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The Language Debate: Should Habs Coach Speak French?
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<div>It certainly didn't take long following the appointment of Randy
Cunneyworth as an interim replacement to fired Montreal Canadiens head
coach Jacques Martin for the Quebec language debate to rear its ugly
head.</div><div><br></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-llBWuSf40BY/Tuz2SGHJWTI/AAAAAAAAHp4/rMRbZS0XWOw/s1600/gelinas.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 207px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-llBWuSf40BY/Tuz2SGHJWTI/AAAAAAAAHp4/rMRbZS0XWOw/s400/gelinas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687191220200757554" border="0"></a><br>
<div><br></div><div>For
those that don't speak French, long-time RDS reporter Luc Gelinas
tweeted that he is very disappointed in Geoff Molson who let Pierre
Gauthier name the first uni-lingual English head coach of the Canadiens
since Bob Berry in 1984.</div><div><br></div><div>Does the head coach of
the Montreal Canadiens have to speak fluent French? Of course,
everyone is entitled to their opinion on this matter. As a bilingual
anglophone born and raised in Montreal, I can see both sides of the
coin. However, there seems to be a great misconception among many as to
the reason why some fans feel it important that the coach be able to
communicate in la langue de Moliere. I'll reserve my personal opinion
for the time being to try to explain for the mostly-anglophone readers
of this site this take on the issue. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><b>The Montreal Canadiens as a Quebec Institution</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>If
you've never seen the movie The Rocket, as a Habs fan, you are missing
something. Like it or not, the Habs have always been about more than
just hockey and Stanley Cups. To understand this, we need to begin with
a look at Quebec prior to the 1960s.</div><div><br></div><div>Maurice
Duplessis' reign as premier of Quebec is referred to by many as la
Grande Noirceur (the Great Darkness). Duplessis, a staunch
conservative, was marred in a number of corruption scandals, including
complaints about too strong a relationship with the church, anti-union
stances, and unfair treatment of certain minority groups. Duplessis
focused on rural areas rather than cities, leaving French Quebec society
under Duplessis rather disorganized and opening businesses to outside
control. This resulted in very common outsider "English" ownership
and/or management in the province (or at the very least, a popular
perception of it being the case) with limited rights for the
French-speaking "working class." Thus, there was great unrest amongst
the French population, who felt they had few rights (particularly with
Duplessis's union-beating activities) and were being kept down by
English-speakers in many aspects of their lives.</div><div><br></div><div>Enter
the Montreal Canadiens, a team composed largely of French-Canadian
players, competing in a league run by anglophones and against anglophone
teams. Enter Maurice "Rocket" Richard, the French-Canadian superstar
of the team who, from his working class background, 'stuck it to the
man', making English defenders and goaltenders look silly. No, it
wasn't just hockey. The local 'habitants' could rally around this squad
as a source of pride; French-speakers who had made it to the top of
their profession as the greatest hockey team in the world. </div><div><br></div><div>Does
this sound silly to you looking back through today's lenses? Perhaps.
