It must be tough to be the Great Francophone Hope. I remember the 2009 NHL draft in Montreal, with the Centennial-bashing Canadiens hosting the event. The Habs were choosing 18th overall, and had been crying out for a big, skilled centre for years; not to mention a francophone hero. The fans had been missing both, ever since Vincent Damphousse and Patrick Roy shipped out of town in the '90s. As the home team's turn came closer, the rumbling in the crowd began. "Loo-ee! Loo-ee! Loo-ee!" When St.Louis, with the 17th pick, chose defenceman David Rundblad, the rumbling swelled into a full-fledged chant. "LOOOO-EEE!!! LOOOOO-EEEEE!!!!" It didn't matter that ninety-five percent of the fans in the Bell Centre had never seen Louis Leblanc play, and most of the other five percent hadn't witnessed him on the ice since his Midget AAA days. It was enough that a hometown boy was ranked to go in the first round, and he was available when the Canadiens stepped up to pick. When Trevor Timmins actually called Leblanc's name, the crowd erupted in delirium. At that moment, dreams of Leblanc becoming the next great French Canadian Canadien began to take on a more solid form. Someday, people said, he might be the saviour of the Montreal Canadiens.
Maybe someday he will. Before that happens, though, he has a real chance to become the saviour of the Montreal Juniors. Attendance isn't good for Junior games. The team ranked tenth out of eighteen last year, with an average crowd of 2773 fans in the league's biggest market. That's a drop of 11% from the 2008-09 season, the team's first in Montreal after moving from St.John's. Just to put that figure in perspective, the second-biggest market in the Q, Quebec City, fills the Colisee with 12-thousand fans a game, up 3% from last year. Of course, a big reason for that difference is that the Juniors share a city with the Canadiens and in Montreal it's Habs or nothing for many fans. Perhaps the Remparts wouldn't be drawing as well if the Nordiques were still at the Colisee, but Quebec has always been a great supporter of junior and amateur hockey. Montreal has not. If the Juniors played in a rink the size of the one in Quebec, they'd be very lonely. There have been six different incarnations of QMJHL teams in the Montreal area in the last forty years and all of them have failed. In other words, if Juniors are going to live, something's got to give.
In this case, the something is the 19-year-old Leblanc. The Juniors gave up a lot to obtain the kid's Q rights from Chicoutimi, sending their first-round pick and prospect Guillaume Asselin away in exchange for the mere hope Leblanc would give up Harvard to play junior hockey. Now Leblanc has decided to take his chances with the Canadiens, affixing his Jean Hancock to a three-year entry-level deal, and the Juniors can almost smell that seed of hope starting to bloom into reality.
Leblanc will attend the Canadiens rookie camp and training camp, and he'll get every chance to prove what he can do. He won't make the big team, so it'll be either junior or the Bulldogs for him, depending on his camp. Based on his limited experience, with just 90 games played in the last two years, and his relatively immature physique, junior might be the best place for him. The Juniors must be crossing their fingers, toes and eyes in the hope that Leblanc has a good camp, but not a great one because, really, they need him more than the 'Dogs do.
Leblanc would be a huge boost for the Juniors. He's got the cachet of being a homeboy, a Habs' first-round pick and a potential star. Fans who have hopes for him being the next big Habs centre will come out to see him. Those who are curious about the kid, or find out what all the hype's about will come too. That 2773 average attendance will almost certainly go up, and the Juniors need that to happen. In a province full of Canadiens fans, Leblanc's presence will have a similar affect in other teams' arenas when the Juniors come to visit. The thing is, Leblanc's impact won't last long. The fans that will come to see him are Canadiens fans, not junior hockey fans. When Leblanc moves on, so will most of them. Leblanc will be a temporary saviour, but he'll give the Juniors a chance to build a bigger fan base. A lot can happen in a year.
The impact on Leblanc himself will be much more far-reaching. He's a very interesting guy. He's smart enough to get into Harvard and study there long enough to establish his eligibility. Now he's free to come back to the university and finish his degree whenever he wants to do so. He's also smart enough to know the Habs and the Juniors want him to focus on hockey, and he made them pay for him to leave Harvard. He's put the Canadiens on the clock by signing his entry-level contract now, rather than after he completes his junior eligibility. He's also ensured himself a year of pro earnings before a lot of guys get it. Leblanc wins if he goes to Harvard to work on his degree and plays for the Crimson, he wins if he's able to walk into the junior ranks and dominate as a 19-year-old, and he wins if he gets a year of pro experience in Hamilton. If hockey doesn't work out for him, he still wins because he can return to Harvard and finish his studies. Any team he plays for will also be a winner, especially in the case of the Juniors.
The only possible loser in the Leblanc case is the Montreal Canadiens. Developing a young first-rounder is a very delicate thing, and developing the future hometown face of the franchise in front of the adoring legions is even more delicate. See, nobody really knows if Leblanc's skills will translate to the higher levels of the game. He was a good Midget player, but so are a lot of players. He had a good US high school season two years ago, and a very respectable freshman year of college. Still, though, he played only thirty-one games last year; hardly enough to judge him. As long as Leblanc was at Harvard, the dream lived. If he's front and centre in Montreal, fans will know pretty soon how he looks against competition that wants to show him up or hurt him because of the hype around him. If he does poorly, the Canadiens get skewered for picking a kid based on his last name rather than his actual skill. If he does well, the expectations around him will become unreasonable. Either situation is a tough one for a young player to handle. That's the first hurdle Leblanc has to jump on the way to becoming the player the Habs need him to be.
Assuming he does become that player, the Habs will have to deal with his pending free agency at the relatively early age of 26. Leblanc isn't a superstar, and his development time will likely cover the length of his entry-level contract. That means by paying him to leave Harvard, they've deprived themselves of one of his cheaper years of service.
In the end, the team certainly weighed the decision carefully as did Leblanc himself. Last year, with so few games played, Leblanc essentially took a year off hockey compared to other guys his age. The Canadiens are giving him this year to catch up and prove he can handle a long season and playoffs while improving his skills. If he does, and if he handles the pressure of being the Great Francophone Hope, this year will be worth it for the big team.
The Juniors aren't too worried either way. They're stocking the lineup with older players in the hope of making a run at a title, and Leblanc will help stir up public interest. If he does well, great. If he's merely okay, well, his name will still sell, and that's what counts for them. For the Juniors, survival is the Great Francophone Hope, and Leblanc is the key. He'd better get used to the title now because he's got a lot of Montreal Canadiens fans who bestowed it on him the minute Trevor Timmins called his name.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Name That Captain!
Theme music rolls as the live game-show audience applauds wildly. Host Guy "Smiley" Carbonneau trots out to take centre stage, mic in hand (well, he's not doing anything else)
GC: Hey there, Habs fans! It's the night we've all been waiting for. We started all the way back in last October with a bunch of guys we didn't know at all. We watched them grow together and beat down two of the best teams in the East in the playoffs. So now, friends, it's time. Time to CHOOSE YOUR CAPTAIN!!
crowd cheers and whistles
GC: Alright! Let's meet our contestants! First up, he's small but he's got balls...Brian Gionta! How're you feeling Brian?
Gionta: Um, wow. This is pretty lame...I mean...cool. So, what am I supposed to do?
GC: Ha! I'm glad you asked! There's nothing to it, really. Each candidate will face a specific challenge that will test his fitness to be captain of the Montreal Canadiens. IF...and I'll say it again...IF you succeed in your challenge, you'll face our panel of judges. Are you ready, Brian Gionta?!
Gionta: Okay...I guess.
