The tome of craziness that is Les Canadiens 2011-12 edition, added yet another chapter on Thursday night as Montreal's hockey club packed off Michael Cammalleri to Calgary while he was still dressed in his Canadiens uniform in the Canadiens dressing room, providing for a number of topics for any hot stove league conversations in the second intermission.
Topics such as:
Will this be a good trade for Calgary and or Montreal?
Will Cammalleri find happiness in Calgary after what seems to have been a session in Hell in la Province La Belle?
Any other Habs inclined to try the Cammalleri approach to freedom?
And has Pierre Gauthier completely lost it, succumbing to the pressures of hockey's most studied and obsessed about squad?
Perhaps the Habs GM had little recourse to deal off the Canadiens forward, considering his now much quoted thoughts on the culture of losing that seems to have become the norm in Montreal, Cammalleri by going public with his complaints and thoughts more or less ensured that his time as a Hab would be soon over, perhaps laying out the blue print for others that may wish to escape the good ship Titanic, er Habitant (it's PK Subban on line one Mr. Gauthier).
But by trading the guy in between periods, Gauthier has just added item to the list of strange happenings in Montreal, a list (see HockeyNation passim) that was already pretty crowded by badly timed decisions, some of which, like this trade don't' seem to have been particularly well thought out.
So far for those keeping tabs on the Manic behaviour in Montreal, Gauthier has fired an assistant coach (how's it going Perry Pearn) just before game time, sent his old friend and long time compatriot Jacques Martin off into the snow and then promoted Randy Cunneyworth, who may or may not be a great NHL coach one day, but surely must realize that his shelf life in the fishbowl of Montreal is not going to long.
Cunneyworth's appointment of course created much more than hockey conversation in Montreal, it revived the ancient grievances of the past when it comes to language, something that apparently has caught both Gauthier and Canadiens owner Geoff Molson by surprise, either or, a candidate for the Inspector Clousseau award for hockey, seemingly clueless as to the effect of their actions.
Add in some push back from players suddenly benched and not liking it and some actual pushing and shoving between players in practice and well, as they say in Quebec, Merde... Quelle desastre!
The Canadiens players were in a wee bit of shock Friday trying to digest the latest developments from their season of strange, Max Pacioretty seemingly trying to keep an even keel about it all with his thoughts...
“I’ve never seen anything like that in my life,” Pacioretty said. “But, obviously, there’s a reason for everything. We have to trust our management to make the right decisions.”
Uh, ok Max, you keep up a good thought for that outcome... While we have you though, ever give any thought to burying a bridge, swampland or Arctic winter home, cause we have some bargains for you...
Perhaps the calendar can offer us some insight into all this dysfunction, a quick glance at it today for instance shows us the first Friday the 13th of the new year.
We're not sure how the Canadiens got into such a state, but clearly the way this season has gone so far and with no indication that common sense and reason is on the horizon, it seems that every day in Montreal is a Friday the 13th.
Montreal Gazette-- Canadiens get bigger, cheaper by jettisoning Cammalleri for Borque
Montreal Gazette-- Mid-period Cammalleri trade stuns Montreal Canadien players
Montreal Gazette-- Montreal Canadiens trade Cammalleri after comments
Canada.com-- Gone after two periods
Globe and Mail-- Cammalleri trade proves the truth will set you free
Globe and Mail-- Dissecting the Flames - Canadiens trade
National Post-- Michael Cammalleri trade sums up Canadiens' strange season
Calgary Herald-- Cammalleri deal shows Flames taking run at playoffs
Calgary Herald-- Cammalleri pumped about returning to Flames
Calgary Herald-- Flames offer mixed feelings after Borque trade
Calgary Sun-- Cammalleri back with Flames
Calgary Sun-- Flames players shocked, excited at trade
Calgary Sun-- Borque emotional in leaving Flames for Habs
Calgary Sun-- Cammalleri bubbling with excitement
Toronto Star-- Montreal Canadiens ship Mike Cammalleri to Calgary for Rene Borque
Toronto Star-- Choosing Directions
Sportsnet-- Habs lose again with trade
ESPN-- Did trade make Habs better?
TSN-- Would you want your NHL team to rebuild?
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