But try to put yourself in the time's shoes. You work all day for a
poor salary, being told what to do by foreigners who don't speak your
language. And in many cases, because of your language, you know you
can't aspire to much better - the opportunities for advancement just
aren't there for you. But then you turn on your television at the end
of the day and see this young man with fiery eyes to whom you can relate
showing up the opposition. This is where it began. It's not hard to
see how the Montreal Canadiens inspired the French people of Quebec or
why the relationship between the two is so intricate.</div><div><br></div><div>A
controversial but fascinating book about the times was published in
1968, called Negres blanc d'Amerique (translation: "White Niggers of
America"), by Pierre Vallieres, a leader of the highly radical FLQ
movement. Extremist of course, but if you ever wanted a better insight
as to how many saw the situation back then, try to find a copy (English
translated editions exist as well). But from the title alone, you can
see how to some, having a French-speaker coach the Canadiens is no less
important than the election of a black President in the United State of
America to African Americans.</div><div><br></div><div>The tie between
Richard, the Habs, and the political and economic situation of the
French speaking Quebecois grew to another level in 1955. As any Hab
historian is well aware, The Rocket was suspended for the remainder of
the 1954-55 season after striking a linesman during a violent on-ice
affair. The suspension was handed down by NHL president Clarence
Campbell, and was taken by the Quebec people as a clear instance of an
English-speaker in a position of power batting down a French-speaker who
had risen up to a high level. The length of the suspension was deemed
unjust by Canadiens' faithful, leading to a riot that took place on
March 17, 1955. To this day, the Richard Riot is looked at as one of
the 'elements declencheur' (triggers) of the Quiet Revolution that would
transform Quebec society over the coming decades into much of what it
is today. Even though the Richard-less Canadiens would go on to lose
the Stanley Cup Finals in a 7-game series against the Detroit Red Wings,
the riot, clearly, was about much more than just hockey.</div><div><br></div><div>This
is where much of it comes from, Habs fans. The Montreal Canadiens are
an important symbol for French-speaking Quebecers, particularly those
who were around in the 50s and 60s, or perhaps whose parents were and
grew up with these values. As an outsider, one can't really criticize
this view much more than one who hasn't been abused can criticize an
abuse victim (here's looking at you, Pat Hickey). Is it an antiquated
way of looking at things? Perhaps, but let's draw some parallels to
today.</div><div><br></div><div>Would Michel Therrien, Alain Vigneault,
or Claude Julien ever have gotten NHL head coaching jobs had they not
gotten a start with the Canadiens? Perhaps, but it likely would have
taken far longer, requiring them to prove themselves over and over again
at lower levels to earn the trust of another organization. Quebec is a
highly unique specimen in the greater context of North America and the
National Hockey League. There are still many, particularly in a group
run like an old boys' club as the collection of owners of NHL franchises
are seen to be - not unlike the anglophone managers of the 50s and 60s -
who wouldn't trust an unknown or unproven French Quebecer to come in
and manage their team. </div><div><br></div><div>It is also true that
the team is no longer composed primarily of francophone players, but the
desire of the fan base to root for a local kid has far from
disappeared. Look at the treatment of Guillaume Latendresse, or the
thunderous applause that followed <b>Louis Leblanc</b>'s first NHL goal.
Even as the differences between French and English speakers in Quebec
society have largely leveled off (Bill 101 aside), the deep-rooted
feelings that lie dormant in the hearts of a significant number of
Canadiens fans remain. If their team was to suddenly be managed by a
non-French speaker, these emotions could very well return to the
surface. This doesn't make them racist or necessarily separatist. In
fact, for some, it is the complete opposite. It is a desire to see one
of their own succeeding and being accepted into a culture full of people
who are "different."</div><div><br></div><div>And this is why, in part,
it is deemed important for the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens to
speak French. And the general manager, for that matter. It should be a
person to whom the locals can relate, and can look at as someone who
made it in an English-dominated society. At the very least, it should
be someone who can prove they've made the effort of learning enough
French to show them the respect of addressing them in their local
tongue. Fans who care about the coach's language skills want to win just
as badly as those who don't, but because of this deep-rooted
attachment, they want to be able to feel a part of it. I'm not AT ALL
suggesting that ALL French-speaking fans feel this way, but it is
evident that some do. Should the organization just apologize to these
fans and explain that the team doesn't work that way anymore? Some
would say yes, but for many reasons - political, marketing, and
otherwise - these fans can't simply be ignored.</div><div><br></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b>The Best Man for the Job</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>But,
that's only one side of it. The other, more publicized perspective
(particularly in English media of course) is that the Montreal Canadiens
owe it to their fans to look beyond the language issue and hire simply
the best man for the job. Above all else, the Montreal Canadiens are a
sports organization and a business. Neither of these definitions of the
team leave any room for language-based hiring or player selection
policies (though, some might say that as a business, French-speaking
staff and/or players would be more marketable to the Quebec population).</div><div><br></div><div>Winning
should be the number one priority of any club in the National Hockey
League. If the Canadiens implement a policy that restricts their
ability to make decisions that increase their chances of winning, it
would contradict this. Can a team win with a French-speaking head
coach? Of course. Former Habs coach Claude Julien won the 2011 Stanley
Cup with the Boston Bruins, a team that has Quebecois Patrice Bergeron
as an assistant captain. But ultimately, in such a competitive and
balanced league as today, any handicap severely disadvantages a team and
so the Montreal front office can't ignore any possibilities when
searching to put the best team (on and off the ice) in place. The game
and league have changed radically since the 50s and 60s, with the parity
of post-lockout hockey making building a championship club as difficult
as ever.</div><div><br></div><div>That's why the language of any one
member of the organization should not truly matter. The French language
will always be an important part of the team's history and traditions
and must be respected in its daily operations. But an English-only head
coach or general manager could be assisted through press conference by
sitting side-by-side with a French-speaking associate, or even just
having a translator to help with the media, not unlike a Russian player
new to the league. Beyond this, the French media could and would
continue to translate everything, just as they do now when interviewing
the Carey Prices, Mike Cammalleris, and Brian Giontas who have yet to
pick up much beyond "bonjour" and "merci." </div><div><br></div><div>As a
fan of the sporting club and what it represents today, this is how I
see it. I would be highly disappointed if the club is pressured into a
language-based hire, as journalists like Mr. Gelinas want to encourage.
