A Winning Habit
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Montreal Canadiens: How To Fix The Team’s Entire Hierarchy

By Patrick Lortie

MONTREAL, QC - MARCH 02: (L-R) Tyler Toffoli #73, Shea Weber #6 and Ben Chiarot #8 of the Montreal Canadiens stand during the national anthem prior to the game against the Ottawa Senators at the Bell Centre on March 2, 2021 in Montreal, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-1. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - MARCH 02: (L-R) Tyler Toffoli #73, Shea Weber #6 and Ben Chiarot #8 of the Montreal Canadiens stand during the national anthem prior to the game against the Ottawa Senators at the Bell Centre on March 2, 2021 in Montreal, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-1. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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Montreal Canadiens
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – JUNE 22: (L-R) Geoff Molson and Marc Bergevin of the Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

General Manager

I think we’ve all had enough of “Bergy”.

For a guy who has famously said on multiple occasions that trading in the NHL is not like on PlayStation, he sure manages to wheel and deal quite a bit. A whopping 94 times to be exact in his 9 years at the helm of the team. This puts him 5th in the NHL behind Stan Bowman (115 in 12 years), David Poile (127 in 24 years), Bob Murray (137 in 13 years) and Doug Wilson (150 in 18 years).

Bergevin hasn’t been a complete failure by no means. This is someone who came in and wasn’t afraid of trading someone that wasn’t fitting in. His good trades outweigh his bad ones as the examples of the ones like Suzuki, Tatar, Danault, Anderson, Petry and Weber to name just a few.

The issue with Marc Bergevin’s current status is that he has too much weight, too much power if you will, in an antiquated structure that needs modernizing. He’s an incredible salesmen, otherwise he wouldn’t have the staff he has now for so long and being able to trade with another GM so often. Issue is however, is that he treats his players like pawns rather than human beings in a world where players are hugged and coddled more than ever.

He’s also leaned too often on his staff in order to save face, especially when it comes to drafting.

Stability is also a huge issue. Too often does this team lack a core identity. Too often are players moved at the detriment of stability. If you look at the current NHL-level roster, only Evans, Gallagher, Kotkaniemi, Lehkonen, Romanov and Price have been drafted and groomed by the organization.

Either Bergevin gives up too quickly on guys like Mikhail Sergachev or they’ve drafted too many Michael McCarron’s and Nikita Scherbak’s in the early rounds. You can’t win if you don’t draft properly and this is a plague that has hit the Habs hard for way too long.

Patrick Roy

QUEBEC CITY, QC – NOVEMBER 20: Patrick Roy (Photo by Mathieu Belanger/Getty Images)
QUEBEC CITY, QC – NOVEMBER 20: Patrick Roy (Photo by Mathieu Belanger/Getty Images) /

Patrick Roy is a deity in the province of Quebec. Despite the way things ended in 1995 when he unceremoniously got traded to the Colorado Avalanche, Roy returned home when his jersey was retired in 2008 and all seems like water under the bridge now when it comes to his relationship with the fans and the organization.

Roy has had more than one offer to join an NHL club after he resigned from the Avalanche as Head Coach and Vice-President of Hockey Operations. He cited differences with upper management due to the chosing of personnel. However, despite these offers, he has since stayed with the Quebec Rempart of the QMJHL and has occupied many positions such as co-owner, general manager and head coach.

Roy was heavily rumored to be the front runner to become the GM of the Habs before Bergevin was ultimately chosen. He was then again, heavily rumored to have been the front runner to become head coach of the team but again, he apparently came 2nd and Michel Therrien was chosen.

The current situation within the Habs is perfect for him and we all know what he’s been doing. He’s not a nice person. He has an ego the size of a cathedral. He knows nothing except going all in to achieve the ultimate prize. He’s perfect.

He’s also waiting for the call to move his stuff into 7th floor at 1909 Avenue Des Canadiens de Montreal.

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