Gauthier better be next to get guillotine

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/12/2011 (5017 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Montreal press refers to him as Le Fantome and his lack of presence right now when his organization needs him front and centre is appalling.

There’s an old expression — “he’s a guy you’d like in your foxhole” — but it certainly does not apply to Montreal Canadiens GM Pierre Gauthier.

Just ask Randy Cunneyworth.

Cunneyworth, the unwitting victim of Gauthier’s latest debacle, has been left to hang in the sun until the wind whistles through the bones of his first head coaching position in the NHL.

Thankfully for Cunneyworth, a qualified and respected coach, his tenure as head man with the Habs won’t be long. Already there is talk of his dismissal as Canadiens followers harken back to the 1995-96 season when Montreal employed three head coaches; Jacques Demers, Jacques Laperriere and Mario Tremblay.

Cunneyworth, but for his inability to speak French, would be safe in his interim role as Jacques Martin’s mid-season replacement. And even still, his lack of parlez vous could be overlooked if Gauthier had thought enough to take a bullet or two instead of leaving his top employee alone in a dark alley with so many media snipers locked and loaded.

Instead, Cunneyworth is destined to fail and be fired — at the very latest when this miserable Montreal season dies a death well short of the post-season.

Gauthier promoted Cunneyworth knowing full well there would be questions about his unilingualism. It’s Montreal and the head coach of the Canadiens must speak French. And if he can’t on the day of his hiring, it must be made clear he will learn.

Marc Crawford learned to speak French on the job while coaching the Quebec Nordiques and it’s all the people wanted. Bob Gainey picked up a little during his time as a player with the Canadiens and got better when he became the team’s GM. Francophones loved Gainey for his effort, not the result.

Gauthier needed only to make a few comments on the subject during the announcement of Cunneyworth’s hiring, but was too arrogant or ignorant to satisfy the drooling media corps.

The ghostly GM prefers not to talk to the media and stooping to deal with their agendas is well beneath him. Far better to leave it to Cunneyworth to stand under the glare of the lights on a daily basis and tightly grin his way though interrogations ranging from the pallid play of the Habs to his linguistic shortcomings.

It’s painful to see Cunneyworth going through this. The players know he’s a dead man walking and there’s little incentive to listen or play hard when there’s a new boss coming down the pipe.

The former Jets winger played 866 NHL games as a grinder before moving into coaching and applying the same work ethic and determination to his new craft. Cunneyworth spent eight seasons as a head coach in the AHL between the Rochester Americans and Hamilton Bulldogs. He paid his dues and earned his appointment as an NHL head coach. But the lack of forethought and support on Gauthier’s part has robbed him of any joy in what should be a glorious time for him.

Coaching in the NHL is hard enough without being used as a daily target for us jackals in the media.

The only redeeming part of this story is that Gauthier’s day is coming soon. He’ll be clipped at season’s end — and don’t think the rest of the NHL hasn’t taken notice of his reckless treatment of Cunneyworth.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @garylawless