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If YOU were owner of the HABS


zumpano21

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Just a fun thread but I'm sure there are great ideas amongst this group of sports scholars.

 

Me:  

1- Buy back the land at St Catherine and Atwater.

2 - Build a Forum where it should be (no corporate name attached). Spare no expense.

As a side note, just saw a game in Edm. The arena is great but it feels like a model home (as in no one lives there.)

3 - Return the franchise to full glory.

4 - Achieve legend status :B)

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The Bell Centre has become accepted as the home of the Habs. And it's a good rink, universally recognized as one of the best environments in hockey because of the passion of the fans. I don't sense nostalgia for the Forum any more.

 

That said, I always regretted that the new arena was called a 'centre' rather than a 'forum.' Calling it the Molson/Bell Forum would have offered continuity with the icon of the past...which is of course why they didn't do it. That noun would have diminished the branding power of the new rink. 

 

But the biggest problem with the move was simply that the Habs were atrocious for over a decade afterwards. That was the end of our half-century of excellence, and we have yet to recover.

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1 hour ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

The Bell Centre has become accepted as the home of the Habs. And it's a good rink, universally recognized as one of the best environments in hockey because of the passion of the fans. I don't sense nostalgia for the Forum any more.

 

 

While the seats and ice are great, overall the building is not first-rate.  My first gripe is the narrow concourses, which make going to the concessions and using the washrooms a royal pain in the behind; real estate limitations caused them to cut corners there, and it shows.  The second strike against it has only come to bear recently; the eruption of high rises in extremely close proximity all around it has doomed the building to be nearly invisible, and likely never to see the sun again.

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9 minutes ago, sbhatt said:

 

While the seats and ice are great, overall the building is not first-rate.  My first gripe is the narrow concourses, which make going to the concessions and using the washrooms a royal pain in the behind; real estate limitations caused them to cut corners there, and it shows.  The second strike against it has only come to bear recently; the eruption of high rises in extremely close proximity all around it has doomed the building to be nearly invisible, and likely never to see the sun again.

 

Valid points. All I really meant to say is that the atmosphere in the building is universally recognized as first rate. That's due to Montrealers, not the building itself.

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Agreed CC.  The building is adequate, and replacing it anytime soon would not make sense financially.

 

If I were suddenly to wake up owner of the Habs, I'd implement the following:

 

1. DEMAND my GM make adding top 6 scoring talent his #1 priority.

 

2.  The firing and replacing of JJ Daignault and Sylvain Lefebvre as the first step in overhauling coaching and scouting at all levels to make sure we have the very best in the business.  In the cap era, drafting and development is more important than ever, and as one of the 'richer' teams in the league we should be spending what it takes to gain an advantage in those areas.

 

3.  I'd lean very hard on Bettman and Co. for a seat on the Board of Governors...certainly have plenty of leverage given our position as a top earner.  I would throw my weight around a little bit with regards to the Canadiens getting the shaft schedule-wise at times, and how player discipline and other league issues seem to always go against us.  I would not be the meek Habs owner we have become accustomed to, that's for damn sure. 

 

4.  The pandering to the french media would be OVER.  Hirings for coach and/or GM would be entirely merit based with no language requirements whatsoever...I'd be happy to add a full-time translator to the payroll should a highly qualified anglophone (or Swede or Finn or Russian ect.) come on board in a position that requires media contact.  The truth is, in this day and age, you can connect with the public directly without the 'mainstream media' if need be...Donald Trump has shown how one can do an 'end run' around them through savvy use of social media platforms.

 

 

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26 minutes ago, sbhatt said:

Agreed CC.  The building is adequate, and replacing it anytime soon would not make sense financially.

 

If I were suddenly to wake up owner of the Habs, I'd implement the following:

 

1. DEMAND my GM make adding top 6 scoring talent his #1 priority.

 

2.  The firing and replacing of JJ Daignault and Sylvain Lefebvre as the first step in overhauling coaching and scouting at all levels to make sure we have the very best in the business.  In the cap era, drafting and development is more important than ever, and as one of the 'richer' teams in the league we should be spending what it takes to gain an advantage in those areas.

