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Who will it be, the assistant coaching edition


hankhab

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Donald Audette, whose son went 1st overall in the QMJHL draft today, has interviewed for one of the vacancies. I believe he coached a midget team this year, experience isn't working in his favour. Gerard Gallant has also interviewed.

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Oh god, please at least let it be Gallant over Audette. Seriously, what the heck has that old whiner done in the last 10 years? I can't find any trace of it. No professional management positions, or coaching. He's running a triple A midget team? For ######'s sake.

Is he a motivator? Would he play good cop? Is he a strategist? Why hasn't he been employed by NHL teams, or any other professional franchise? I just don't see any use to this guy. He was spoon-fed pucks his entire career. He didn't grind, or play defense, didn't compete at practice. What great virtue is he expected to pass along to this team? Will he be able to see above the players heads? LOL well, i guess Torts can, so he should be ok.

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Donald Audette, whose son went 1st overall in the QMJHL draft today, has interviewed for one of the vacancies. I believe he coached a midget team this year, experience isn't working in his favour. Gerard Gallant has also interviewed.

Can someone explain to me why Donald Audette was even interviewed. If he has not coached anywhere in pro hockey, other than midget??, why would we even be interviewing him???? Why spend the time and money when you have a guy like Gallant, who has done his time and has lots of coaching experience at the junior and pro level. Unless there's something we don't know that sounds very very strange to me.

One person it won't be is former assistant Perry Pearn who was fired as a pro scout late this week. He has 2 years left on his deal still.

I wonder if he was the one who pushed for us to sign Kaberle?? That alone could be the reason.

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Can someone explain to me why Donald Audette was even interviewed. If he has not coached anywhere in pro hockey, other than midget??, why would we even be interviewing him???? Why spend the time and money when you have a guy like Gallant, who has done his time and has lots of coaching experience at the junior and pro level. Unless there's something we don't know that sounds very very strange to me.

Audette played under Therrien in his first stint with the Habs. Therrien must have seen something he liked.

I wonder if he was the one who pushed for us to sign Kaberle?? That alone could be the reason.

The Habs' interest in Kaberle was there for a couple of years. When Boston got him Montreal was the other team reportedly in the mix. Gauthier was GM at that time and he was at the time the deal was made. I'd doubt Pearn was the final influence on the trade.

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For an assistant, I suppose if Therrien was impressed with Audette's knowledge of the game as a player, I suppose there is nothing wrong having one assistant without actual coaching experience, but the other assistant would have to be an experienced, technical coach.

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I have nothing against Audette, but if he's hired, you really have to wonder whether the Habs are running a merit-based operation or a connections-based les boys network.

Well, looks like Patrice Brisbois is going to have some sort of position in the organization, so read into that what you want. There are some positions that former players can just walk into, at least its not GM (Garth Snow) or coach (Mario Trembley) in this case.
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Im 100% behind hiring Gallant

120% even

I'm from PEI (where Gallant is from) and have followed his career. I have heard quite a bit about him as a coach in junior. Apparently he is a real hard ass coach, no nonsense type of guy, and is not the best communicator. I don't know how well that would go with Therrien. Two psycho's may not be the right thing for this team.

In an ideal situation I would like Gallant as an assistant coach, I just don't think with our current head coach it would be a smart move.

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Robinson is not part of the incestuous Quebecois/RDS dasiy chain, so don't bet on seeing him hired any time soon.

Brisebois: I'm one of the few who always respected him as a player. He is a true example of someone who experienced the best and worst of Montreal and he carved out a damned nice career for himself as a useful NHL defender. I think he probably would be a worthy addition to the organization in some capacity - but it depends on which capacity. Throwing him in there as assistant coach would only make sense if he is surrounded by seasoned pros to help him out. I'd prefer he learn the trade in Hamilton, or maybe do some scouting or something.

I think Mario Tremblay should be considered well-qualified based on his years studying at Jacques Lemaire's knee. He is no longer the buffoon who contributed so dramatically to destroying the Montreal Canadiens as an elite franchise. I know the optics of hiring him look really terrible, but it would be inconsistent with my insistence on merit and qualifications not to take him seriously as a highly qualified assistant coaching candidate. Now excuse me as I duck the various flying objects being hurled my way by others on this board :)

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Can someone explain to me why Donald Audette was even interviewed. If he has not coached anywhere in pro hockey, other than midget??, why would we even be interviewing him???? Why spend the time and money when you have a guy like Gallant, who has done his time and has lots of coaching experience at the junior and pro level. Unless there's something we don't know that sounds very very strange to me.

I wonder if he was the one who pushed for us to sign Kaberle?? That alone could be the reason.

Kaberle trade was a good, if not a very good and smart one, so it would be hard to attribute to Pearn, but is just good he is gone and wont be running MAB out there for a regular shift ever again.
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Well, looks like Patrice Brisbois is going to have some sort of position in the organization, so read into that what you want. There are some positions that former players can just walk into, at least its not GM (Garth Snow) or coach (Mario Trembley) in this case.

Brisbois had little hockey sense on the ice, so just dont see him being any use whatsoever, cept negatively, but who knows.