Music swells, backdrop curtain rises with a flourish to reveal a net, goal crease and a grinning, toothless Chris Pronger
GC: Brian Gionta, here's your challenge: You have to spend one minute in the crease with Chris Pronger without falling down. Bonus points if you hurt him instead. Ready? GO!
Gionta sighs, picks up a stick and helmet and plants himself in front of the net. Pronger starts with a butt-end and moves on to a quick succession of cross-checks to the back. He attempts a slew-foot, but Gionta nimbly avoids it. Pronger elbows Gionta in the head, the little guy stumbles, but stays on his feet. As the clock ticks down, Gionta slashes Pronger neatly in the ankle, making the behemoth wince. The crowd goes wild. Panting, Gionta returns centre stage.
GC: Well done, Little G. I think...let me check with the judges...yes, you picked up those bonus points there at the end. How do you feel?
Gionta: Hurt, what do you think?! And don't call me Little G.
GC: Heh heh...look at that passion, people! Thanks Brian. Now let's bring out the next contestant. He's got a college edumacation and he loves to tweet...welcome Mike Cammalleri!
Cammalleri: Hey, how's it going, Carbo?
GC: You tell me, in about five minutes. Are you ready for your challenge?
Cammalleri: I'm always ready. Bring it on.
GC: Your mission, Michael Cammalleri, if you choose to accept it (hee hee) is...
Curtain rises to reveal a goal with marked targets in the corners, and large, inflatable "players" shifting back and forth in front if it
GC: ...to hit each target while shooting from one knee and avoiding the shot blockers. You have one minute. Go!
Cammalleri drops to one knee and starts firing. He shoots ten pucks, but hits only three targets
GC: Not bad, not bad. You missed that stick-side corner, but we'll let the judges decide how much that matters. Why do you think that corner was so tough to hit?
Cammalleri: Well, it's a philosophical thing really. I think the psyche of the modern player prevents him from revealing his best because he always believes there'll be another occasion when that extra effort will be even more necessary. He always keeps something in reserve, if you will. The funny thing is...
GC: Okay, thanks Michael Cammalleri!
Cammalleri: But I was going to say...
GC: Tell it to the judges...ha ha! Now, let's have contestant number three. I never understood a word he said and I think he was laughing at me sometimes, but I love him anyway...here's the Russian General, Andrei Markov!
crowd stands and roars approval
GC: Welcome to the show, Andrei. This is a big night for you. Are you nervous?
Markov: No.
GC: Do you think you have what it takes to be me? I mean, the captain of the Montreal Canadiens?
Markov: (long pause) Um...yes? I vill do vhatever I can do to help the team to vin.
GC: Would it be special for you to be the Canadiens' first Russian captain?
Markov: But I em Canadian too, eh? Heh heh.
GC: Ah...good one, Andrei. Well, now it's time for your challenge.
curtain rises to show half a rink, with a bunch of large minor leaguers throwing themselves at the boards at intervals
GC: You must run from here, all around the end boards and back...and here's the tricky part...without getting hit and sustaining a season-ending injury. You have one minute...GO!
Markov runs like a madman, deftly avoiding the pounding checks. Just as he's about to finish, he steps on one of Mike Cammalleri's discarded pucks and falls awkwardly.
Markov: Oh, my enkle! Дорогой Бог, не раз. Ой, больно!
GC: Medics! Can we get the medics?! Andrei, can you walk?
Markov: (groans and mumbles inaudible Russian epithets)
Medics carry Markov off on a stretcher
GC: Okay. I'm sure Andrei will be fine. He heals like he's got penicillin for blood. Can we have our next contestant? Guys? Ah...here he is! He loves the Lord and the Montreal Canadiens. Let's give a warm round of applause to Josh Gorges!
Gorges: Ah, thanks, Carbo.
GC: Okay, Josh, we know you're a fearless competitor, and your challenge is based on that.
curtain rises to reveal Zdeno Chara and twenty pucks
GC: It's a simple challenge, really. You have to block Chara's shots with whatever body part is closest, and then clear the rebound. Ready? You've got one minute, starting NOW!
Chara winds up and his first shot hits Gorges in the helmet. Gorges drops to the ground, motionless.
GC: Uh oh. Another contestant down. Can we get some help here? Wait...wait...he's getting up. Josh, are you okay?
Gorges: Huh? Grammy?
GC: Okay, Josh? I think you're hurt?
Gorges: I'm not hurt, Grammy. I want to keep playing.
GC: It's okay, Josh. You did good. Come sit down now.
Gorges: Wow, there's a big crack in my helmet. Can I have a new one?
GC: Sure you can, Josh. Doc, can you help him off the stage?
Gorges: Grammy?
GC: Heh, heh...a big round of applause for Josh Gorges. Now, coming up right after the break, our four finalists will make their cases for the captaincy to the panel of judges. So, let's meet our judges! First, we have Le Gros Bill, Jean Beliveau!
crowd goes nuts
GC: Nobody understands what it takes to be the captain of the Canadiens like Jean Beliveau, the longest-reigning captain in Habs history. Next on the panel, representing the players, is Jaroslav Halak!
people look confused
GC: Jaro led the team in last year's playoffs and knows all these players and their leadership styles extremely well. We asked him to be a judge because we were banking on him still being here this year, but he's kindly flown in from St.Louis to be here anyway. And our final panelist is, of course, coach Jacques Martin.
crowd shrugs
GC: Now, let's hear from our contestants. Each man gets one minute to make his case to the judges and to you, the fans. First up, let's hear it for Brian Gionta! Brian, you have one minute to tell the judges why you should be captain of the Habs.
Gionta: I've never really been a captain, but I think I could do a good job. I try to listen to what everybody has to say, and I want to win more than anything. I've got a lot of experience in the league, and I think I could be a good leader. That's all. Thanks.
GC: Thank you, Brian Gionta. Now, contestant number two! Here's Mike Cammalleri. Mike, tell the judges why YOU should be captain.
Cammalleri: Friends, judges, teammates, fans. I've come here today with a goal in mind, a goal of the most admirable, enviable kind. The Montreal Canadiens are, without a doubt, a legendary franchise. When I look back at who has captained this club, I'm humbled. Butch Bouchard, Rocket Richard, Henri Richard, Yvan Cournoyer, Bob Gainey, Guy Carbonneau, Saku Koivu and, of course, Mr.Beliveau who we see sitting here on the panel, these are the names we can find in both the Hall of Fame and on the list of Canadiens captains. To be the leader of this team is a role any player would covet. We work hard all our lives to get to this place, and have a chance at a position like this. I think I would...
GC: Aaaaaannnnd thank you, Michael Cammalleri!
Cammalleri: But, I was going to say...
GC: Sorry, that's your minute. Hey, I could have used you when they were saying I couldn't communicate! Now, contestant number three, Andrei Markov!
Markov limps in on crutches
Markov: Heylo. I em Andrei. Mentreal is great city. I loff the city and the fens. I vork hard to help the team to vin. I alvays try. I be beck soon.
GC: Thank you, Andrei. That was the most coherent English I've ever heard from you. Were you holding out on me all that time?
Markov: Heh heh...you never know, Carbo.
GC: Now, here's our last candidate, Josh Gorges! Josh, how's your head? Are you ready to talk to the judges?
Gorges: Sure, Carbo. I'm used to a few little bumps. Okay, honourable judges, I don't think you should pick me. I'm looking at these guys who are better scorers, been around longer and have won Cups. I'm not better than them. I'm glad you chose me as a finalist, but for sure one of those other guys should be captain. Thanks a lot.
