Canadiens boss Geoff Molson this afternoon issued a statement, in both official languages, clarifying his team’s position on Saturday’s hiring of unilingual anglophone coach Randy Cunneyworth.
The text of his statement, in English:
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I am thoroughly embarrassed to be a French Canadian, and a Habs fan, by this whole mess.
Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. ~ Carl Sagan
It is amazing to see all the politicians coming out of the wood work to get their names in the press. Having lived 20+ yrs in Montreal, now in T.O., it highlights just how difficult it is to do business in Quebec. Not everyone speaks French. If bilingualism is a pre-requisite for running the bench (I think there are only 2 French speaking players on the team) so be it. But are you willing to tollerate medicore performance in exchange for bilingualism? I think not! As an ex-Quebec resident, move on, you are embarrasing yourselves!!
Why not mediocre performance in exchange for bilingualism? It’s the creedo of the Federal Government HR policy, why not the Habs as well?
GEOFF!!!!! Take a couple of deep breaths and know that you made the right decision….. A change HAD to take place….. Also understand that the debaters now are not true hockey fans but backbenchers jumping on the language bandwagon to have their 2 minutes in the spotlight…. the language is HOCKEY… good luck and let’s have some great games!!!!!
This is hilarious and so sad all at the same time. In this day and age when hockey is big business, we still have a bunch of whiners and cry babies who demand that the coach of the Canadiens be able to communicate in French. Not to the players in French but to them, the ‘majority’ of fans and media who, like spoiled children stomp their feet and threaten to boycott until they get their way.
Who gives a rat’s rump if he (or she) can communicate in French to the Media in French! Get over it. I want a winning team and if the coach only speaks English, so be it.
Best man for the job PLEASE! Stop drinking Molson products if you wish, hold your breath, kick and scream and cry if you must.
In the end, is it truly worth it? Wouldn’t you rather have a coach who can produce a winning team? If you answered no, then you don’t deserve to cheer for this team or any team for that matter when politics mean more to you than winning.
You sicken me….
Honestly, all I care about is that we hire a coach that can win.
Should he learn to speak French? Absolutely. It’s a French province and the Canadiens proudly represent Quebec and Quebecois but they’re also a hockey team. Why hire someone because of his language rather than his skills?
Dude you are on your own with that monolog, good luck haha
Politicians need to POLITIC, coaches need to COACH, players need to PLAY, fans need to CHEER, female politician tell Molson who should coach the montreal canadiens Priceless!
Shouldn’t Pauline Marois be worrying about the Decarie interchange instead of who coaches the Habs and if he/she speaks french or not. We haven’t put a winner together since anglo’s ran the franchise. Don’t you get it Pauline! Your government has no clue about highway infrastructure or coaching.
Quebec hasn’t changed much has it! In the 2 decades since I was transferred to the US its still in the ice age. Looking at the highways in Montreal when I visited relatives they’re in the stone age
Say goodbye to the Nordiques, Garry Betman and The NHL brass are watching this, and the government involvment, and shaking their heads. Where not getting another team, the politicians are making a joke of this, and the Habs, and us the fans.
Randy! The best thing that could happen to you! Get out while before the language police put you in front of their firing squad……Don’t worry Pauline Marois only fires blanks I hear!
The real question here is if Randy gets a copy of Rosetta Stone and learns to speak French would that be enough? What if we make the playoffs? Or does the Coach have to be Quebecois? If so that is a serious case of discrimination.
C
If you can’t beat ‘em in the alley you can’t beat ‘em on the ice! – Conn Smythe
What the hell difference do it make it the coach can speak French, last time I checked winning is a little more important than, weather the frick’in coach can speak French, give a translator a job. Your perspective is mis guided, bowman, irving, Blake, all English speaking coaches! I rest my case…..
I guess that means the next coach will come from Tampa Bay Guy B. or Vancouver Alain V. which ever gets fired first
The language issue will blow over. If Cunneyworth has success and wants the job, he’ll do what he should have been doing since he became an assistant – learn French. If he doesn’t want the job enough to brush up his life skills, then he’s not the right man for the job. If he can’t talk to the majority of fans, then he has work to do. Hockey isn’t exempted from the common sense of the real world here and now, and a little hard work never killed anybody.
Is that all it takes to learn the language–just a little hard work? I took it every year from kindergarten right through to college–about 18yrs of it and never picked it up all that well. Who cares if he can speak French? Do you really get a kick out of him saying, “gee we didn’t work as hard as we could have and should have forechecked harder,” in French as opposed to English? Either way, 99% of what comes out of a professional coach’s mouth is just a recycled cliche so he might as well speak Chinese for all I care. His language impacts my life a whopping 0%. Those who have such strong judgements against him, maybe should turn those piercing eyes inward
Just stumble upon thess gems:
Kirk Muller vs Randy Cunneyworth
http://youtu.be/SjHLMG1N9hk
Randy Cunneyworth scores on Patrick Roy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVKhDFGJYkM#t=1m10s
That’s some serious synchronicity.
man, those helmets….
What cracks me up is; some of my fellow Hab fans actually scratch their heads why players (and now I guess coaches) are so reluctant to sign in Montreal. You’d have to question the sanity of anyone who would willingly tread into this circus.
To quote the BC crowd in most third periods (particularly after a failed PP):
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
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The Drive for 25