I want the team to win, no matter who it is made up of. I thought that
Habs fans in 2011 were near unanimous in this attitude, but it quickly
became apparent on Twitter Saturday that my views may have been a little
too anglo-centrist. It seems there are some who <b>would </b>be willing
to sacrifice a better candidate for one that can speak French. I would
be very curious to somehow take a census survey of all Habs fans to
gauge their opinions on a wide variety of topics, including the language
issue for the team's management. I wonder how far it goes; would these
same individuals be willing to accept, say, a worse goaltender than <b>Carey Price </b>if
he were a local boy? But until we have definitive answers as to the
prevalence of these views, we have to understand and respect that there
are different ways of looking at the Montreal Canadiens.</div><div><br></div><div>So
what does that mean for this summer's coaching search? The ideal would
be to find an experienced, top coaching candidate who is also fully
bilingual. But at the end of the day, the club owes it to the majority
of its stakeholders (which, fans aside, most importantly includes the
players on the team who deserve the best coach) has to go with the top
available coach without considering the languages on his resume. I'm
not trying to convince those that argue otherwise that they're wrong,
either, though. In hiring the best man, the team must be very careful
to not isolate the French speakers of Quebec, particularly those outside
of Montreal whose English may be minimal at best, and a plan should be
orchestrated before the announcement of the hiring as to how to address
it delicately with the media. It shouldn't be left to the new coach to
answer a question about French lessons by saying he hadn't really
thought that far yet, as Randy Cunneyworth did in his press conference
alongside Pierre Gauthier. If the transition to an English-only coach
is to happen, all initial communications must come with those wanting a
French-speaker in charge at top of mind. One solution might be bringing
in a head coach and associate coach for at least a season, not unlike
the Edmonton Oilers did with Pat Quinn and Tom Renney. Hire, say, Randy
Carlyle as head coach, while promoting Clement Jodoin from Hamilton to
Montreal to work with him, splitting responsibilities between the two
(but with Carlyle as the primary guy).</div><div><br></div><div>We don't
yet know who will be available as of this summer, but of course some
names are already floating out there should Randy Cunneyworth not earn
an extended stay. I for one would be very against giving the job to
Patrick Roy, who despite good results, has shown to be hot headed,
self-centered, and in the middle of several off-ice controversies that
would become big distractions in a market like this. He is not one to
take direction or to take the time to learn from others. Some might say
Roy could be a fiery coach like John Tortorella in New York, but with
just 5 seasons behind the bench of a junior team as the sum of his total
coaching experience, I really don't think he's ready to take over an
NHL club. </div><div><br></div><div>Whoever does take over has a tall
task ahead of him. Head coach of the Montreal Canadiens is one of the
most prestigious sport jobs in the world but is accompanied by immense
pressure. As Peter Parker told us all, "With great power comes great
responsibility." Choose wisely, Mr. Molson.<br><br><a href="http://www.yourcanadiens.info/2011/12/language-debate-should-habs-coach-speak.html">http://www.yourcanadiens.info/2011/12/language-debate-should-habs-coach-speak.html</a><br>
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