The Montreal Canadiens have been busy restructuring the off-ice team. They will surely get busy working on the on-ice product this offseason, but that is what free agency and the NHL Draft are for.
For now, while the Stanley Cup Playoffs are still underway, the Canadiens really can’t make any big splashes that will change their projected lineup for game one of the 2022-23 season. But, they have been adding managerial personnel for months that should aid the on-ice product in the near future.
Today, they continued to stockpile assets in the organization when they hired Marie-Philip Poulin. The Montreal native is the best female hockey player on the planet today, and perhaps the best to ever lace up skates.
The 31 year old is still representing her country on the ice, so she will work for the Canadiens on a part-time basis, at least for now. Maybe after another gold medal at the Olympics in 2026 she will be more of a full-time member of the Canadiens.
For now, she will work as a player development consultant. Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes commented that adding someone who is the best in the world at their craft will certainly be beneficial for the players in the Canadiens organization.
Her main task with the Habs will be joining players on the ice and in the video room to work on individual skills. She will work alongside Rob Ramage who is the director of player development and Adam Nicholas who is the director of hockey development.
Teams have begun hiring coaches that don’t just teach tactics and systems, but actually help players with specific aspects of the on-ice game like working on their edges and puck control in confined areas.
Seeing the Canadiens are taking the next step forward in this area and have diversified their management staff in the process can only be a great thing moving forward.
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