REV-G Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 (edited) Over the years there has always been a strong Montreal - Toronto rivalry on all fronts. And hockey has always been in the very centre of that rivalry. But these days when you look at the two organizations, both on and off the ice, there is now a huge difference. Even though the Canadiens are ahead in points and most other stats this year that isn't where the huge differences show up. It's when you look at the upper managment structure of the teams and then the results of these two different leadership structures, that's when you see how far apart these two organizations have become. Montreal went through very difficult times of their own when Ronald Corey fired Serge Savard and brought in Rejean Houle as GM and Mario Tremblay as coach. Both were totally inexperienced in the positions they were about to fill. The results were somewhat predictable. Bad teams, bad trades, frustrated players, and they quickly fell well behind the elite teams and you heard a lot of fan and media criticism. But then the turnaround. They hired Pierre Boivin, who had good leadership skills, good enough to know he shouldn't be running the hockey side of the team so he brought in Andre Savard, who had a great emphasis on drafting and developing good young players. Then the best move of all, they brought in Bob Gainey. And from there they have kept to their plan and slowly drafted great young players and have done one of the best jobs in the NHL of building a team internally with some trades to help out. Look at the roster on any given night and you count that over half the team has been the result of great drafting, with picks they refused to trade. We have one of the best stockpiles of young drafted players that will continue to stock our team for years. I consider two deals to have been failures. Trading Mike Ribiero, the return was pretty poor, and bringing in Samsonov. But who in any sport can bat 1000% on every deal they make. Impossible. But compare us now with Toronto. Bad upper managment has been their pattern for decades. They continually intervere and have hurt their organization. They could have had Bob Gainey but their upper managment messed it up. Recently they could have had Scotty Bowman, but upper management interferred again. This managment team brought in a basketball manager and coach and then fired them both. They brought in an honest man of integrity, John Ferguson, but he had never been a GM and they put him in charge of one of the key teams in the league, a media hotbed, and made him run everything through them, non hockey people, and when their plan failed, they fired him. They have very few good prospects because they traded their picks away for veterans, often over the hill or underachieving ones. The result is the team is in shambles. Their future is not bright, becasue it will likely be years before they can come close to what Bob Gainey has assembled in Montreal. When you compare these two organizations these days, there is no comparrison. And in the next few years they will likely move even further apart. Montreal will head up, Toronto will likely head down before they can move up. When you compare them, Montreal wins, hands down!! Edited January 24, 2008 by REV-G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habsfan84 Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Agreed upon that the Habs organization is top class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTH Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 We're still comparing ourselves to those losers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wamsley01 Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 We're still comparing ourselves to those losers? LOL, I was thinking when you accept comparisons to the Leafs you realize how far you have fallen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyhasbeen Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 (edited) Um, Lets see, since the 60's we have had a team, and still do . They haven't and don't. In the few weak years we missed the playoffs we hung our heads in shame. In the good years we won cups, and a few we shouldn't have. In the few seasons theY competed they fell short and have never pulled off a miricle run, unlike Montreal. Leaf fans seem to be ammune to shame, or they just live with it. As do their players or they could never raise their heads. I know the feeling, last year in the airport in Toronto the day after dropping the season to these guys, seeing their jerseys on guys and realizing if we had won I would be wearing mine with Pride. Shame! PRIDE=HABS/SHAME=LEAFS Next question? Edited January 25, 2008 by johnnyhasbeen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Harry Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Don't forget Molson selling to George Gillet. We had our own boardroom of buffoons fouling things up before we got a real sports fan to come in, but one smart enough to support his team financially where needed, and let the hockey men he's hired run the show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neech Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I think the thread title explains why this thread is unnecessary. I will agree that Gillett is a pretty good owner, he seems low-key and respectful. Some loud-mouth douchebag couldn't come into Quebec and run the Habs, even if he was stinking rich. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saskhab Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Gillett is definitely a forgotten man especially this year... He got things turned around and gave the organization structure. Unfortunately for him things aren't going as well with Liverpool FC... the relationship between management and ownership, as well as ownership's reputation in the media and with fans is a mess right now. Good thing he got things stable over here before venturing out into the world of the English Premiership. I'd rather compare us to Ottawa and Detroit now. Let's hereby pledge to not compare us with Toronto again! Aim higher! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habsfan Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 (edited) I'd rather compare us to Ottawa and Detroit now. Let's hereby pledge to not compare us with Toronto again! Aim higher! Here here! Well said! I just hope that Uncle Goerge doesn't lose too much money in his Liverpool "experiment". Looks like he'll have to sell soon enough. The People in Liverpool never liked him or Tom Hicks simply cause they were americans. They never gave them a chance. I agree that some over here were skeptical when Uncle George took over, but we at least gave him a chance, and he's proven himself, by delegating the responsibilities of the day to day operations of the team to smart and decent men. Oh yeah, screw the Leaves! Never ever compare the Habs organization to that cesspool of crap that the Toronto Maple Leafs oraganization is! Edited January 25, 2008 by Habsfan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tokyohabs Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Here here! Well said! I just hope that Uncle Goerge doesn't lose too much money in his Liverpool "experiment". Looks like he'll have to sell soon enough. The People in Liverpool never liked him or Tom Hicks simply cause they were americans. They never gave them a chance. I agree that some over here were skeptical when Uncle George took over, but we at least gave him a chance, and he's proven himself, by delegating the responsibilities of the day to day operations of the team to smart and decent men. Oh yeah, screw the Leaves! Never ever compare the Habs organization to that cesspool of crap that the Toronto Maple Leafs oraganization is! Untrue. Hicks constantly antagonizes or undermines cult-hero Benitez; and the way they have financed the club is potentially precarious. The poms are pretty xenophobic, but the Villa chairman is popular and you don't hear too much against the Glazers now at ManUre. Hicks mainly, GG by association, have stumbled every step of the way. I hope for the Habs sake they sell to the Dubai consortium. Football is the ultimate money pit. Was someone seriously comparing us to the Laffs??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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