 

3.  I'd lean very hard on Bettman and Co. for a seat on the Board of Governors...certainly have plenty of leverage given our position as a top earner.  I would throw my weight around a little bit with regards to the Canadiens getting the shaft schedule-wise at times, and how player discipline and other league issues seem to always go against us.  I would not be the meek Habs owner we have become accustomed to, that's for damn sure. 

 

4.  The pandering to the french media would be OVER.  Hirings for coach and/or GM would be entirely merit based with no language requirements whatsoever...I'd be happy to add a full-time translator to the payroll should a highly qualified anglophone (or Swede or Finn or Russian ect.) come on board in a position that requires media contact.  The truth is, in this day and age, you can connect with the public directly without the 'mainstream media' if need be...Donald Trump has shown how one can do an 'end run' around them through savvy use of social media platforms.

 

 

Wy would you need a GM since you are making alll the decisions?

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3 minutes ago, habs rule said:

Wy would you need a GM since you are making alll the decisions?

 

3 and 4 on his list were legit 'ownership' measures, but yeah, it's not for the owner to make hockey decisions - although a lot of them do, Lord knows

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5 hours ago, habs rule said:

Wy would you need a GM since you are making alll the decisions?

 

 

I'm stuck paying MB til 21-22 season....so firing him for somebody with my hockey philosophy too early on means paying him for nothing for too many years.  So instead, I manage him very closely for a few years.  Even if I'm the owner of the Habs and therefore doing quite well financially, I'm not looking to burn money either!  (does that make me sound cheap?)

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Step 1: Fire (almost) everyone

Step 2: Trade (almost) everyone

Step 3: Hire the best minds in sports psychology, analytics, physical training, amateur and pro scouting available. 

Step 4: Kick Bell off the name of the Bell Centre and sell the naming rights to Boston Pizza. Okay I'm kidding about the second part. 

Step 5: Pull a George Gillette and buy a bunch of tickets in the reds to specifically give to high school kids so they can watch home games without paying for the ticket. 

Step 6: Sign players to short term contracts and give the players knowledge that they will likely be traded for picks and prospects

Step 7: Have deep co-operation between the NHL and AHL clubs, even the ECHL club, to ensure that players are being progressed well and that there's no coaching issues. ECHL and AHL clubs will be expected to win and will be 1/2 filled with veteran players so that younger players need to still earn their ice time and progress over veterans to earn ice time and good situations. Players will be left in the ECHL until AHL ready. Players will be left in the AHL until NHL ready.

Step 8: Open up a separate wing of the company called "The First 100 Years" which does all of the 24 Stanley Cup stuff away from the regular club. The regular club will be treated as fresh and separate from their first 100 years of history. 

Step 9: Be the most hated man in Quebec for many years.

Step 10: Be the most beloved man in Quebec when it all theoretically works out. 

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25 minutes ago, sbhatt said:

 

 

I'm stuck paying MB til 21-22 season....so firing him for somebody with my hockey philosophy too early on means paying him for nothing for too many years.  So instead, I manage him very closely for a few years.  Even if I'm the owner of the Habs and therefore doing quite well financially, I'm not looking to burn money either!  (does that make me sound cheap?)

Nahh just hate to see owners get involved in day to day hockey ops.:rolleyes:

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17 hours ago, zumpano21 said:

Just a fun thread but I'm sure there are great ideas amongst this group of sports scholars.

 

Me:  

1- Buy back the land at St Catherine and Atwater.

2 - Build a Forum where it should be (no corporate name attached). Spare no expense.

As a side note, just saw a game in Edm. The arena is great but it feels like a model home (as in no one lives there.)

3 - Return the franchise to full glory.

4 - Achieve legend status :B)

Love it!! Hail the new chief.! :D

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6 hours ago, sbhatt said:

 

While the seats and ice are great, overall the building is not first-rate.  My first gripe is the narrow concourses, which make going to the concessions and using the washrooms a royal pain in the behind; real estate limitations caused them to cut corners there, and it shows.  The second strike against it has only come to bear recently; the eruption of high rises in extremely close proximity all around it has doomed the building to be nearly invisible, and likely never to see the sun again.

"using the washrooms a royal pain in the behind"

 

So that's not how its supposed to be...?

 

Mom!!!! 

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1 hour ago, Machine of Loving Grace said:

Step 1: Fire (almost) everyone

Step 2: Trade (almost) everyone

Step 3: Hire the best minds in sports psychology, analytics, physical training, amateur and pro scouting available. 

