The Senator returns.

There are people in sports who have the ability to command respect well beyond traditional team rivalries. Baseball has men like Joe Torre. Basketball has Magic Johnson. In hockey, Serge Savard is such a man.

Many people grow to become leaders over time, or through the demands thrust upon them by circumstance. Some people were just born with a natural ability to lead and inspire, in much the same way that some hockey players were born with the ability to score goals. Hockey Hall of Famer Serge Savard is one of those rare individuals whose very presence seems get everyone around him to try a little harder, play with a little more confidence, and ultimately, win.

It's no secret to those who know me that I've never been a dyed in the red, white, and blue Montreal Canadiens fan. Au contraire, I've been fairly vocal about the fact that I'm not a disciple of Les Glorieux. But Serge Savard, is a different story. Rewind 40 years...

In the fall of 1972, Team Canada played an epic hockey series that pitted them against the hated USSR. For years the Russians had dominated hockey at the Olympic and World Championships level. The reason for this dominance was the absence of our top professional players at these competitions that were deemed "for amateurs only".

This series was supposed to be a cake walk. Eight straight wins, eight straight easy wins, was the prevailing opinion. History tells us that what ended up happening was quite different altogether.

It started with a 7-3 loss in Montreal that left the fans stunned. Surely it was just a bad dream. Surely Team Canada would bounce back and take all of the remaining games. Well not exactly. Things got so bad that at the end of the Game 4 loss in Vancouver, fans were actually booing Team Canada. Think about that... Team Canada booed off its own rink.

It was as if everything we had grown up to believe up to that point was one giant lie. My world, all of our worlds, seemed to be crumbling around us.

Well we all know the story now. Team Canada dropped the first game back in Moscow, but roared back to win the last 3 games to take the series 4-3-1.

We remember the exploits of Henderson, Cournoyer, and Esposito, to be sure. But it is also very telling that Team Canada never lost a game in that series when Serge Savard was in the lineup. A fact that was not lost on his teammates who were unanimous in stating that when Savard was in the lineup they all felt just that little extra confidence, that belief that, in the end, everything was going to be alright.

So that would be the first reason why I respect Serge Savard. Anyone who pulls on the Team Canada sweater and performs like he did, is bound to be good in my books, no matter what NHL team he plays for.

The second reason I respect Serge Savard is that he has been very, very good for the development of hockey in Quebec. Which by extension is good for Canadian hockey, and hockey in general.

It's no secret that the game of hockey is going through some very difficult times in Quebec at the minor level. Less and less kids are playing the game. Only 100,000 or so are registered in leagues this season. A quick check of NHL rosters last December revealed that there are more NHLers who hail from the state of Minnesota that do from Quebec.The number of QMJHL players drafted by NHL clubs is also in constant decline.

A few years ago, Quebec boys dreamed of becoming the next Richard, Beliveau, or Lafleur. Today they dream of becoming Alex Harvey, Mikael Kingsbury, or Alexandre Despaties. Fine athletes to be sure, but not hockey players.

Don't believe in the effect that having a homegrown hockey hero has on the long term development of players? Think Patrick Roy. During the time that he was arguably the best goalie in the game, he inspired many of Quebec's best young athletes to become goalies, the result being that a generation of top notch NHL goaltenders have hailed from La Belle Province.

Serge Savard made no secret of the fact that part of the role of the Montreal Canadiens was to nurture, encourage, and develop home grown talent. His teams not only counted on star players from Quebec such as Roy, but he also filled his roster with players such as Sergio Momesso, Gaston Gingras, Serge Boisvert, Stephan Lebeau, and Gilbert Dionne. He brought Quebec born coaches such as Jean Perron, and Pat Burns and the Montreal Canadiens hockey operations department was filled with Quebecers.

The Savard effect was felt all the way down the hockey ranks. During his years at the helm of the Montreal Canadiens, hockey flourished in this province. The QMJHL expanded at a prodigious pace. Young players were drafted into the NHL in record numbers.

By bringing in Serge Savard as an advisor to the Montreal Canadiens today, Geoff Molson showed that, yes, he understands the special responsibility that he has as head honcho of the hockey club. He also understands, that very soon, just a couple of hundred kilometers down Highway 20, there will soon be an NHL club (Quebec will return to the NHL, you can count on it) that not only is backed by one of this country's most impressive media empires, but a club that will surely go to great lengths to show that they, not the Montreal Canadiens, are Quebec's true team.