GC: Well...thanks, Josh. Now, it's time for our judges to make their decision. We're headed to commercial, but they'll talk over the break, and give us their choice, when we come back!
Over the commercial break, the judges confer.
GC: Aaaaannnnd we're back! Alright, judges, you talked during the break. Now it's time for our contestants to find out what you decided. Contestants, could you please line up here?
Beliveau: I would like to say all of the candidates are worthy captains. Brian, you have defied your size and made yourself into a scoring threat. I was always a tall player, but I saw my smaller teammates like Henri Richard work so hard to score goals. I know that you have to work harder than most. Michael, you are passionate and proud, and you have to be both of those things to be a captain. You can also back up your words with your actions on the ice. Andrei, you are the longest-serving Canadien and your play is always very fine. You have shown your loyalty to Montreal and you have been a fine assistant captain. Josh, you have given your body and your health for the good of the team. You don't score a lot, but you try like hell. Players respect that, and they listen when you speak. With all that in mind, we have chosen...
GC: WAIT! We'll find out the judges' decision after the break!!
dreary commercials for two minutes, mostly those Marine Land ads
GC: Aaaaannnnd we're back. I'm starting to like saying that. Anyway. Now, it's time for the other judges to speak. First up, Jacques Martin.
Martin: Thanks, everyone. I have coached all these players, and any one of them would make a good captain. I have to say, though, Brian, you exhibit so many leadership qualities, you're very qualified to be the Canadiens captain.
GC: Thank you, Jacques Martin! Now, Jaro Halak!
Halak: I like you Brian. You came through and saved my ass many times. I can see over your head though, so maybe you're not a captain.
GC: Thank you, judges. Now, here's our second contestant, Mike Cammalleri. Jacques?
Martin: Michael, you love the Canadiens, and you always give your best when you're on the ice. However, you never shut up, so that plays against you.
GC: Thanks, Jacques. Jaro?
Halak: He's right, Cammy. You never shut the hell up. We love you anyway, but you bug some people in the room.
GC: Our next candidate: Andrei Markov!
Markov: Heylo.
Halak: Andrei, you could be the captain. But you don't talk. The microphones need to hear a lot of lip-wagging from the captain, and you don't need that.
Martin: Andrei, I think you should be the guy who worries about his own position. You're very good at what you do. You don't need to have the pressure of being captain.
GC: Alright then! Now, our last contestant, Josh Gorges!
Martin: Josh, you did everything I asked and more. You gave everything to win and the other guys were happy to follow you in the playoffs.
Halak: Josh, you made me look very, very good. I mean, I was good, but you helped me look like superstar. I never said thanks, so thanks.
GC: Okay, potential captains! You can all gather backstage now, while the judges confer. We'll be RIGHT back, with a decision!!
Annoying commercials about tampons and Toyotas ensue...four minutes later...
GC: Now it's time. Our judges will now announce the NAME of the next CAPTAIN of the MONTREAL CANADIENS!!!
Martin: We have decided it's appropriate for the great Jean Beliveau to announce our decision.
Beliveau: Thank you very much. It's a great burden for me to choose a captain. When I played, the other players picked their leader. But times have changed now, and I will announce our decision. We have elected...CAREY PRICE!! Okay, a small joke. We've really elected...JOSH GORGES!!
crowd goes insane
Beliveau: Josh is the only member of the team who gives of himself without really expecting anything in return. He goes as hard as he can in every game, but, most importantly, he doesn't carry a burden of expectation with him. Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri, if they struggle to put up points, will be ridiculed. Andrei Markov, if he has a long-term injury, will be questioned. Josh Gorges has the respect of his teammates, he's durable and he will give everything in him to win for the team. He's the captain. Congratulations, Josh.
GC: There you have it, fans. Josh Gorges is the new captain of the Montreal Canadiens. Join us again next year for our sequel, "Name that Coach!"
GC: Hey there, Habs fans! It's the night we've all been waiting for. We started all the way back in last October with a bunch of guys we didn't know at all. We watched them grow together and beat down two of the best teams in the East in the playoffs. So now, friends, it's time. Time to CHOOSE YOUR CAPTAIN!!
crowd cheers and whistles
GC: Alright! Let's meet our contestants! First up, he's small but he's got balls...Brian Gionta! How're you feeling Brian?
Gionta: Um, wow. This is pretty lame...I mean...cool. So, what am I supposed to do?
GC: Ha! I'm glad you asked! There's nothing to it, really. Each candidate will face a specific challenge that will test his fitness to be captain of the Montreal Canadiens. IF...and I'll say it again...IF you succeed in your challenge, you'll face our panel of judges. Are you ready, Brian Gionta?!
Gionta: Okay...I guess.
Music swells, backdrop curtain rises with a flourish to reveal a net, goal crease and a grinning, toothless Chris Pronger
GC: Brian Gionta, here's your challenge: You have to spend one minute in the crease with Chris Pronger without falling down. Bonus points if you hurt him instead. Ready? GO!
Gionta sighs, picks up a stick and helmet and plants himself in front of the net. Pronger starts with a butt-end and moves on to a quick succession of cross-checks to the back. He attempts a slew-foot, but Gionta nimbly avoids it. Pronger elbows Gionta in the head, the little guy stumbles, but stays on his feet. As the clock ticks down, Gionta slashes Pronger neatly in the ankle, making the behemoth wince. The crowd goes wild. Panting, Gionta returns centre stage.
GC: Well done, Little G. I think...let me check with the judges...yes, you picked up those bonus points there at the end. How do you feel?
Gionta: Hurt, what do you think?! And don't call me Little G.
GC: Heh heh...look at that passion, people! Thanks Brian. Now let's bring out the next contestant. He's got a college edumacation and he loves to tweet...welcome Mike Cammalleri!
Cammalleri: Hey, how's it going, Carbo?
GC: You tell me, in about five minutes. Are you ready for your challenge?
Cammalleri: I'm always ready. Bring it on.
GC: Your mission, Michael Cammalleri, if you choose to accept it (hee hee) is...
Curtain rises to reveal a goal with marked targets in the corners, and large, inflatable "players" shifting back and forth in front if it
GC: ...to hit each target while shooting from one knee and avoiding the shot blockers. You have one minute. Go!
Cammalleri drops to one knee and starts firing. He shoots ten pucks, but hits only three targets
GC: Not bad, not bad. You missed that stick-side corner, but we'll let the judges decide how much that matters. Why do you think that corner was so tough to hit?
Cammalleri: Well, it's a philosophical thing really. I think the psyche of the modern player prevents him from revealing his best because he always believes there'll be another occasion when that extra effort will be even more necessary. He always keeps something in reserve, if you will. The funny thing is...
GC: Okay, thanks Michael Cammalleri!
Cammalleri: But I was going to say...
GC: Tell it to the judges...ha ha! Now, let's have contestant number three. I never understood a word he said and I think he was laughing at me sometimes, but I love him anyway...here's the Russian General, Andrei Markov!
crowd stands and roars approval
GC: Welcome to the show, Andrei. This is a big night for you. Are you nervous?
Markov: No.
GC: Do you think you have what it takes to be me? I mean, the captain of the Montreal Canadiens?
Markov: (long pause) Um...yes? I vill do vhatever I can do to help the team to vin.
GC: Would it be special for you to be the Canadiens' first Russian captain?
Markov: But I em Canadian too, eh? Heh heh.
GC: Ah...good one, Andrei. Well, now it's time for your challenge.
curtain rises to show half a rink, with a bunch of large minor leaguers throwing themselves at the boards at intervals
GC: You must run from here, all around the end boards and back...and here's the tricky part...without getting hit and sustaining a season-ending injury. You have one minute...GO!
