Rumours were circling of the Montreal Canadiens hiring Vincent Damphousse as a president of hockey operations, which could be the shakeup management needs.
One of the worries about the Play-In Round for the Stanley Cup Playoffs was the optics of it in regards to respective franchises. A general manager’s tenure with an organization is judged based on the number of championships they can bring in their run. If not championships, it comes down to playoff appearances and how long each has been. Marc Bergevin hasn’t brought Stanley to the Montreal Canadiens, and the deepest the team has gotten to was the Eastern Conference Final in 2014.
We keep track of those things as it’s part of the general manager’s resume. Additionally, it establishes how long their respective leash is.
The Habs were on the verge of missing the playoffs for the third year in a row. At the same time, there is no clear cut direction for the team. Bergevin doesn’t want to salvage the future via prospects and picks but wants the team to be competitive. Bergevin wants the team to focus on the draft but doesn’t want to tank and rebuild.
The Play-In Round will give those general managers an extra leg, especially if they wind up qualifying for the actual playoffs. Imagine the excitement created by the Montreal Canadiens finding a way to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins.
But whatever happens this season doesn’t and shouldn’t take away from the issues in the front office. There is a weird sense of direction. That’s why many have pushed for a President of Hockey Operations to be added to the front office.
Rumour had it that former Montreal Canadien great Vincent Damphousse was on the verge of being that. Damphousse, along with Kirk Muller, was on that 1993 Stanley Cup-winning team and adding him in a position of power could tweak the culture of the organization as far as decision-making and player personnel.
However, owner Geoff Molson put those rumours to bed this morning. Bergevin, for the time being, will continue to report to him.
Geoff Molson says he has no intention of hiring a president of hockey ops.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) June 10, 2020
The Montreal Canadiens haven’t had a President of Hockey Operations since Ronald Corey. He served as President from 1982 to 1999 seeing the team win two championships in 1986 and 1993.
Nowhere in the CBA or the “Hockey Experts of the World” annual (made up) does it say a President guarantees a championship. However, what having a President does is extend the line of communication. It also has more heads in that front office instead of only two people making the decisions.
It’s clear Bergevin and Molson have a healthy relationship having worked together for eight years now. But this Play-In opportunity is a moment to put your feet up and celebrate. It’s a gift. The Montreal Canadiens are still nowhere close to being good enough to legitimately compete in the playoffs. That’s why all the focus is on Carey Price as many feel he’s their only hope for a deep run.
If things go south next season, Claude Julien is probably gone. Bergevin should be as well, but I could see Molson giving him one more year. Then what?
Another thing to keep in mind is Damphousse’s experience. Since retiring, the 52-year-old has joined RDS as a hockey analyst. There hasn’t been anything else going on of the same flavour as being President of Hockey Operations. If the Habs brought him in now, it would come across more as a pandering to the previous generations, similarly to what the Edmonton Oilers have been doing.
That doesn’t change the fact that a third voice in that chain of command could be useful. Whether it’s Damphousse or someone else, the Montreal Canadiens need something. Molson may be comfortable with keeping things the way they are, but there hasn’t been enough evidence to prove it’s working. So the question for Goeff is, how long are you willing to wait?