Today, Geoff Molson fired the first salvo in the Montreal-Quebec City hockey war. The big winners will ultimately be the fans, Quebec-born players, and the game.

Untouchable? Why?

   Watching Montreal Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban arguing on the bench with coaches Randy Ladouceur and Randy Cunneyworth after turning over the puck in the Habs zone, a play that led to a Pittsburgh Penguins shorthanded goal, showed just how bad things are going for the Habs these days.

   There was Pernell Karl, sitting alone at the end of the bench, his teammates shuffling down to their left and looking away, as the young defenceman argued on and on, even as coach Ladouceur held up his hand in a "that's enough P.K., just play" motion. 

   Considering the absolutely brutal game that Subban had been playing up to that point (turn over after turn over, bad penalties, getting caught pinching in at the Pittsburgh blueline), it wasn't as if the Montreal defenceman was arguing from a position of strength.

   But what yesterday's game showed is just how bad things really are for the Montreal Canadiens. Not only do they have to count on a player of P.K. Subban's caliber to assume the role of number one d-man, but he feels confident enough in his role on the team that he figures that it's acceptable for him to get into a debate with his coaches during an NHL hockey game. 

   Some will say that what P.K. Subban did is not anywhere near as serious as the epic Patrick Roy-Mario Tremblay blow-up which led to the Hall of Fame goaltender being traded to Colorado in 1995, but that would be missing a couple of major points. The most obvious difference is that P.K. Subban is nowhere near being the hockey player that Patrick Roy was.

   When Patrick Roy confronted Montreal Canadiens president Ronald Corey behind the player's bench on national television, he had 2 Stanley Cups, 2 Conn Smythe trophies, 4 Jennings trophies, 3 Vezina trophies, and 3 NHL First-All Star team selections under his belt. 

   P.K.Subban, on the other hand, is in his second full season in the NHL. He was selected by Montreal with the 43rd pick in the 2007 draft. Sixteen defencemen were selected ahead of him. 

   Yet through a series of fortunate (or unfortunate, depending on your point of view) events, he has managed to find his way into a critical role within an organization that has lost its way. So overrated has he become, that many observers have taken the irrational and illogical view that somehow P.K. Subban is one of the few untouchables on the Montreal roster. A player who cannot be traded away.

   That Subban ranks so incredibly high on the Canadiens depth chart is not his fault. It does however serve as a glaring example of the dire situation the Montreal hockey franchise finds itself.

   Jacques Martin was heavily criticized by fans and by hockey analysts for what they felt was the stifling of Subban. That somehow Martin was preventing him from fully expressing his talents on the ice. It was as if Subban were only to be left alone to play without the shackles of a system, he would magically develop into the second coming of Bobby Orr. 

   The reality is that Subban is showing himself to be an incredibly selfish and high maintenance player. Last night's loss to Pittsburgh can be pinned squarely on his shoulders. Had it not been for a couple of very good saves by Peter Budaj off chances which resulted directly from Subban blunders, the Habs would not have even escaped with a single point.

   If I were a fan of the Habs, I would also be very worried that even though Subban was a liability on the ice and was sucking the energy right out of the team with his on-bench attitude, the coaching staff decided to keep putting him out there, shift after shift. The message being, "it doesn't matter if you're playing poorly and being selfish, you'll still play". No consequences, at least if your name is P.K. Subban.

   That Pernell Karl Subban has elite level talent is undeniable. There are nights when he can make a difference in a hockey game and be a big part of a win. But for the most part, he has not shown that he has the maturity level required to be a leader in an organization. Successful teams, whether it be in hockey or any other endeavour, are those in which the most talented people are also the best leaders.

   I've been a very vocal critic of the Montreal Canadiens over my many years as a fan of the game of hockey, but the one thing that I've always respected about that organization is that everything they did seemed to be done with an eye towards ensuring the success of the team. Nothing, and no one, came before the team.

   Very high on the Habs executive list needs to be the re-establishment of the mentality within the organization that every action taken by all members is to be geared toward the betterment of the team. 

   Make sure that those who are brought in are not only top end talent, but top end people. People who understand to build something worthwhile, you need to be prepare to fill your role, but also need to do it with a good attitude and in a manner that does not impact negatively on others.