Markov runs like a madman, deftly avoiding the pounding checks. Just as he's about to finish, he steps on one of Mike Cammalleri's discarded pucks and falls awkwardly.
Markov: Oh, my enkle! Дорогой Бог, не раз. Ой, больно!
GC: Medics! Can we get the medics?! Andrei, can you walk?
Markov: (groans and mumbles inaudible Russian epithets)
Medics carry Markov off on a stretcher
GC: Okay. I'm sure Andrei will be fine. He heals like he's got penicillin for blood. Can we have our next contestant? Guys? Ah...here he is! He loves the Lord and the Montreal Canadiens. Let's give a warm round of applause to Josh Gorges!
Gorges: Ah, thanks, Carbo.
GC: Okay, Josh, we know you're a fearless competitor, and your challenge is based on that.
curtain rises to reveal Zdeno Chara and twenty pucks
GC: It's a simple challenge, really. You have to block Chara's shots with whatever body part is closest, and then clear the rebound. Ready? You've got one minute, starting NOW!
Chara winds up and his first shot hits Gorges in the helmet. Gorges drops to the ground, motionless.
GC: Uh oh. Another contestant down. Can we get some help here? Wait...wait...he's getting up. Josh, are you okay?
Gorges: Huh? Grammy?
GC: Okay, Josh? I think you're hurt?
Gorges: I'm not hurt, Grammy. I want to keep playing.
GC: It's okay, Josh. You did good. Come sit down now.
Gorges: Wow, there's a big crack in my helmet. Can I have a new one?
GC: Sure you can, Josh. Doc, can you help him off the stage?
Gorges: Grammy?
GC: Heh, heh...a big round of applause for Josh Gorges. Now, coming up right after the break, our four finalists will make their cases for the captaincy to the panel of judges. So, let's meet our judges! First, we have Le Gros Bill, Jean Beliveau!
crowd goes nuts
GC: Nobody understands what it takes to be the captain of the Canadiens like Jean Beliveau, the longest-reigning captain in Habs history. Next on the panel, representing the players, is Jaroslav Halak!
people look confused
GC: Jaro led the team in last year's playoffs and knows all these players and their leadership styles extremely well. We asked him to be a judge because we were banking on him still being here this year, but he's kindly flown in from St.Louis to be here anyway. And our final panelist is, of course, coach Jacques Martin.
crowd shrugs
GC: Now, let's hear from our contestants. Each man gets one minute to make his case to the judges and to you, the fans. First up, let's hear it for Brian Gionta! Brian, you have one minute to tell the judges why you should be captain of the Habs.
Gionta: I've never really been a captain, but I think I could do a good job. I try to listen to what everybody has to say, and I want to win more than anything. I've got a lot of experience in the league, and I think I could be a good leader. That's all. Thanks.
GC: Thank you, Brian Gionta. Now, contestant number two! Here's Mike Cammalleri. Mike, tell the judges why YOU should be captain.
Cammalleri: Friends, judges, teammates, fans. I've come here today with a goal in mind, a goal of the most admirable, enviable kind. The Montreal Canadiens are, without a doubt, a legendary franchise. When I look back at who has captained this club, I'm humbled. Butch Bouchard, Rocket Richard, Henri Richard, Yvan Cournoyer, Bob Gainey, Guy Carbonneau, Saku Koivu and, of course, Mr.Beliveau who we see sitting here on the panel, these are the names we can find in both the Hall of Fame and on the list of Canadiens captains. To be the leader of this team is a role any player would covet. We work hard all our lives to get to this place, and have a chance at a position like this. I think I would...
GC: Aaaaaannnnd thank you, Michael Cammalleri!
Cammalleri: But, I was going to say...
GC: Sorry, that's your minute. Hey, I could have used you when they were saying I couldn't communicate! Now, contestant number three, Andrei Markov!
Markov limps in on crutches
Markov: Heylo. I em Andrei. Mentreal is great city. I loff the city and the fens. I vork hard to help the team to vin. I alvays try. I be beck soon.
GC: Thank you, Andrei. That was the most coherent English I've ever heard from you. Were you holding out on me all that time?
Markov: Heh heh...you never know, Carbo.
GC: Now, here's our last candidate, Josh Gorges! Josh, how's your head? Are you ready to talk to the judges?
Gorges: Sure, Carbo. I'm used to a few little bumps. Okay, honourable judges, I don't think you should pick me. I'm looking at these guys who are better scorers, been around longer and have won Cups. I'm not better than them. I'm glad you chose me as a finalist, but for sure one of those other guys should be captain. Thanks a lot.
GC: Well...thanks, Josh. Now, it's time for our judges to make their decision. We're headed to commercial, but they'll talk over the break, and give us their choice, when we come back!
Over the commercial break, the judges confer.
GC: Aaaaannnnd we're back! Alright, judges, you talked during the break. Now it's time for our contestants to find out what you decided. Contestants, could you please line up here?
Beliveau: I would like to say all of the candidates are worthy captains. Brian, you have defied your size and made yourself into a scoring threat. I was always a tall player, but I saw my smaller teammates like Henri Richard work so hard to score goals. I know that you have to work harder than most. Michael, you are passionate and proud, and you have to be both of those things to be a captain. You can also back up your words with your actions on the ice. Andrei, you are the longest-serving Canadien and your play is always very fine. You have shown your loyalty to Montreal and you have been a fine assistant captain. Josh, you have given your body and your health for the good of the team. You don't score a lot, but you try like hell. Players respect that, and they listen when you speak. With all that in mind, we have chosen...
GC: WAIT! We'll find out the judges' decision after the break!!
dreary commercials for two minutes, mostly those Marine Land ads
GC: Aaaaannnnd we're back. I'm starting to like saying that. Anyway. Now, it's time for the other judges to speak. First up, Jacques Martin.
Martin: Thanks, everyone. I have coached all these players, and any one of them would make a good captain. I have to say, though, Brian, you exhibit so many leadership qualities, you're very qualified to be the Canadiens captain.
GC: Thank you, Jacques Martin! Now, Jaro Halak!
Halak: I like you Brian. You came through and saved my ass many times. I can see over your head though, so maybe you're not a captain.
GC: Thank you, judges. Now, here's our second contestant, Mike Cammalleri. Jacques?
Martin: Michael, you love the Canadiens, and you always give your best when you're on the ice. However, you never shut up, so that plays against you.
GC: Thanks, Jacques. Jaro?
Halak: He's right, Cammy. You never shut the hell up. We love you anyway, but you bug some people in the room.
GC: Our next candidate: Andrei Markov!
Markov: Heylo.
Halak: Andrei, you could be the captain. But you don't talk. The microphones need to hear a lot of lip-wagging from the captain, and you don't need that.
Martin: Andrei, I think you should be the guy who worries about his own position. You're very good at what you do. You don't need to have the pressure of being captain.
GC: Alright then! Now, our last contestant, Josh Gorges!
Martin: Josh, you did everything I asked and more. You gave everything to win and the other guys were happy to follow you in the playoffs.
Halak: Josh, you made me look very, very good. I mean, I was good, but you helped me look like superstar. I never said thanks, so thanks.
GC: Okay, potential captains! You can all gather backstage now, while the judges confer. We'll be RIGHT back, with a decision!!
Annoying commercials about tampons and Toyotas ensue...four minutes later...
GC: Now it's time. Our judges will now announce the NAME of the next CAPTAIN of the MONTREAL CANADIENS!!!
