Here we have Gilles Courteau, head honcho of the QMJHL. He's a little upset. He needs a hug. What is he upset about? Woe, the Habs are lacking in the French department. Well, when I say French I mean "Quebec". Don't tell anyone but Cornwall's Newsy Lalonde didn't really speak much French while Quebec City's Joe Malone was a pure laine to the pure wooliest of wool. But it's all in the last name, folks.
So what's wrong now? For one, the misguided Courteau believes that the Habs should be obliged (ie FORCED like everything is in this province) to walk hand in hand with the Q. He calls it a priviledged relationship, something that brings to mind the myth of the regional rights from the early days (when in actuality the real hockey players were being signed C forms from birth, for each of the 6 teams that were active at the time). He wants the Habs to enter in some kind of plan with his league's coaches and players to provide them with a means to enter the NHL. He wants the Habs to draft more bit players from his League. However he fails to realize there's more than one NHL team in the NHL, and that the province of Quebec is a mere 1% of it's existence. The small fish in a large pond that thinks it's an awesome whale.
Courteau's "priviledge plan" is rediculous, and not just because the 29 other teams in the League might not be very cool with that idea. If this is because of Simon Gagner, then he's absolutely delusional. Let me take you back to 1998 when he was drafted... The Habs DID select a "chez nous" boy from the Q, only it was Eric Chouinard who had some impressive numbers to warrant that selection but for whatever reason flatlined once he went pro. Was it his fault? Some of it was. And the Habs were horrendous back then at developing players for the next level unless they already had it in them. After all, this was during the "dark ages" which ironically coincide with what Courteau praises as the ones who DID in fact pay heavy attention to his league. So if the Habs had selected the "small" Gagner instead, who's to say that Mr. Post Concussion Sydrome would even be in the League today anyway? His own development might have gone the way of Chouinard and then right into the medical room, finishing off in Europe, and then early retirement somewhere selling cars.
Now, allow me to rattle off a list of names: David Desharnais, Gabriel Dumont, Olivier Fortier, Philippe Lefebvre, Dany Massé, Mathieu Carle, Frédéric St-Denis, Robert Mayer, and now Morgan Ellis, Louis Leblanc, plus the two goalies invited (Peter Delmas and Nicholas Champion) and some other players I forgot their names that were also invited to rookie camp. (Note, not all of them are from Quebec). Who are these players? These are the current and potential prospects the Habs have that came from the Q. The most notable one, of course, is Louis as he's the only one most likely to be a shining star. But to say that Habs ignore the Q is rediculous. And most of these guys are the bit players. Sadly what Courteau doesn't understand is that there are other bit players in the world that have a few more pounds or inches on themselves to make it past the AHL (though to him, size shouldn't matter eventhough the whole fucking fanbase was calling for bigger players). In Lapierre's case, the trio of Dumont, Lefebvre, and Massé will soon be challenging him for his job or join him on the 3rd line. However, in the coming years does a guy like the oft-injured Fortier make the team solely because it's his goddamn birthright when Danny Kristo is a much better player aiming for that same role?
So what does Courteau want? The Habs don't have time to play pretty politics with his league. They're in the business of running a franchise in a market that's larger than one province. Keep your nationalist agendas at home and away from hockey, and maybe then the talent and ability of your league's players might actually increase instead of remaining as the longshot bit playing Black Aces.
As Dryden predicted in his book, the team has a choice: to win or to be "French". I think I know which one Gauthier is hoping for, which is to win. However, Courteau and various other characters that nod and say "it's an insult" are thinking the opposite is far more important. And what are they going to do about it? Pass a typical rediculous draconian law? Call for a public enquiry? They love to waste money on those...