   A team, any kind of team, should be all about "us" and very little about "me''. In only 125 games in the National Hockey League, P.K. Subban has required, and received, far more attention than he warrants. The reality is that he will never be one of the NHL's top defencemen. He will never be the type of player who anchors a blueline and leads a team to the Stanley Cup. 

   If the Montreal Canadiens don't want to spend the next few years coddling, coaxing, and otherwise dealing with P.K. Subban, for what will probably be limited returns, then trade him. There are surely teams out there who would be interested in his talent and ability, and he could bring some interesting elements in return.

   If they don't, they risk regretting it for a long time. Time will tell...

A timid response.

   If you haven't been to a QMJHL game in a few years, one of the things you will notice is that fighting is way down. What used to be a common occurrence, part and parcel of most games, has slowly but steadily been disappearing over the last decade. 

    An example of this changing reality, a paradigm shift if you will, can be seen in an incident which occurred in last night's tilt at Le Colisée between the Val d'Or Foreurs and the Quebec Remparts.

   Before going on, please take a moment to view this short clip.

   Other than the ugly and blatant knee-on-knee hit that was delivered on the Remparts' star 16 year old rookie Anthony Duclair by Val d'Or defenceman Alex Filiatrault, do you notice anything about this particular sequence?

   If you are an older hockey fan, like me, there is a good chance that you noticed that the response to the hit by Duclair's teammates might be qualified as somewhat reserved. Polite, even. In fact, the only Remparts gloves to be found on the ice are those of Duclair himself as he writhes in pain on the ice. 

   Now, have a look at this other knee-on-knee hit on another star Remparts rookie, 17 year old Nick Sorensen. This time the hit was delivered by Baie-Comeau's veteran forward Jonathan Lessard back on October 28th.

  

   Do you see any similarities? Well for one, they both occurred on the Remparts' home ice, second, they both involve highly talented rookie players, and third, the response by the Quebec players cannot be qualified as being very energetic. The fact that in the last frame of the clip, Jonathan Lessard is seen, standing, unmolested, over the injured Sorensen, speaks, at least to me, volumes.

   Now there will be plenty who will say that fighting has no place in hockey and that all it accomplishes is an escalation in violence and that it has no real tactical or strategic value for a team.

   Others will say that there are rules in place to protect the players and that we should simply let the referees and league officials apply those rules and every thing will be fine. 

   The reality is that hockey is, and always has been, a violent game. How can it not be? It is played on a hard surface, in an enclosed area, by men on skates, with sticks, shooting a hard puck, all at high speed. Physical contact is not only inevitable, it is part and parcel of the way the game is played.

   It is also a game where teamwork is an essential element for success. One of the basic tenets of teamwork, is that individual players are expected to look out for their teammates. 

   While I know that my view is widely seen as coming from another time, another generation, most successful hockey teams over the years have had a "One for all, all for one" mentality. You attack one of us, you attack all of us.

   This is not to say that all teams should behave like marauding bands of thugs, but opponents need to know that you will stick up for each other and deliver a response when teams start taking liberties with your players.  This is particularly true on your home ice in front of your own fans.

   When looking at the response of the Quebec Remparts to blatant assaults on two of their young star players, one can't help but think that they look a little like the little kid who runs to the teacher or to his mommy whenever something goes wrong. You see a lot of pointing and hear lots of complaining, but not much else.

   "If you can't beat them in the alley, you can't beat them on the ice", this was true when Hall of Fame coach and general manager Conn Smythe said it decades ago, and it's still true now.

   While hits such as those delivered by Lessard and Filiatrault have no place in the game and must be punished, one thing is clear. Teams can certainly come in to Le Colisée and expect to be able to manhandle the Remparts. All they will do is cry to the refs.

* Note: Jonathan Lessard was suspended for 15 games for his hit on Nick Sorensen who is out for the season. Anthony Duclair's injury is less severe that originally feared. He will likely miss 7 to 10 days. No word as of this writing on supplementary discipline to Alex Filiatrault.

  

Patrick Roy was not happy.

   The Victoriaville Tigres defeated the visiting Quebec Remparts last night by the score of 5-4 in overtime, before 3420 fans who were treated to one heck of a hockey game.