Martin: We have decided it's appropriate for the great Jean Beliveau to announce our decision.
Beliveau: Thank you very much. It's a great burden for me to choose a captain. When I played, the other players picked their leader. But times have changed now, and I will announce our decision. We have elected...CAREY PRICE!! Okay, a small joke. We've really elected...JOSH GORGES!!
crowd goes insane
Beliveau: Josh is the only member of the team who gives of himself without really expecting anything in return. He goes as hard as he can in every game, but, most importantly, he doesn't carry a burden of expectation with him. Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri, if they struggle to put up points, will be ridiculed. Andrei Markov, if he has a long-term injury, will be questioned. Josh Gorges has the respect of his teammates, he's durable and he will give everything in him to win for the team. He's the captain. Congratulations, Josh.
GC: There you have it, fans. Josh Gorges is the new captain of the Montreal Canadiens. Join us again next year for our sequel, "Name that Coach!"
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Yes! Hockey Information!
Finally! The Montreal Canadiens, the kings of openness and transparency in information distribution have decided to hire someone to study coaching trends and figure out what systems other teams are using. Now the coaches will know for sure that the Flyers depend on Carcillo and Richards to crash the net and torment the goalie, and they'll be certain that the leafs will try to hurt people when they're losing. This is a dream job. It's a professional fan with a title and a dental plan. And Ken Morin, late of the ECHL's Bakersville Condors, is the lucky winner of that position. Hockey Information Coordinator. Nice work, if you can get it!
Morin isn't the only guy joining the Habs staff. Gauthier has brought in five new scouts as well, to replace the guys he turfed a couple of months ago. That's great to see, if only because the more eyes looking at prospects, the better. I only wish we knew more about what makes these guys better than the old guys. Sure, Serge Boisvert was a happy inmate of "Alcatraz" back in 1986 and his name's on the Cup despite his mostly minor-league career. But I'd like to know what credentials he has to scout the Q...arguably the most important region to many Montreal fans...for the Habs.
And sure, Ryan Jankowski has been around for the acquisition of some of the Islanders good young talent, but how hard was that, when the Isles have had so many can't-miss draft positions in recent years? I like the idea of getting Christer Rockstrom, who had a sharp eye for the Wings, to scout Europe. The Canadiens had been seriously lax in that region.
Still, unless we take the time to really search out the backgrounds of these guys, we don't know a lot about them. I think the scouts are possibly the most important employees in the organization. If they don't find the talent, the GM's got nothing to barter and the coaches have nothing to develop into a team. A great scout can turn a low-round draft pick into a steal and a first-rounder into a home run. So when the Habs announce they've hired scouts, I want them to announce it like a movie studio announces its next big-budget picture.
I want to hear that Christer Rockstrom was instrumental in turning a Detroit Red Wings third-round pick into perennial all-star and Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom. I want a list of Islanders players Jankowski found that weren't top-five no-brainers. Sell it to us, Habs! Give us five new reasons to hope this bunch will find better talent than the other guys did, so the GM won't have to trade for prospects to top up a shallow organizational talent pool.
The Canadiens are where they are right now partially because of bad drafting. A failure to pick the right guys means the team has to go out and buy them instead. Just imagine, for example, if, in any one of the last seven or eight years, the Habs had picked a real NHL centreman. There've been lots of them available when Montreal has drafted. If the Canadiens had filled that long-standing organizational need for free with a draft pick, the Gomez trade wouldn't have happened and the team wouldn't now be saddled with that contract. (Disclaimer for those who'll jump to defend Gomez: He's a good player, but the contract hurts.) Just one successful first-round choice of a centre...let's say Carter in 2003...would mean the team would be bigger down the middle, not in a cap crunch and still in possession of Ryan McDonagh's rights. Higgins might have been traded anyway, but it would have been for another piece the team needed instead of Gomez. One draft good pick...and I'm not even talking about a superstar, just a good, solid player...would have drastically improved the team we see on the ice now.
So, if these guys can get the Habs drafting better, they're going to be really important hires and I want to know all about them. Hey! Maybe I should write to the new Hockey Information Coordinator. He'd have all the answers, right?
Monday, July 26, 2010
Yappy Lappy
I hate to say this, but Maxim Lapierre is going to have to fight. I hate it because I think hockey should have evolved past fighting. The game is so fast, skilled and thrilling without fisticuffs, yet it's still part of the NHL. So, since it is, Lapierre is going to have to step up.
I was watching TSN count down the top ten agitators in hockey tonight, and one thing that stood out among them was that they didn't only yap and needle and annoy; they also backed it up when the guys they tormented turned on them. Lapierre got an honourable mention on the agitator list. Bob McKenzie pointed out the absolutely horrible faces he makes at his opponents. There's no doubt that's a brilliant agitating tactic, and Lapierre could be a total bastard to play against if he'd back it up.
Last year when he turtled against Steve Montador, he became a laughingstock. You don't mind an agitator who doesn't fight much, but one who dishes it out without the ability to ever take it is just distasteful. Sometimes, a guy has to put his fists where his big mouth is, or he borders on becoming a liability.
I think Maxim Lapierre is one of the few players who could be better by fighting. He's got speed, a little bit of offensive ability and those nasty faces he makes. If he could pound people who wanted a piece of him, he'd be truly fearsome. It wouldn't have to be every time, but often enough to send the message that there's a price to pay for spooning his own medicine back to him. One of my favourite moments from the last playoffs was when the Canadiens scored against Pittsburgh while Pens defenceman Brooks Orpik was behind the Habs net trying to murder Lapierre, instead of playing his position. That's what Lapierre is good at, but he'd be even better if people were not only annoyed by him, but afraid of him too.
The thing is, he can do it. He's not a small guy, and he's good on his skates. If he chose to take a few beatings to establish his reputation as a guy who'll back up his nonsense, then he'd be taken more seriously.
I honestly believe the days of the fighters in the NHL are numbered. There's too much better in the game to have room for fighting. But while it's still a part of hockey, teams don't really need guys like Georges Laraque anymore. They need fast guys who can kill penalties, make horrid faces and knock opponents on their asses when appropriate. They need the guy Maxim Lapierre could be if he took his aggressiveness to the other player's nose once in a while.
I like Lapierre. I think last year was an off-year for him, and he's capable of much better. If that means knocking some guys around once in a while, so be it.
I was watching TSN count down the top ten agitators in hockey tonight, and one thing that stood out among them was that they didn't only yap and needle and annoy; they also backed it up when the guys they tormented turned on them. Lapierre got an honourable mention on the agitator list. Bob McKenzie pointed out the absolutely horrible faces he makes at his opponents. There's no doubt that's a brilliant agitating tactic, and Lapierre could be a total bastard to play against if he'd back it up.
Last year when he turtled against Steve Montador, he became a laughingstock. You don't mind an agitator who doesn't fight much, but one who dishes it out without the ability to ever take it is just distasteful. Sometimes, a guy has to put his fists where his big mouth is, or he borders on becoming a liability.
I think Maxim Lapierre is one of the few players who could be better by fighting. He's got speed, a little bit of offensive ability and those nasty faces he makes. If he could pound people who wanted a piece of him, he'd be truly fearsome. It wouldn't have to be every time, but often enough to send the message that there's a price to pay for spooning his own medicine back to him. One of my favourite moments from the last playoffs was when the Canadiens scored against Pittsburgh while Pens defenceman Brooks Orpik was behind the Habs net trying to murder Lapierre, instead of playing his position. That's what Lapierre is good at, but he'd be even better if people were not only annoyed by him, but afraid of him too.
