this move makes sense any way you look at it. They had a 44-24--7 record with him, so it looks alright.

Hope Captain Planet is happy now... :P

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I think other teams in the NHL are starting to realize that it takes nerves of steel for a coach to work in Montreal where, on top of your normal job, you have to explain your every move over and over again on a daily basis to a wolfpack of generaly clueless journalists.

it is the exact same in vancity, so it will be good that he has been through the crap before... he was great with the manitoba moose last year, so i sure hope that continues!

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it is the exact same in vancity, so it will be good that he has been through the crap before... he was great with the manitoba moose last year, so i sure hope that continues!

Is the Nucks' coach getting more press coverage than BC's Premier or the Prime Minister of Canada too? Because that's the case in Montreal. :P

Oh, by the way... the Giants got PWNED! ;)

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Good for Vigneault.

Next former Canadiens coaches to be hired are Tremblay, Perron & I forget off-hand...

:king: :hlogo: :king:

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Vigneault was one of the better coaches that Montreal has had since their last Cup, probably the best. He took an injury-decimated team almost into the playoffs, only to lose the last game of the season. The team played for him, and he let them play an up-tempo game, when they had players who could play that way. The only reason he lost his job was because they replaced the GM. It's about time he got a second shot in the NHL.

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LMAO.............Captain Planet? :P

Vigneault was the guy from the start. Nonis is only trying to put his stamp on this team so that's why he let Crawford go. Vigneault did an awesome job with what he had in Manitobe seeing how many times his best players were called up due to Vancouver's never ending injuries to basically all our star players and yt managed to get his team to do so well.

I am pretty sure you will see the same Canucks team next year except letting Jovo walk. He's not worth the 5.5-6.5 mill that he'll get as for the past 3 years, he's been out for lengthy periods of time and his overall play has been ok..... Bertuzzi is likely to stay. Unless Nonis can improve the team he's staying. Our best player down the stretch and it's his contract year next year.

Back to Vigneault....... He is perfect for this team. This team wasn't listening to Crawford anymore and was out worked countless times(Though it probably also was due to the excess injuries). Alain is perfect here. ;)

Gizmo is dead. :lol: No one (except me :P ) can escape the wrath of Hippie. One less Avs fan to worry about. ^_^;)

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Gizmo is alive and well my Canucklehead cheering friend. It takes more then a Hippie to take down an almighty AVALANCHE FAN!

Now when your goalie cheats on his girlfriend with Paris Hilton, that might do it.

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