MONTREAL - I am blessed to speak both English and French, and every day I listen to our local sports channel on AM 730 in French.
Every now and then (too often), I hear the redundant subject of discussion about the fact that the Montreal Canadiens don't have enough Quebec native players.
Every time I hear this, I feel heat on my ears, my heart rate skyrockets to 200 beats per minute, and I feel like screaming...I don't know why...NOT!
I'll tell you why I feel that way. Yes, Quebec produces great hockey players. Just look at Mario Lemieux, Martin Brodeur, Daniel Brière to name just a few. But here, in Montreal, the mass population would like to have 20 Quebec native players on the team and this, even if it means to get the second-best player available.
Gainey tried to bring Daniel Brière in Montreal, but Brière decided to go play in Philadelphia. Plain and simple, French Canadian players already playing for other teams DO NOT WANT to play in Montreal. Why? Fans (or so-called fans) are completely out of their minds. Here are two examples.
The first is defenseman Patrice Brisebois, who started his career in Montreal and played for many years. Like any other players in any teams, he had some difficulties in few games but overall was a good defenseman.
Montreal Canadiens "Fans" were always on his back and eventually booed him out of Montreal. Everybody were saying "good riddance!" Last year, Patrice returned to Montreal and guess what? He had a standing ovation when he was introduced at the first game at the Bell Centre.
The second example is right wing Alex Kovalev. Last year, Alex had some problems producing points. Everybody wanted him crucified and traded. At the end of the 2006-2007 season, I was listening to the radio and 99.999 percent of callers to a radio show were saying "The team has to get rid of Kovalev."
This year, Kovalev was the team's top scorer and played amazing all year. Guess what? 99.999 percent of callers said the Kovalev is untouchable.
It looks like these so-called "fans" are suffering from bipolarity.
I was listening to that same show this morning and everybody were saying that the Canadiens HAVE to draft Quebec native players.
I haven't missed many Habs games this year, and I saw Latendresse and Lapierre play. Frankly, I wasn't impressed.
Latendresse skates with a grand piano on his back and a fridge tied to his skates. Lapierre works hard but plays like a headless chicken. To be honest, I would rather have Teemu Selanne than these two guys.
This has been a major problem for the team for many years now. How many times have I heard complaints about the fact that Koivu doesn't speak French, or that there are not enough "Quebecois" on the team?
The fans says a coach MUST speak French to be behind the bench. A politician even tried to get involved.
I understand that people want to preserve their language and heritage, but they also need to face reality.
Hockey is a business. The Montreal Canadiens Hockey Club is owned by an American, the business language is ENGLISH but more importantly, language has NOTHING to do with the performance of a player or a coach.
As long as the organisation will keep bend over to satisfy these "fans" and make sure they have a minimum of French Canadian players, make sure that the coach speaks French, even if it means to get 2nd best for that reason, the Montreal Canadiens will only come close to going all the way.
DP
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3 months ago
I completely agree on this. great article, definitely!
I could not help but laugh at the Latendresse and Lapierre sentences! I really like those guys as players but I won't expect them to score more than 20-25 goals at most !
but what I like the most with this team, (especially last year) is to hear all the players trying to say one-two words in french. at least the "merci beaucoup" sounds good enough for me, and it is nice!
or for instance, take a look at the Rousseau commercial that kovalev did, and all that stuff.
so I think people should not make it that big of a deal, as long as they take this team at heart, we all do, and that is all that matters.
c'est un vrai bon text Dominic, continue de meme! ;)
Miah
3 months ago
It's just that we already have enough hearing about the language police in Quebec and all the efforts deployed to repress english speaking people and the separation B*** S***.
I don't need to hear about political issues in my favorite hockey club... sick of it!
My 2 cents.
3 months ago
Great article, I have been saying this for years.
No French Canadian payer in their right mind would ever play for Montreal, it is a completely toxic environment and a no-win situation for the players.
The Montreal media and fans have gotten way out of control, some people call it passion, but it is bordering on lunacy, no player wants a part of those ridiculously high expectations.
Just look at the insanely high expectations put on Latendresse (apparently the next Guy Lafleur) and Price (the next Roy/Dryden), they are unattainable and not even appropriate for each player.
The Montreal media and fans seem to have this need to hold every player and team up to the standard of the Canadiens of the 50s, 60s, 70s, etc. A rookie can't just be a rookie, he has to be the next "insert Canadiens legend here".
Until Montreal realizes that this obsession is not healthy fan passion but destructive to their team, things are not going to get much better.
3 months ago
great article dominic...i dont think a coach needs to speak french on the bench at all. this is modern times, so you cant expect every player to speak french on that team. maybe thats why theyre having trouble winning a cup. they have potential they can do it next year
3 months ago
Great read Dominic!
Reminds me alot about what happened when they said Koivu shouldn't be captain because he didn't speak French. Ridiculous!
3 months ago
Being Québécois, I think this sentiment steems mostly out of nostalgia. At the time of the Canadiens Dynasty, most of the players were French, and the population could relate to team being OUR team. Nowadays, we can't relate as much to the players because they can't speak to us at the end of the matches, because they are "strangers" to us.
I think that fans from New York might like to have players from the area, and the sentiment is the same at Montreal, we like to have local players.
Of course, I agree with the commenters that say that the Montreal media and fan attention is insane, but pressure is always prevalent where it is the national sport. The Italy or French soccer teams, the New England Patriots, all have the same kind of obsessive media attention and high expectations, because they are the national pride.
3 months ago
Le hockey ne sait aucune langue, le problème est des fans de Habs rendent impossible de travailler ou jouer leur. L'enfer, comme un américain le joueur de hockey né que je rêverais pour jouer pour les Canadiens, mais il n'arriverait jamais à cause de ma naissance. Thats vraiment injuste envers les joueurs qui ne sont pas de la naissance canadienne française et pourraient promouvoir l'équipe à son ancienne gloire. Habs attise qui crient de la langue doivent se réveiller et sentir le roses. Grand Article!
from 3 months ago
Wow Ken, I'm impressed. Maybe you should be the CL for the Canadiens haha.
3 months ago
I just love French Candian names like Begin and Lattendresse.
I wish I spoke French...
Great article!
3 months ago
on one side, coming from Quebec, a player would live his dream by playing for the Habs. but it is not because he wasn't born here that he would not love the team as much.
there has been a lot of debates over time about this, and I remember a bunch of Quebecois former players saying that the only thing to rebuild the canadiens entirely is to have a team with quebecois guys, so they would work twice harder than the others due to their pride and so on.
I dont think that would work that much anymore, just take a look at Chris higgins. he was born in long island, grew up there, but he ends up with the team he always wished to play for all his life.
i really agree that medias and fans should stop making such a fuss about it!
3 months ago
I grew up in the West End part of Montreal during the 60s, born to a French Canadian dad and an English Canadian mother. Both spoke both languages fluently, and my mother still does. I saw the great Flying Frenchmen and the English stars alike. Dominic's article is excellent if only that I understand both sides of the language debate that seems to always be an on-again, off-again issue in this hockey crazy province.
It's a business. And a business that not crosses borders into the US, but that is covered across the world. Same as soccer. Period. Get over it !
3 months ago
Dom ... great article!
Take a look at the Habs roster and you'll find four Americans, two Russians and two Belorussians along with a Finn, German, Slovak, Czech, Swiss and a Kazakh. I can't imagine they all can speak French but as long as they're scoring goal or blocking shots, I could care less!
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