CANADIENS FIRE MARTIN; CUNNEYWORTH NAMED INTERIM HEAD COACH

[caniac97]

hmmm,

Jacques Martin has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the Montreal Canadiens.

Randy Cunneyworth has been named interim head coach until the end of the season.

The team has gotten out to a 13-12-7 start this season and currently sits last in the Northeast Division.

Cunneyworth had been an assistant coach with the team and had previously served as head coach of the team's American Hockey League affiliate in Hamilton.

In one season coaching the Bulldogs Cunneyworth led the team to a 44-27-2-7 record, good enough to claim the AHL North Division title.

The 57-year-old Martin has been the Canadiens head coach since the 2008-09 season. He has amassed a 96-75-25 record with the team.

Martin has coached 1294 NHL games with St. Louis, Ottawa, Florida and Montreal, posting a record of 613-481-119-81.

A team release has indicated that Larry Carriere will become an assistant coach.

[Bob-in-Alberta]

Interesting. If Muller had stayed in Montreal instead of leaving he probably would be the head coach there now.

[caniac97]

Interesting. If Muller had stayed in Montreal instead of leaving he probably would be the head coach there now.

he was passed over because he didn't speak French!! What a stupid reason not to hire a coach.

[ontheboards]

patrick roy anyone?

[caniac97]

patrick roy anyone?

wouldn't be surprised to find out that there is some super top secret Habs rule against coaches being former goalies!!

[MoBigRed]

he was passed over because he didn't speak French!! What a stupid reason not to hire a coach.

Not sure about that, being Montreal. Think the Hurricanes would hire a coach that doesn't speak English?

[superdave]

I wonder if Mo speaks French?

[caniac97]

I wonder if Mo speaks French?

French Fries, French Toast, then all down hill much like his coaching skills.

[Solracer]

I wonder if Mo speaks French?

Aaron Ward does.. LOL :)

[e2ipiand1]

Apparently, Cunneyworth doesn't speak French either.

The 50-year-old Cunneyworth, a Toronto native whose lack of French was quickly noted by fans and the media in a Francophone city where English-only corporate board meetings have been a hot topic, is the team's first unilingual English-speaking coach since Bob Berry in the early 1980s.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=382950

[kermelbar]

More implosion in Montreal? Subban, Plekanec fight at practice (http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/02/subban-plekanec-fight-at-practice/)

[ontheboards]

I'll attribute the dust 'em up to Subban and his maturity issues.

[SoCalcaniac]

I thought when I saw this thread bumped up it would be about the GM "apologizing" for not hiring a french speaking coach. (http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Montreal/2012/01/02/19191506.html) The Habs clearly have issues internally with the players, etc - but this one is a doozy IMO.

[ontheboards]

Quebec is just too high mantenance and I can fully apprecaite the rest of Canada's fatigue factor and annoynace at all the extra dollars and special considerations made for Quebecois. Peirre Gauthier has just become hockey's Neville Chamberlain and Randy Cunneyworth has just become a lame duck. If the players weren't responding before, they certainly aren't going to now. What attempts Gauthier made to save his job and turn his team around has been undone by this regret. Really, if the man had any cajones, or better yet some ovaries, he'd have had a different attitude. That being said, let the Habs continue to limit themselves to bilingual coaches-- it has worked well for them since 1993. Perhaps, they should also limit their players to french speakers as well if they want to be true to their principle.

[ontheglass]

Watching the Habs-Bruins game (TSN) and they just ammounced that Mike Cammalleri has been traded... he was told during the game and is now in a cab going back to the team hotel. Sure his comments did him in, but just amazed how it was being reported (kinda like a joke) on TSN.

He was traded during the 3rd period.

[kermelbar]

I don't follow the details of trades, but has that ever happened before? A player given the news in the middle of the game and off to the airport? That's just ... kinda hateful.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

It's happened before, though it's been a while....I can't remember the last time. It's pretty much the ultimate F you.

I've only seen a summary of what he said but, I didn't think it was too off and the big deal seems a bit mis-placed. But he has a limited NTC so, you'd think that would indicate that they've been working on a trade already so maybe the comments weren't really the impetus for the trade so much. But sure seems like jerking him mid-game might be the result. Or we just love the drama in Montreal.

While they were busy sticking it to him, they got beat 2-1.

[superdave]

While they were busy sticking it to him, they got beat 2-1.

That'll learn him

[kermelbar]

I can't imagine anywhere that he'd need to be -- and goodness knows, I have no idea if/what rules govern the details of a trade -- that transit couldn't wait until after the third period.

[nccanes]

I can't imagine anywhere that he'd need to be -- and goodness knows, I have no idea if/what rules govern the details of a trade -- that transit couldn't wait until after the third period.

Presumably it's because they don't want him hurt in the game and screw up the trade. Players have been pulled off practice ice for same reason.

I guess you could say that MTL wanted to get their last dig in as well as protect the completion of the trade, since most trades don't go down that way. Then again, MTL doesn't seem to consult the time/day for any decision making/execution, so it's kind of par for the course for them. :lol:

[SoCalcaniac]

The supposedly once classy MTL organization has gone to crap IMO. That Gauthier dude, he's a tool. He's trying to save his job, which I'm sure he'll be without come summer time.

I get that they have to protect from injury and all that, but this is clearly a stick it to him situation. I didn't think what Cammelleri said was all that horrible, they're always talking about "being a leader" facing the music, all that jazz, and when one does speak, they get tattoo'd. Rich. Take a guy of the ice in the middle of a game- put him in a cab and tell him to wait for "further instructions" duuuude. Against your hated rival. Oh- okay.

I was listening to TSN radio or NHL Tonight maybe both, where they were talking about how Cammelleri was building a house in MTL, taking his immersion classes to better his French etc. and how he took pride in playing for MTL, etc. One talking head- I think it may have been Kevin Weekes on the NHLT show, said you have to wonder what the greats of the Habs/the Ambassadors for MTL like Guy LaFleur and Jean Beliveau must be thinking about the state of the Habs and went on to say this isn't how it's usually done.

Montreal Canadiens - the new train wreck of the NHL.

[Convert]

Montreal Canadiens - the new train wreck of the NHL.

Did those idiots who owned the Lightning for a bit buy a piece of the Habs?