The thing is, he can do it. He's not a small guy, and he's good on his skates. If he chose to take a few beatings to establish his reputation as a guy who'll back up his nonsense, then he'd be taken more seriously.
I honestly believe the days of the fighters in the NHL are numbered. There's too much better in the game to have room for fighting. But while it's still a part of hockey, teams don't really need guys like Georges Laraque anymore. They need fast guys who can kill penalties, make horrid faces and knock opponents on their asses when appropriate. They need the guy Maxim Lapierre could be if he took his aggressiveness to the other player's nose once in a while.
I like Lapierre. I think last year was an off-year for him, and he's capable of much better. If that means knocking some guys around once in a while, so be it.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
The New Kid On the Block
Pernell Karl Subban must be having a pretty nice summer. Since his draft in the second round in 2007, he's won two junior world championships, put up a stellar rookie season in Hamilton and roared onto the NHL scene with the poise of a veteran during the playoff heat. He was disappointed by the Habs' fall to earth at the hands of the Flyers, and even more disappointed when his Bulldogs, the team he calls his "second family," went down in Game Seven of the AHL semi-finals two days later. Still, young Pernell Karl is set for the summer. He'll blow into camp in September, fit, strong and 21 years old, with a spot in the Canadiens' top-six his to lose. Really, the only way he could not end up in the Habs' top six would be if he burned a Quebec flag in front of Pierre Boivin's office door while urinating on Youppi, just as a tour of disabled kids passes by.
So, PK will be the big new rookie. Unless the world implodes or he has a desperately horrid training camp, he'll be on the Canadiens' defence next season. The question is not whether the kid will slump in his first full NHL season, but what will happen when he does.
I have no worries about PK himself. He's the epitome of confidence and his certainty about the level of his own skill seems unwavering. There are a couple of things that do worry me, though. First is how Jacques Martin and Perry Pearn will react when the rookie struggles. Their handling of Ryan O'Byrne isn't cause for great optimism as a precedent. Last year we saw Marc Andre Bergeron make horrible mistake after horrible mistake and remain in the lineup. O'Byrne got one chance per game and if he screwed up, he sat for the rest of the night. He was scratched in favour of Bergeron more often than not, after everyone was healthy. O'Byrne has taken his benchings and scratchings in stride. He never complains and keeps working for his next chance. Subban is a different kind of personality. I don't know if he's ever had to deal with being relegated to the sidelines because the coaches don't like his on-ice performance. If Martin handles him like he's handled O'Byrne, it may not be as simple a decision and the consequences may be more far-reaching.
I respect the way Subban's handled himself through his meteoric rise in hockey. He's always projected a positive attitude and a humility a lot of guys in his position wouldn't have. It was impressive to see him report to development camp with guys just drafted, and declare there's always something to learn even after you've played twenty minutes a game in the playoffs. So far, however, he's been able to maintain those characteristics because he's always succeeded. It'll be challenging for him if he's faced with what feels like failure. If he rises above it and manages to keep his emotions on an even keel, he'll be fine, but there's a definite risk there.
The second thing I worry about when Subban navigates the treacherous waters of being an NHL rookie is the crowd at the Bell Centre. Fickle is too charitable a term for the way some people treat their own team. The fans want the newer, fresher version of the guy they worshipped last year. They scream for prospects to make the team, then have no patience with them if the kids slump or make big, glaring defensive errors. The guy they demanded to see brought up from Hamilton should be demoted by Christmas if the paying customers had their way. It can be really hard for a young player to be the toast of the town one day and the biggest bum on ice the next. It's harder if the kid lives by himself in a big, tempting city like Montreal.
PK Subban has all the talent he needs to be a very good player in the NHL, and this year he'll get his chance to prove that. We all want him to step in and be for the Habs what a guy like Tyler Myers is to the Sabres or Drew Doughty is to the Kings. He might be that player someday. Chances are, though, he won't get there unless he has a few ups and downs first. A kid like him should be handled carefully to make sure he gets where he's capable of being. I'm not talking babying him like the team has babied Carey Price, but just giving the guy more than one chance. If he gets caught at the blueline on a spinerama that leads to a breakaway, yes, the coaches should correct him, loudly if necessary. Then they should send him right back out for his next shift. Martin needs to remember that no kid with enthusiasm and tons of skill learns much when he's nailed to the bench.
Similarly, the fans need to remember that even if Subban is the goat sometimes, he's still the player they wanted so badly to make the team. Players might say they don't hear the booing, but they do, and it hurts. Fans also need to keep in mind that the kid they're booing today is the free agent of tomorrow who'll remember the loyalty shown to him when it's his turn to show some back.
I can't wait to see PK Subban on the Habs blueline this year. He's going to make some spectacular rushes, he'll be huge fun on the powerplay, he'll give great quote and he'll skate like the wind. I want to see Martin try him in the shootout, and I know he'll use his size to paste a few unsuspecting forwards. I know he'll also make some truly boneheaded plays, he'll probably go through a scoring drought and he may even cost the team a game. It's all part of the ride. We need to suck it up and take the bad with the good, because I think the good is going to be very, very good and we'll be glad we waited for it.
So, PK will be the big new rookie. Unless the world implodes or he has a desperately horrid training camp, he'll be on the Canadiens' defence next season. The question is not whether the kid will slump in his first full NHL season, but what will happen when he does.
I have no worries about PK himself. He's the epitome of confidence and his certainty about the level of his own skill seems unwavering. There are a couple of things that do worry me, though. First is how Jacques Martin and Perry Pearn will react when the rookie struggles. Their handling of Ryan O'Byrne isn't cause for great optimism as a precedent. Last year we saw Marc Andre Bergeron make horrible mistake after horrible mistake and remain in the lineup. O'Byrne got one chance per game and if he screwed up, he sat for the rest of the night. He was scratched in favour of Bergeron more often than not, after everyone was healthy. O'Byrne has taken his benchings and scratchings in stride. He never complains and keeps working for his next chance. Subban is a different kind of personality. I don't know if he's ever had to deal with being relegated to the sidelines because the coaches don't like his on-ice performance. If Martin handles him like he's handled O'Byrne, it may not be as simple a decision and the consequences may be more far-reaching.
I respect the way Subban's handled himself through his meteoric rise in hockey. He's always projected a positive attitude and a humility a lot of guys in his position wouldn't have. It was impressive to see him report to development camp with guys just drafted, and declare there's always something to learn even after you've played twenty minutes a game in the playoffs. So far, however, he's been able to maintain those characteristics because he's always succeeded. It'll be challenging for him if he's faced with what feels like failure. If he rises above it and manages to keep his emotions on an even keel, he'll be fine, but there's a definite risk there.
The second thing I worry about when Subban navigates the treacherous waters of being an NHL rookie is the crowd at the Bell Centre. Fickle is too charitable a term for the way some people treat their own team. The fans want the newer, fresher version of the guy they worshipped last year. They scream for prospects to make the team, then have no patience with them if the kids slump or make big, glaring defensive errors. The guy they demanded to see brought up from Hamilton should be demoted by Christmas if the paying customers had their way. It can be really hard for a young player to be the toast of the town one day and the biggest bum on ice the next. It's harder if the kid lives by himself in a big, tempting city like Montreal.
