The Gainey Era Comes To An End

The Montreal Canadiens announced today that General Manager Bob Gainey has stepped down and Assistant GM Pierre Gauthier will take over the position. Gainey will stay on as an advisor with the team. It sounds as though the decision was made by BG, but I guess we don't know for sure if he was "pushed out" or not. Gainey took over the Canadiens in 2003 and led them to the playoffs 4 out of 5 years, including finishing first in the Eastern conference in 2007-08. A true legend, Gainey played his entire career for the Habs winning 5 Stanley Cups, 4 Selke trophies and a Conn Smyth. He was captain of the team for 8 years, elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992 and has his jersey retired by the Canadiens in 2008. He won another Cup as GM of the Dallas Stars.

Gauthier has been with the Canadiens since 2003 when he was hired as the director of pro scouting. He moved up to his current post in 2006. Before coming to Montreal, Gauthier also served as GM in Ottawa and Anaheim.

My reaction to this turn of events is sadness. Gainey is a true gentlemen who bleeds blue, blanc, et rouge. His personality, although some would say overly passive, is perfect for the pressure cooker in Montreal. He thinks with his head and avoids knee jerk reactions, refusing to let the fans or media influence him. He is articulate and truly cares about the players, fans and the city of Montreal. He understands what it means to be a Montreal Canadien and what the Canadiens mean to the millions of fans throughout the world.

I hope he has left on his own. It would be a shame if he was forced out by the President or the new ownership. Gainey wasn't perfect in his time with the Habs, I have yet to see a GM that has been. There are moves he made I am sure he regrets, but many others that turned out to be genius. I would have been extremely happy to hear the press conference was announced to notify the public Bob had signed a 5 year extension. But now his time as the GM of the greatest NHL franchise has come to an end. Gauthier has been Gainey's right hand man since 2006, I am certainly willing to give him a shot. I wish Bob all the best in whatever he does and hope he stays on long term as a member of the blue, blanc, et rouge. When I think of class, I think of 2 people...Jean Beliveau and Bob Gainey.