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Montreal Canadiens

March 30, 2012 by · Comments Off on Montreal Canadiens 

Montreal Canadiens, Canadiens principal owner Geoff Molson wore a powder blue necktie Thursday, featuring a whimsical design of many small fish. You could say that was appropriate, given how the Canadiens have been floundering against the tide of success all season. An optimist, on the other hand, might have said that every fish on the silk at least was swimming in the same direction.

But no matter how you viewed this remarkable day, it was fitting that Molson met the media in a sardine-can hall at the Canadiens’ Brossard training complex to announce sweeping changes to the team’s hockey operations department:

Relieved of his duties was general manager Pierre Gauthier; leaving by mutual agreement was Gauthier’s special adviser, Bob Gainey; incoming as a consultant to Molson for the headhunting was Serge Savard, the club’s GM from 1983-95; moving from the bench to the front office was assistant GM Larry Carrière; moving down from the press box was goaltending coach Pierre Groulx, as an assistant to head coach Randy Cunneyworth.

For almost 17 minutes, Molson a little stiffly read prepared French then English remarks. But as the news conference wore on through its 45 minutes, his leaning casually into the lectern demonstrated a growing comfort, perhaps as much with the hard decision he was announcing as his elaboration about it.

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