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Post by Deer on Aug 11, 2010 18:29:21 GMT -4
Maybe not in a fully-entrenched title role such as "assistant GM" or "video coach" or what-not, but apparently going to be on-board in some capacity behind the scenes? It's what I heard today..... awaiting more details... What do people think about this? This is the same guy Eagles fans hated from 97-2000 when his powerhouse Remparts teams (that somehow never did win it all, I might add) were constantly blowing out our fledgling CB teams! Obviously I mean "hated" in the context of a rivalry only  ..... I just thought this rumour would be an interesting discussion topic for the Q historians on here.  From a practical standpoint, Chouinard certainly didn't do well in his last Q coaching stint in PEI.... almost seemed the junior game had passed him by. But then again, practically nobody (except Alain Vigneault, and now he's in the NHL) has done well in PEI. |
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Post by Jack Bauer on Aug 11, 2010 18:53:16 GMT -4
Wow....didn't see that coming.
You can't find many positives in his last 2 coaching stints but he's been around the league and the game for a long time.....as long as he's not in a decision making role I think this could be a good addition.
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Post by elementz on Aug 12, 2010 9:01:06 GMT -4
The most recent memory of Chouinard that I have which still gives me a chuckle is when he got let go by the Rocket. Serge McDuck informed Chouinard that his services will no longer be needed and Guy's only response was "Are you still going to pay me?", Serge said "yes" and Chouinard hung up the phone.
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Post by SteveUL on Aug 12, 2010 10:31:28 GMT -4
The most recent memory of Chouinard that I have which still gives me a chuckle is when he got let go by the Rocket. Serge McDuck informed Chouinard that his services will no longer be needed and Guy's only response was "Are you still going to pay me?", Serge said "yes" and Chouinard hung up the phone. Savard also told the media that the game of hockey had passed Chouinard by .... lowest class comment from a GM of 2009-10. How would Savard know if the game of hockey has passed somebody by ? He doesn't understand the game himself. |
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Post by IslandersHKY on Aug 13, 2010 10:39:11 GMT -4
Actually I would agree with Savard's comments about "the game passing him by..." AS A COACH. Chouinard comes from the previous era which wasn't built on structure and it showed. For a coach he had limited involvment running practices, wasn't a strong bench boss (eg. line matching, managing players ice time, etc), and at this stage in his life he is no longer interested in putting in the long hours required to be a good head coach.
In no way am I running Chouinard down just stating that I can understand what Savard was getting at with his comments (even if they were inappropriate). However, Chouinard has tremendous knowledge and experience, he has a good eye for the game and in the right role could help any organization. I don't see him in coaching role any more but maybe as a "head scout" or "director player development" or whatever.
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Post by chsb on Aug 17, 2010 17:41:10 GMT -4
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Post by hal on Aug 17, 2010 20:21:29 GMT -4
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Post by caperguy on Aug 17, 2010 22:19:55 GMT -4
"All four will act as advisors to Durocher and his hockey operations staff in preparation for the Screaming Eagles bid for the 2012 Memorial Cup."
And they're all going to say "you f***ed up your team, Mario...nothing we can do will help...paychecks please"
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Post by SteveUL on Aug 18, 2010 7:36:12 GMT -4
"All four will act as advisors to Durocher and his hockey operations staff in preparation for the Screaming Eagles bid for the 2012 Memorial Cup." And they're all going to say "you f***ed up your team, Mario...nothing we can do will help...paychecks please" Sounds like "too many cooks" to me ... how is Durocher going to take it when this group constantly disagree with his approach to building ? You can bring in all the great hockey minds you want ... but if the guy in charge is still the weak link ... nothing will change. |
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Post by hal on Aug 18, 2010 10:08:57 GMT -4
The last 2 comments sum things up perfectly !
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Post by reality on Aug 18, 2010 10:22:43 GMT -4
You could have world class "cooks" but you would still need the basic ingredients to make a prize winning meal!
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Post by caperguy on Aug 18, 2010 11:37:33 GMT -4
They should have added them before this past year....a bit late to do major things with team content.
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Post by Jack Bauer on Aug 18, 2010 11:44:56 GMT -4
"All four will act as advisors to Durocher and his hockey operations staff in preparation for the Screaming Eagles bid for the 2012 Memorial Cup." And they're all going to say "you f***ed up your team, Mario...nothing we can do will help...paychecks please" Sounds like "too many cooks" to me ... how is Durocher going to take it when this group constantly disagree with his approach to building ? You can bring in all the great hockey minds you want ... but if the guy in charge is still the weak link ... nothing will change. I think a move like this just proves what most of us have been saying for the last year.....nobody in this organization right now has a clue how to build a successful team. Pour some of that cash(Doubt those 4 are on for free) into some on ice talent and you'll see results......you can have 100 coaches and advisors and it doesn't mean a thing if the talent isn't there in the dressing room. The money this whole Mem Cup 2012 bid is costing the organization would of been much better served as an investment into the on ice product or new vision off the ice. I've yet to see any reasoning as to why these guys are being hired or who is actually hiring them....If it was Paul MacDonald then he has little confidence in his management and if it was Durocher then we've handed over full reigns to one of the worst managers in the league....is there any good to be found in this mess?  |
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Post by hal on Aug 18, 2010 11:57:37 GMT -4
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Post by Deer on Aug 18, 2010 12:33:41 GMT -4
I think there may unfortunately be a lot of truth to what Steve UL said about "too many cooks." This kind of set-up reminds me of a story I read in Wayne Gretzky's autobiography about his experience at the 1981 Canada Cup, where Canada got humiliated by the Russians 8-1 in the final. Gretzky said that Canadian team had something like four coaches behind the bench, and four general managers in the owner's box. EIGHT people supposedly running the show. He said the result was that with so many people, nobody really knew who was supposed to make decisions, key decisions didn't really end up happening, and the players had no idea who to listen to.
Another issue I have with this move is that these four guys, with all due respect to their career accomplishments, seem to be recycled names from the past. I'm told a big reason the Eagles brought them in as advisors was to try and bring in a winning influence, guys with experience on what it takes to win championships that will hopefully rub off on operations. Problem is - how long has it been since any of these guys won anything? Mike McPhee may be a Stanley Cup champion, but that was 1986. Guy Chouinard may have one Q title to his resume, but he has plenty more playoff failures with stacked teams that should have won it all. Pierre Creamer may have coached in the NHL, but it was 22 years ago. How sure can we be these experienced but aging hockey guys are even still very in touch with the current junior game?
It seems to me the teams winning championships lately are doing it by bringing in fresh faces on the rise that have brand new ideas, not by recycling old names from the Q's past. Just look at the architects of the last three league championships. Danny Flynn in Moncton, Guy Boucher in Drummondville, Benoit Groulx in Gatineau. All coaches on the rise, all guys whose respective teams got them by going for a new direction from scratch.
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..... I just thought this rumour would be an interesting discussion topic for the Q historians on here. 