PK Subban has all the talent he needs to be a very good player in the NHL, and this year he'll get his chance to prove that. We all want him to step in and be for the Habs what a guy like Tyler Myers is to the Sabres or Drew Doughty is to the Kings. He might be that player someday. Chances are, though, he won't get there unless he has a few ups and downs first. A kid like him should be handled carefully to make sure he gets where he's capable of being. I'm not talking babying him like the team has babied Carey Price, but just giving the guy more than one chance. If he gets caught at the blueline on a spinerama that leads to a breakaway, yes, the coaches should correct him, loudly if necessary. Then they should send him right back out for his next shift. Martin needs to remember that no kid with enthusiasm and tons of skill learns much when he's nailed to the bench.
Similarly, the fans need to remember that even if Subban is the goat sometimes, he's still the player they wanted so badly to make the team. Players might say they don't hear the booing, but they do, and it hurts. Fans also need to keep in mind that the kid they're booing today is the free agent of tomorrow who'll remember the loyalty shown to him when it's his turn to show some back.
I can't wait to see PK Subban on the Habs blueline this year. He's going to make some spectacular rushes, he'll be huge fun on the powerplay, he'll give great quote and he'll skate like the wind. I want to see Martin try him in the shootout, and I know he'll use his size to paste a few unsuspecting forwards. I know he'll also make some truly boneheaded plays, he'll probably go through a scoring drought and he may even cost the team a game. It's all part of the ride. We need to suck it up and take the bad with the good, because I think the good is going to be very, very good and we'll be glad we waited for it.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
THDNSFH Goes Curmudgeon
See that nice autograph in the picture to the left? I don't have to tell you whose name that is, because you can read it. I can take out my signed photo of Jean Beliveau and show it off to Habs fans and they admire not only the picture of Le Gros Bill with the Cup, but the beautiful, legible signature as well. My kid can look at that and say, "Mom, who's Jean Beliveau?" (okay, my grandkid, because my kids know who Beliveau is...) and I will be able to tell him that's one of the finest men to ever wear a Montreal Canadiens' sweater. Similarly, the names of Yvan Cournoyer, Maurice Richard, Bernie Geoffrion, Ken Dryden, Bob Gainey and Jacques Lemaire will live on in their autographs because they signed with beautiful, legible penmanship a fan can cherish forever.
Then we have the modern player. I don't know if it's because the education system is failing abysmally to provide adequate instruction in cursive writing, or if the players actively try to develop a "signature" that in no way resembles their actual name, but I challenge you to decipher most NHL player's autographs.
Ordinarily, this wouldn't bother me. I'm past the age of waiting for NHL players to sign my scrap of paper outside the rink. (Yes, I admit I do have Tomas Plekanec's autograph, but that's on a game-worn jersey, so it's different. (It is!) Plus, he's one of the few who actually signs a name you can read.) Once though, I was a kid who thought a Canadien's...any Canadien's...signature was a treasure to be carefully folded and tucked away with the most cherished of keepsakes. It was a tangible link between me and my heroes. Mats Naslund actually touched this paper; for one moment we met and he acknowledged that he knew I was out there rooting for him. The autograph is just a reminder to me of that special moment. I came across the little scraps of paper from childhood not long ago, and read the names on them. Naslund, Serge Savard, Gainey, Guy Carbonneau, Bobby Smith...they're all clear and well-defined. Others, like Chris Chelios, Claude Lemieux and Mike McPhee are reasonably understandable. Only two of the whole pile...I'm talking to you, Petr Svoboda and Patrick Roy...are known only unto God and those who cheered for them for years.
Now, of course, autographs are much more than just treasured mementos pasted into a kid's scrapbook for posterity. They're important to charities who sell them to raise money for good causes. They support the businesses of people who collect them en masse and sell them, in turn, to richer collectors who can't or won't ask for them in person. They're even a source of income for the old players who sign them and actually need the money to offset poor pension plans. Yet, it's interesting that the more commercial players' signatures become, the more illegible they become too.
Some of it's understandable. Russian players, for example, grew up with a Cyrillic alphabet, so their names would be difficult for most North Americans to decipher, even if the guy wrote it clearly. Others may just have bad handwriting, be writing at odd angles in a crowd of autograph seekers or be in a big hurry. But it's hard to imagine a modern player who's asked to sign more autographs than Jean Beliveau or Maurice Richard did, and they managed to make theirs meaningful and readable.
The reason this is on my mind is because a while back I came across an advertisement for an auction of "Blackberry Curves, used and autographed by NHL All Stars." The slick little devices were to be sold to raise money for charity, and the signatures of the hockey players were supposed to make them more valuable than the generic one you just pick up anywhere. The thing is, there wasn't one single recognizable name on them. Unless the owner pointed it out and said, "Hey, see my blackberry, autographed by Sheldon Souray?" you'd never have a clue what that scribble is supposed to be. I just don't get how the careless, indecipherable scrawls that pass for autographs today have any value at all, let alone actually add value to an item. And, outside an iconic signature like Alex Ovechkin's, I can't see how some of these players' autographs will evoke memories in the future when the people looking at them have no idea to whom they belonged.
Fans give a lot to make sure the NHL stays afloat and the players are rewarded very handsomely for their efforts. I appreciate that the players give back by offering their time and autographs to the fans. But, if they're doing it anyway, how hard is it to make sure someone can actually read it? I look at my Jean Beliveau signature, and Bob Gainey's and Yvan Cournoyer's, and I'm glad there was a generation of players I'll always remember because if I forget, I can just read their names.
Monday, July 19, 2010
The Letter of the Law
So, Ilya Kovalchuck, the Waffling Russian, has signed for 17 years with New Jersey. He'll make about $10-million for several seasons of that contract and a total of $102-million. His cap hit, however, is less than six. Lou Lamoriello has officially entered the cheating cheaty cheater's club in the eyes of GMs who deal within the stated salary cap rules. The only exploitable cap loophole in the current CBA is the ability of teams to front-load contracts, so they can give the players long-term deals with low average cap hits. They do this knowing the player will be off the books long before the contract expires.
In idiomatic terms, there's a little thing called "the spirit of the law," however. Front-loading contracts certainly follows the letter of the law, in that there's nothing in the CBA that prevents the practice. It's obviously an end-run around the contract, though, which isn't exactly following the spirit of the law that is the NHL salary cap. The cap was introduced in the first place to prevent wealthy teams and perennial contenders from hoarding all the good players, leaving the also-rans with the dregs of the talent pool. The cap was supposed to ensure parity by making sure talent was spread evenly around, if only because the spendthrifts (yeah, I'm talking to you, Sather) wouldn't be able to afford to sign every good free agent or pay their young stars outrageous sums to keep them around. Better distribution of talent would enable small-market teams to compete without bankrupting themselves.
So now we've got bold GMs like Lamoriello, Paul Holmgren and Dale Tallon realizing they can still sign the big-name, big-talent players they covet by simply extending their contracts for enough years to make the average cap hit relatively painless. Holmgren may yet get burned for signing Chris Pronger to a seven-year, front-loaded deal, but only because Pronger signed after age 35 which means his cap hit counts even if he retires.
The NHL investigated the Pronger and Marian Hossa contracts because officials suspected the teams had negotiated early retirements as part of those deals. Of course, the investigation proved nothing. How could it, unless someone was stupid enough to write down what was implicit in the length of the contract itself? As the lengths and dollar values of the contracts themselves did not contravene the CBA, the league approved them. The NHL now has five days to approve the Kovalchuk deal, or challenge it. It will be allowed to stand, because Lamoriello has not broken the letter of the law, irrespective of its spirit.
