What is the culture of the Montreal Canadiens?
What is the culture of the Chicago Blackhawks?
Canadiens General Manager Marc Bergevin believes that his team needs to be more like the Blackhawks, to have that winning mentality. When specifically asked about what Andrew Shaw brings n an interview on his off-season with Dave Stubbs of the NHL.com, Bergevin commented that:
“… I want guys who feel hurt by a loss. It's the culture that I want. It's the Chicago culture, that's what I want. Andrew Shaw has it. I was in Chicago long enough to know they don't take losing with a grain of salt. I want guys who don't like to lose.…
Many are taking this as a dig at the departed P.K. Subban, trying to read between the lines. Subban was one of the few players who showed up to play night in and night out. I see this as an endorsement for what Andrew Shaw brings to the table. He is a winner and hates to lose. That is great news and he should be a valuable addition to the roster regardless how one may feel about the salary and term of the his new contract. However, Bergevin does take it a bit too far when he brings up the Chicago culture. Bergevin should be concerned about creating his own culture and not copycatting another team’s. What works for one team does not necessarily work for another.
The biggest issue with creating a winning culture in Montreal is that the Canadiens are not creating that same sentiment with their minor league affiliates. Be it the previous AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs or current St. John’s Ice Caps, their minor league team’s have not made the playoffs under Sylvain Lefebvre's tenure as head coach these past four years. In the past when Bergevin has been asked about the lack of success of the Canadiens AHL teams, he has highlighted the goal of developing players rather than winning. However, it could be argued that a winning environment could help further the progress of the players. I can’t imagine the future fan base of the new Laval AHL team will show up if the team is not competitive from the get go.
Montreal used to have a culture of winning. The old saying of the parade taking place on the usual route has not been uttered in far too long. Twenty four Stanley Cups, the most of any franchise yet somehow the Canadiens have forgotten how to win. Former owner George Gillett helped to bring back some of the Canadiens culture by hiring Bob Gainey. Together, they created events that celebrated the past glories by retiring jerseys of former stars who had been ignored by the organization for far too long. The ceremonies were a history lesson for young fans, bridging the past to the present. 2016-2017 season will mark the 24th year since the last Cup parade in Montreal. Perhaps the numbers are a coincidence.
Bergevin first talked about changing the culture of the locker room back when he was first hired in the Spring of 2012. In what will be his 5th season as GM of the Canadiens this Fall, it seems as though the culture change is still a work in progress for Bergevin. The signing of the heart and soul type of player Brandon Prust on July 1st, 2012 was a clear signal of the changes that the GM wanted to implement. Perhaps he was missed in the locker room last season more than what was anticipated.
The off season acquisitions of Shaw and Shea Weber would seem to indicate that Bergevin thought that his team was too soft. It can be argued that there are a few Canadiens players that could be considered soft and still on the roster but Subban was certainly never one of them. In another quote from the interview regarding what Weber will bring to the Canadiens, Bergevin said:
“Instant credibility, as far as his credentials. He's won two Olympic gold medals and he's a guy who, like Carey Price, has a presence that right away brings credibility to your team. He'll be a great complement to our captain, Max Pacioretty, and to our leadership group. Shea's a big man and he's hard to play against. If you're lined up against Shea Weber, nothing's going to come easy. To me, that's something that we missed last season.…
Yes, Weber has won two Olympic gold medals, playing with the best players in Canada. However during his time in Nashville, the Predators never advanced past the second of the playoffs. Subban played a big part of the Canadiens run to the Conference finals in 2010 and 2014. He has also won two World Junior Championship gold medals and an Olympic gold (although he barely played in Sochi). Weber is well-respected in the NHL and Subban is not. You can read between the lines all that you want there… Weber will bring a lot of positives to the Canadiens, at least in the short term. He will make it tougher for opponents in from of Carey Price. Is that credibility or is that a player who is hard to play against?
Credibility and culture. Perhaps they go hand in hand. The Canadiens culture? TBD…
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