   And while this game could very likely just be a preview of a playoff series come spring, what is dominating the airwaves and papers in the land of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League today are Patrick Roy's post game comments.

   In this latest episode of Roy's Rants, the Hall of Fame goaltender, Quebec City hockey icon, and Remparts coach ripped into the officials, specifically the video officials, for their decision to allow Victoriaville's 3rd goal, breaking what was then a 2-2 tie, in the second minute of the third period.

   At issue for Patrick Roy is the fact that the on ice official seems to have been overruled by the video official as to whether or not the puck was kicked in by Victoriaville forward, Phillip Danault.

   Whether or not the goal ultimately should have counted, it's not for me to say. And I have no real problem with the coach of a hockey team griping at the officials either during or post-game. 

   Patrick's detractors, and there are many, do hoewver have a point when they question whether or not it is proper for one of Quebec's most influential hockey personalities to comment in such a way in front of reporters.

  Even if you don't understand French, have a quick listen to this, and read on lower if you wish.

Patrick Roy's postgame comments following Remparts OT loss to Victoriaville.

   So among all of the cursing and swearing, Patrick Roy qualifies the Victoriaville off-ice officials as what might be roughly translated as a "bunch of effin' amateurs". He goes on to say that it was a disgrace, and that the official should lose his job.

   He may be right in that assessment, and he may be wrong, far be it for a regular Joe Hockey Fan like me to say. 

   But it's fair to question the way in which Mr. Roy went about showing his displeasure. Because rightly or wrongly, fairly or unfairly, there are many of us who believe that Patrick Roy has a responsibility as one of the game's greatest players to conduct himself with a certain degree of decorum.

   It wasn't lost on me that the outburst occurred in Victoriaville, the town where legendary player, and universally recognized symbol of the classy hockey person, Jean Béliveau grew up. Can't quite imagine Le Gros Bill, as he was known in these parts, flying off the handle and cursing a blue streak in front of a group of reporters.

    Make no mistake about it, Patrick Roy has been good for the QMJHL. He's a solid coach, icing a competitive squad year after year. On paper, as they say, he seems to be a legitimate candidate for a job at higher levels of the game, should he so wish.

   But there are question marks. Two big question marks. Is Patrick Roy a loose cannon, and can a if so, can a loose cannon coach in the NHL?

   It would be fairly easy to demonstrate that Mr. Roy has a propensity to blowing gaskets, as we say. Sure, it was many years ago, but think back to when he stormed past then-Montreal Canadiens' coach Mario Tremblay and haughtily declared to club president Ronald Corey, something along the lines of "I've played my last game for this team", thus tying the hands of the organization and forcing a trade. Hardly a graceful exit.

   There was also the incident involving his son, at the time the Quebec Remparts goalie, attacked the opposing goaltender, Chicoutimi's Bobby Nadeau, and attempted to beat him senseless, even though it was clear that Nadeau wanted no part of the fight. You might argue that these were the actions of a player, and the coach is limited in his ability to control what players do on the ice, but not many buy that argument as it relates to that particular incident.

   Post game blowups and verbal attacks on a wide variety of subjects have become part and parcel of Mr. Roy's coaching career. Part of it is easy to understand. He is obviously an ultra-competitive person. One does not achieve the things that he has without a very high degree of passion. He cares about winning. Deeply. It's one of the traits that made him so popular with fans. 

   But there are limits to what people can say, and certainly limits as to how to say things. Some cursing and swearing while voicing displeasure about a situation is one thing. Ripping into officials, calling their competence into question, and saying you hope they lose their jobs is quite another.

   Surely the league officials will want to have a listen to these comments, and an appropriate penalty will be levied. You simply can't have the integrity and competency of officials called into question in such a public way.

   Just ask New York Rangers coach John Tortorella. He was fined by the NHL for much milder criticism of officiating during the recent Winter Classic that pitted the Blueshirts against the Flyers a few days ago.

   It's a basic fact of life. You can't go blasting the bosses or the company in public. If you don't think that's true, give it a try. Let us know how you make out.

   So, to be sure, Patrick Roy crossed a line here. It's not the end of the world, but it deserves some sort of reprimand.

   But ultimately the loser in all of this could end up being Patrick Roy himself.

   You have to think that the people Bell Centre offices, headquarters of the Montreal Canadiens, have noticed as well.

