Montreal Canadiens: Did Marc Bergevin Need to Speak?
By Omar L
A request to speak to Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin after practice was denied, but would addressing the media really help the team?
The Montreal Canadiens are one of few teams in the NHL who have the greatest amount of media coverage. Other teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New York Rangers experience this as well. When things are going well, it’s alright to deal with. However, when they aren’t, for example right now, the increased coverage could be difficult to deal with.
Monday’s practice looked to be a step in a different direction for the team. There were new lines, a new attitude, and Claude Julien in his interviews sounded confident that the group can dig in and turn things around this week. Fans also learned that it was concussion-like symptoms that took Ales Hemsky out of the game on Friday against the Anaheim Ducks.
According to Sportsnet’s Eric Engels, there was a request to talk to Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin after practice. That request was denied. There was some uproar from members of the Canadiens community who said that the general manager addressing the media could have helped to dissipate some of the heat around the team. Would it have?
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Some Ammunition
Although the team has been struggling as a whole, some of the critiques that Bergevin was facing in regards to his moves over the offseason are re-appearing. The Montreal Canadiens have still struggled to score as they have only lit the lamp 13 times this season (last in the NHL). He also said on many occasions that he believed this year’s blueline is better than past’s groups. Save for Victor Mete and Shea Weber, there haven’t been many shining lights in that department.
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There have also been free agent signings who haven’t panned out. Mark Streit only played two games with the team before having his contract terminated. What made that look worse is that Bergevin mentioned at the annual golf tournament in September that he felt Streit could help fill the hole the team had on the power play with the absence of Andrei Markov.
Joseph Morrow was going to be a reclamation project for Julien, but he hasn’t done enough to stay in the lineup every night. Although he is leading defencemen in points, Karl Alzner, who was the team’s big free agent signing, hasn’t looked his best. Then there’s the David Schlemko situation which is far from being Bergevin’s fault, but is just another piece of bad luck the organization has gone through.
Keeping Silent
Bergevin coming out to talk would’ve helped to an extent. However, it would mostly be a rally of questions regarding the things I just mentioned. It would also include asking him if he’s considered making a move or not. Both of which he would have no way of fully answering anyway. He could give those, “nothing answers”, but that isn’t what reporters are looking for.
Would it have been a good look to see the general manager express positive and reassuring thoughts towards the players? Of course it would have, but he’s probably done that behind closed doors already. General managers rarely speak to the media mid-season to begin with and as bad as things look now, it isn’t bad enough yet for that yet *knocks on wood*.
However, my stance on this could change if the team continues to lose hockey games. For the time being, it looks like both Bergevin and Julien are leaving it to the players to figure things out. Hopefully playing at home, be it in front of some frustrated fans, can trigger that.
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What are your thoughts on this? Should Bergevin have addressed the media? Let us know what you think down below.