Step 4: Kick Bell off the name of the Bell Centre and sell the naming rights to Boston Pizza. Okay I'm kidding about the second part. 

Step 5: Pull a George Gillette and buy a bunch of tickets in the reds to specifically give to high school kids so they can watch home games without paying for the ticket. 

Step 6: Sign players to short term contracts and give the players knowledge that they will likely be traded for picks and prospects

Step 7: Have deep co-operation between the NHL and AHL clubs, even the ECHL club, to ensure that players are being progressed well and that there's no coaching issues. ECHL and AHL clubs will be expected to win and will be 1/2 filled with veteran players so that younger players need to still earn their ice time and progress over veterans to earn ice time and good situations. Players will be left in the ECHL until AHL ready. Players will be left in the AHL until NHL ready.

Step 8: Open up a separate wing of the company called "The First 100 Years" which does all of the 24 Stanley Cup stuff away from the regular club. The regular club will be treated as fresh and separate from their first 100 years of history. 

Step 9: Be the most hated man in Quebec for many years.

Step 10: Be the most beloved man in Quebec when it all theoretically works out. 

 

No offence, but I hope you never, ever become rich enough to even get to Step 1 ;) And I thought Chicago Bill was nuts!

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Guest Stogey24
2 hours ago, Machine of Loving Grace said:

Step 1: Fire (almost) everyone

Step 2: Trade (almost) everyone

Step 3: Hire the best minds in sports psychology, analytics, physical training, amateur and pro scouting available. 

Step 4: Kick Bell off the name of the Bell Centre and sell the naming rights to Boston Pizza. Okay I'm kidding about the second part. 

Step 5: Pull a George Gillette and buy a bunch of tickets in the reds to specifically give to high school kids so they can watch home games without paying for the ticket. 

Step 6: Sign players to short term contracts and give the players knowledge that they will likely be traded for picks and prospects

Step 7: Have deep co-operation between the NHL and AHL clubs, even the ECHL club, to ensure that players are being progressed well and that there's no coaching issues. ECHL and AHL clubs will be expected to win and will be 1/2 filled with veteran players so that younger players need to still earn their ice time and progress over veterans to earn ice time and good situations. Players will be left in the ECHL until AHL ready. Players will be left in the AHL until NHL ready.

Step 8: Open up a separate wing of the company called "The First 100 Years" which does all of the 24 Stanley Cup stuff away from the regular club. The regular club will be treated as fresh and separate from their first 100 years of history. 

Step 9: Be the most hated man in Quebec for many years.

Step 10: Be the most beloved man in Quebec when it all theoretically works out. 

Lol, some thought went into that post. Good one!

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If I was the owner of the second most valuable nhl franchise in the league, I would not piss off 75% of my fan base by ignoring their need for a French speaking gm and coach. I would lose so much money if would sink me. That's most certainly why we haven't seen it yet. 

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If I were the owner of the Montreal Canadiens I would:

 

1. Set up the Les Canadiens high performance training centre for coaches which would be open to promising young coaches from minor hockey on up with French language lessons for non-francophones

2. Authorize Bergevin to identify the top ten future candidates as coach of the Canadiens and offer them a retainer for right of first refusal at the AHL and NHL level

3. Spare no expense to entice coveted college free agents to sign with Montreal  

4. Insist on a coaching change in the AHL (my one and only interference in hockey operations) and insist that the ECHL and AHL become a feeder league for coaches as well as players

5. Hold an annual contest in which fans could write in with their best suggestions for improving the Habs with the winner getting an all expenses paid trip to Montreal to meet the team and watch a game. 

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Not spare no expense on the contract--I haven't forgotten the rules or the Cap-- but on the recruitment, wining and dining and showing the sights of Montreal to college FA's. I know I am biased, but I can't help but think Montreal has to do a better job of marketing the franchise to potential players so that we could snag the next Jimmy Vesey for example.

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1 hour ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

:lol: Yeah, even I'm not that moronic.

 

*ducks to escape the brick thrown by DON*

If that's his worst trade, he's done a pretty good job when you think about it. 

 

The Subban trade is the most controversial since (probably) Cammalleri for Bourque and that trade was done right at the end of Gauthier's temporary reign.

 

I still think the former was a much worse trade but it's still too early to fully judge the more recent one.

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