   You have to figure that eventually, if it ever gets down to deciding whether or not to approach him about coaching in Montreal, someone is going to ask the question "Is Patrick Roy well suited to coach, and represent, our hockey club?".

   Stuff like last night's outburst certainly doesn't help his case.

  

  

Somewhere Pat Burns is smiling.

Game 7 of the QMJHL semi-final series which featured the Quebec Remparts and the Gatineau Olympiques was held last night in front of over 11,000 frenzied Quebec Colisée fans.

It was only a few short days ago that the Remparts appeared to have Gatineau on the ropes, Patrick Roy's boys having a 3-1 series lead.

But a 5-3 win in Game 5 on Colisée ice served as notice to all that the 'Piques were not going to go gentle into that good night, but rather were intent on winning this series. A 4-0 domination by the Olympiques on their home ice, The Robert Guertin arena, - The Bob, as it's referred to by some fans - set the stage for tonight's winner-take-all tilt.

For the first period and a half, Gatineau kept the Remparts at bay with their stifling defence and spirited play. Taking advantage of their chances, they were up 2-0, when they started to show the first signs of developing chinks in their defensive armour.

Around the midway point of the second period the rink seemed to get bigger, and the Remparts started to find skating lanes into, ans space within, the Gatineau end and buzzed the Olympiques net, sending the teams to the dressing rooms tied 2-2 after two.

The Remparts seemed poised to continue their assault on the Gatineau net, while the Olympiques appeared at a loss to find the defensive formula which had served them so well over the course of the past two and a half games.

Whatever adjustments were made, whatever tactics were reviewed in the room, coach Benoit Groulx and his staff seemed to get things back on track because the Olympiques controlled the puck for much of the final period and clogged up the ice the few times the Remparts created some rushes.

Particularly impressive was the play of Nicolas Deslauriers, a third round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2009 NHL draft, who set the pace of the game from his position on the Gatineau blueline. He lead the way with timely bodychecks, steady stickhandling and sharp, accurate, outlet passes.

Jimmy Appleby, called in relief of Louis Domingue in the Remparts net in the first period after the second Gatineau goal, surrendered two goals in the final frame.

Philip-Michael Devos capped off the win with the empty net with three seconds left on the clock. 5-2 final score...

On to the final

And with this, Gatineau moves onto the President's Cup Final series where they will meet the regular season champs the St-John Sea Dogs.

The end of series handshake was particularly emotional as the Nicolas Deslauriers and Mikael Tam, the Remparts captain, led their teams through one of sports' few remaining displays of true sportsmanship.

After the Gatineau Olympiques headed off to the dressing room, the Remparts took one last skate around the Colisée ice to salute the fans.

Pat Burns.

As the fans streamed out of the building, into the rainy, cold Quebec City night, I couldn't help but think about Pat Burns, the former NHL coach with the Habs, Leafs, Bruins and Stanley Cup winner with the Devils.

It all started in Gatineau for Pat. He had impressed as a Midget coach while earning a living as a cop. After being offered the head coaching position with the then Hull Olympiques in 1984, Burns took a leave of absence from his job and took up coaching full time.

He would never look back.

In his three seasons with the Olympiques where he coached players such as Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille, high-scoring Guy Rouleau, longtime NHLer Stéphane Matteau, and Pat Brisson, Burns enjoyed his fair share of success.

In his second season at the helm, Burns led the 'Piques to their first QMJHL President's Cup and came within one win of the Memorial Cup, falling in the final to the OHL champion Guelph Platers, coached by present-day Hab bench boss Jacques Martin, by the score of 6-2.

Montreal calling.

In the summer of 1987, Serge Savard, General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens came calling and offered Burns the head coaching job with the Sherbrooke Canadiens, the Habs American Hockey League farm club, and the rest can be found in the pages of hockey history books.

In all the Hull/Gatineau Olympiques have played in 10 President's Cup Finals and have won a record seven trophies. They head into the 2011 Finals as definite underdogs. But as many teams over the years have learned, the St-John Sea Dogs had better not take the Olympiques too lightly.

Because this is a team that never quits. Pat Burns wouldn't have it.


Photo: Pat Burns waves to fans as they prepare to raise a banner in his honour at the Robert Guertin Arena in Gatineau (Hull).
In 2007, he was elected to the QMJHL Hall of Fame.