Since the NHL has decided that it's going to allow those big, front-loaded contracts, a GM like Pierre Gauthier must re-examine the way he does business. The obvious conclusion is that he would be irresponsible not to take advantage of the loophole. Andrei Markov is coming into the last year of his deal with the Habs, and will need to be re-signed. (Despite the calls of some fans to trade him because he's been hurt twice in the last year and he's over thirty, make no mistake the General is the Habs' best player and will be retained.) Gauthier could try to negotiate a traditional contract with him for, let's say, $30-million over five years, with a cap hit of $6-million. Or he could follow in Uncle Lou's and Holmgren's footsteps and front-load a deal with Markov that would pay him $40-million for ten years, with the same $30-million Markov would have made in the shorter deal all paid up front and the remaining $10-million parcelled out over the last years of the deal. That would drop the cap hit to a very palatable $4-million, with the tacit understanding that Markov will probably retire long before he's 41 years old. He and his cap hit would then be off the books.
Even better, there's nothing stopping Gauthier from signing Markov to a twenty-year deal for $45-million total salary. He'd get $30-million or so in the first five years of the deal, then $15-million spread over the remaining fifteen, most of it concentrated in years six, seven and eight. It would bring Markov's cap hit down to a brilliant $2.25-million a year for the duration of his time with the Habs. When he retired at 38 or 39 years of age, he'd no longer count against the cap.
Considering the NHL's inability to plug the contractual loophole and other GMs' willingness to use it to their advantage, Gauthier is going to have to consider doing the same if he's going to compete. He doesn't have to be crazy about it like Lamoriello was with Kovalchuk. Uncle Lou will be stuck with that contract if Kovalchuk's production drops after he's thirty-five and he's still costing nearly $6-million against the cap for nine more years, or until he retires. If the cap hit is too high, even front-loading won't help reduce the damage when the player is no longer worth that price. While mega contracts are a risk, no matter how they're managed, there's still a definite benefit in using the front-loading tactic to reduce what would have been a reasonable cap hit to a negligable one, though.
Nobody would begrudge Markov $6-million a year for the last of his best seasons, for example. But everyone would dance for joy if Gauthier was able to cut a fair deal for the player, with a tiny cap hit that would benefit the team.
If the gloves are off for NHL GMs in exploiting the cap, the Markov extension is a great chance for Gauthier to join the party. He'd even be breaking new ground, in a way. To date, the big contracts have been given to big names who GMs feel might be the final pieces already-good teams need to put them over the top. Nobody's yet used front-loading to actually build a team in the first place. Imagine the damage the 'Hawks could have done to the league if they'd signed all their young stars for twenty years, with tiny cap hits that would enable the team to add big guns every year at the trade deadline? It's a scary thought.
Either way, though, Gauthier would be wise to jump on the front-loading trend. After all, playing by the spirit of the law doesn't get you far when your competition is playing only by the letter of it. It's reasonable to suspect that there's a limited window for this kind of deal because it's likely the NHL will close the loophole in the next collective agreement. The letter and the spirit of the law will be the same thing soon enough, and the bold GMs who take advantage before that happens will be better off than those who don't.
In idiomatic terms, there's a little thing called "the spirit of the law," however. Front-loading contracts certainly follows the letter of the law, in that there's nothing in the CBA that prevents the practice. It's obviously an end-run around the contract, though, which isn't exactly following the spirit of the law that is the NHL salary cap. The cap was introduced in the first place to prevent wealthy teams and perennial contenders from hoarding all the good players, leaving the also-rans with the dregs of the talent pool. The cap was supposed to ensure parity by making sure talent was spread evenly around, if only because the spendthrifts (yeah, I'm talking to you, Sather) wouldn't be able to afford to sign every good free agent or pay their young stars outrageous sums to keep them around. Better distribution of talent would enable small-market teams to compete without bankrupting themselves.
So now we've got bold GMs like Lamoriello, Paul Holmgren and Dale Tallon realizing they can still sign the big-name, big-talent players they covet by simply extending their contracts for enough years to make the average cap hit relatively painless. Holmgren may yet get burned for signing Chris Pronger to a seven-year, front-loaded deal, but only because Pronger signed after age 35 which means his cap hit counts even if he retires.
The NHL investigated the Pronger and Marian Hossa contracts because officials suspected the teams had negotiated early retirements as part of those deals. Of course, the investigation proved nothing. How could it, unless someone was stupid enough to write down what was implicit in the length of the contract itself? As the lengths and dollar values of the contracts themselves did not contravene the CBA, the league approved them. The NHL now has five days to approve the Kovalchuk deal, or challenge it. It will be allowed to stand, because Lamoriello has not broken the letter of the law, irrespective of its spirit.
Since the NHL has decided that it's going to allow those big, front-loaded contracts, a GM like Pierre Gauthier must re-examine the way he does business. The obvious conclusion is that he would be irresponsible not to take advantage of the loophole. Andrei Markov is coming into the last year of his deal with the Habs, and will need to be re-signed. (Despite the calls of some fans to trade him because he's been hurt twice in the last year and he's over thirty, make no mistake the General is the Habs' best player and will be retained.) Gauthier could try to negotiate a traditional contract with him for, let's say, $30-million over five years, with a cap hit of $6-million. Or he could follow in Uncle Lou's and Holmgren's footsteps and front-load a deal with Markov that would pay him $40-million for ten years, with the same $30-million Markov would have made in the shorter deal all paid up front and the remaining $10-million parcelled out over the last years of the deal. That would drop the cap hit to a very palatable $4-million, with the tacit understanding that Markov will probably retire long before he's 41 years old. He and his cap hit would then be off the books.
Even better, there's nothing stopping Gauthier from signing Markov to a twenty-year deal for $45-million total salary. He'd get $30-million or so in the first five years of the deal, then $15-million spread over the remaining fifteen, most of it concentrated in years six, seven and eight. It would bring Markov's cap hit down to a brilliant $2.25-million a year for the duration of his time with the Habs. When he retired at 38 or 39 years of age, he'd no longer count against the cap.
Considering the NHL's inability to plug the contractual loophole and other GMs' willingness to use it to their advantage, Gauthier is going to have to consider doing the same if he's going to compete. He doesn't have to be crazy about it like Lamoriello was with Kovalchuk. Uncle Lou will be stuck with that contract if Kovalchuk's production drops after he's thirty-five and he's still costing nearly $6-million against the cap for nine more years, or until he retires. If the cap hit is too high, even front-loading won't help reduce the damage when the player is no longer worth that price. While mega contracts are a risk, no matter how they're managed, there's still a definite benefit in using the front-loading tactic to reduce what would have been a reasonable cap hit to a negligable one, though.
Nobody would begrudge Markov $6-million a year for the last of his best seasons, for example. But everyone would dance for joy if Gauthier was able to cut a fair deal for the player, with a tiny cap hit that would benefit the team.
If the gloves are off for NHL GMs in exploiting the cap, the Markov extension is a great chance for Gauthier to join the party. He'd even be breaking new ground, in a way. To date, the big contracts have been given to big names who GMs feel might be the final pieces already-good teams need to put them over the top. Nobody's yet used front-loading to actually build a team in the first place. Imagine the damage the 'Hawks could have done to the league if they'd signed all their young stars for twenty years, with tiny cap hits that would enable the team to add big guns every year at the trade deadline? It's a scary thought.
Either way, though, Gauthier would be wise to jump on the front-loading trend. After all, playing by the spirit of the law doesn't get you far when your competition is playing only by the letter of it. It's reasonable to suspect that there's a limited window for this kind of deal because it's likely the NHL will close the loophole in the next collective agreement. The letter and the spirit of the law will be the same thing soon enough, and the bold GMs who take advantage before that happens will be better off than those who don't.
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