As a diehard Leaf fan, I love seeing the current state of the Montreal Canadiens. Losers of five straight, and with the Lightning and Panthers on deck after Christmas, there is no end in site of the streak ending.
However part of me, if you can believe it or not, feels for newly minted Habs Coach Randy Cunneyworth. He was promoted from the assistant role after Jacques Martin was fired last Saturday. Cunneyworth has been criticized immediately in Montreal not for his coaching approach, tactics or philosophy, but for the fact he cannot speak French.
As a History major and a big fan of the Canadian variety, no one has to tell me the story of our beautiful country and the strong influence of the beautiful French-Canadian culture on it. Plus I also know the strong instrumental role the Montreal Canadiens play in the Province of Quebec. From Morenz, Richard, the 1955 Richard Riots, Beliveau, LaFleur, Gainey, Roy and Koivu, these players have all helped paved the way in developing the passionate following of this hockey team in La Belle Province. I also know the steps the Quebec Provincial Government has taken to ensure the French language presence in Quebec remains strong. These measures include making French the official Quebec workplace language, forcing all children living in Quebec to be educated in French and forcing French signage to be predominantly larger than English signage. I believe that all Canadians, no matter where they live, should have the opportunity to be educated in one of those two languages of their choice, or both.
Getting back to the Montreal Canadiens and their fans, I believe many of them are making too big a deal about Cunneyworth not being able to speak French. Who cares? What’s more important? The language a coach speaks, or the results on the playing surface. I believe it’s the latter and not the former. If Cunneyworth is getting results from his players, then Canadiens fans should be happy. However, he is not. I’m sure this controversy hasn’t helped Cunneyworth’s transition to head coach go very smoothly, as the Habs have lost all four games he has coached so far.
Also Cunneyworth was promoted as the interim coach. So why is the Montreal French media making such a big issue about a head coach who will only hold the job until the end of the season?
Canadiens fans have to realize we are no longer in the 1950s. Most of the players, coaches and other on-ice team personnel speak English. Most player meetings are conducted in English. Why this big issue on the language the coach speaks is ridiculous.
The Montreal French media may not be used to having a Canadiens coach that speaks only one language. It hasn’t happened since Bob Berry in 1984. But it has occurred in the past. Not to mention all the coaches of Montreal’s former baseball team the Expos, and current Canadian Football League team, the Alouettes, were born in the United States and don’t speak French.
Who knows if Cunneyworth will make it until the end of the season as head coach? If the season continues this poorly, he may not. But groups that are planning to protest his hiring at Montreal’s next home game must not have anything better to do.
I’ll be honest, was I happy when my Leafs hired Ron Wilson and Brian Burke, both of whom are American? No, I wasn’t because I feel there are strong Canadian executives and coaches out there that can bring the Stanley Cup back to Toronto. But, I don’t want Wilson and Burke fired because of their background. They deserve a shot to succeed, like any new person in a job. In his three seasons as Leaf head coach, Wilson has compiled a record of 100 wins and 107 losses with no playoff appearances. I give the Habs credit for firing Martin after two disappointing seasons and moving on. Unlike the Leafs, who have hung onto Wilson, as he can’t get the job done here in Toronto.
I do feel high pressure hockey markets like Montreal and Toronto need experienced NHL coaches who have wet their teeth and achieved success elsewhere. These cities put a lot of pressure on their hockey teams, and a coach with experience is better equipped to handle the tough situations. This is where I feel Montreal went wrong in hiring Cunneyworth. I see why they made the logical move in promoting their assistant coach, but he doesn’t have any coaching experience and is almost set-up to fail, as far as I’m concerned. They couldn’t promote their other assistant coach because he hasn’t even been on the job for 2 months. He replaced the previous assistant coach who was fired two hours before an October game.
So come summer, if not before then, the whining French Canadian Montreal media will get their French-speaking hockey coach for the Canadiens. I predict it will be Marc Crawford, who has experience winning a Stanley Cup, and coaching in a hockey hungry city like Vancouver.
But in order for the Habs to even start winning, they have to get some better players first, and the longer it takes for them to do that, that is fine by me.
What do you think? Who will be the Montreal Canadiens next coach?
…and that is the last word.