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Yeah, whining about the "incestuous Quebecois chain" and then promoting a hire of Mario Tremblay basically means you need to lay off the bottle ;)

Ha ha, well, I'm certainly not saying DON'T hire francophone quebecers. If you look at Tremblay's credentials objectively and forget about his baggage, you see that he has to be rated a serious candidate as assistant coach. This is unlike the Donald Audette scenario or even the Therrien hiring (given my view of Therrien as an egregious and proven mediocrity).

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Brisbois had little hockey sense on the ice, so just dont see him being any use whatsoever, cept negatively, but who knows.

Gretzky was the smartest player of all time... no doubt about that. You can maybe argue for Mario or Orr as better players, and make a good case, but I think Wayne was the best.

What you can't argue though is who was the smartest player, who had the most hockey sense, because that was Wayne by a mile.

He couldn't coach to save his life though.

Coaching and playing, they are just different.

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Gretzky was the smartest player of all time... no doubt about that. You can maybe argue for Mario or Orr as better players, and make a good case, but I think Wayne was the best.

What you can't argue though is who was the smartest player, who had the most hockey sense, because that was Wayne by a mile.

He couldn't coach to save his life though.

Coaching and playing, they are just different.

But would you rather have the Big Bird or Brisbois tutorin a bunch of young d-men. I dont say need a former all-star d-man as coach, but come on Brisbois could easily corrupt em and be in way over his head?

Could they maybe get Denis Potvin to coach the d? And Gallant would be a good choice as forward coach i think? But i am a bit biased and always pull for Maritimers.

McTavish is off the list for as a Muller replacement, good move for Oilers and unlikely McTavish would be considered by RDS Habs for employment anyways.

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But would you rather have the Big Bird or Brisbois tutorin a bunch of young d-men. I dont say need a former all-star d-man as coach, but come on Brisbois could easily corrupt em and be in way over his head?

Could they maybe get Denis Potvin to coach the d? And Gallant would be a good choice as forward coach i think? But i am a bit biased and always pull for Maritimers.

McTavish is off the list for as a Muller replacement, good move for Oilers and unlikely McTavish would be considered by RDS Habs for employment anyways.

Big Bird would be the best. Everyone thinks so, but he isn't available.

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But would you rather have the Big Bird or Brisbois tutorin a bunch of young d-men. I dont say need a former all-star d-man as coach, but come on Brisbois could easily corrupt em and be in way over his head?

Could they maybe get Denis Potvin to coach the d? And Gallant would be a good choice as forward coach i think? But i am a bit biased and always pull for Maritimers.

McTavish is off the list for as a Muller replacement, good move for Oilers and unlikely McTavish would be considered by RDS Habs for employment anyways.

Brisebois is rumorred to be an assistant coach in Hamilton, not with the big club. They are starting him off slowly.

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But would you rather have the Big Bird or Brisbois tutorin a bunch of young d-men. I dont say need a former all-star d-man as coach, but come on Brisbois could easily corrupt em and be in way over his head?

Scotty Bowman, Mike Babcock, Glenn Sather.

Who are terrible hockey players who became great coaches?

Those who can't; teach. It's very rare for great players to become great coaches because great players a lot of time have skill they can't understand or teach. Wayne Gretzky sees the ice better than any player alive and I can assure you he doesn't understand why other people don't. So while he can predict where a puck will be, he can't coach a player on the Coyotes to figure it out.

For every Toe Blake or Larry Robinson there is a hundred Pat Quinn/Scotty Bowman stories of rough nose hockey players getting career ending injuries and realizing they need to become coaches if they want to stay in the game. Never assume a player will coach like he played. Besides, the only guy who fits that line (coaches how he plays) is Jacques Lemaire.

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Scotty Bowman, Mike Babcock, Glenn Sather.

Who are terrible hockey players who became great coaches?

Those who can't; teach. It's very rare for great players to become great coaches because great players a lot of time have skill they can't understand or teach. Wayne Gretzky sees the ice better than any player alive and I can assure you he doesn't understand why other people don't. So while he can predict where a puck will be, he can't coach a player on the Coyotes to figure it out.

For every Toe Blake or Larry Robinson there is a hundred Pat Quinn/Scotty Bowman stories of rough nose hockey players getting career ending injuries and realizing they need to become coaches if they want to stay in the game. Never assume a player will coach like he played. Besides, the only guy who fits that line (coaches how he plays) is Jacques Lemaire.

Well said. Also, there's a certain precedent here. Jacques Laperriere was a fine second-tier defenceman who was chosen to be the Montreal Forum's requisite scapegoat, booed on the ice with some frequency. He went on to be an outstanding defensive coach. Brisebois is obviously not the player Laperriere was, but I like the analogy.

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Well said. Also, there's a certain precedent here. Jacques Laperriere was a fine second-tier defenceman who was chosen to be the Montreal Forum's requisite scapegoat, booed on the ice with some frequency. He went on to be an outstanding defensive coach. Brisebois is obviously not the player Laperriere was, but I like the analogy.

He also has zero coaching experiance on resume does he? But he has been on RDS, so qualifies him to take on mentoring Tinordi, Beaulieu, Ellis, Pateryn etc in Hamilton eh? Sounds like a winning plan.

May work, but i have reservations, id take a Rick Green, Ludwig or any of a 1000 other d-men who actually could play the position, long before this guy. If he had coaching experiance i would have a bit more comfort. But seems just like a political appointment, you aint really qualified at all, but you have connections, job is yours.

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