If Kent Hughes remains pragmatic at the heart of the Montreal Canadiens’ best streak in ages, he observes something interesting: his calm is now embodied by the players.
“I see something different in our players this time, a more business et matter of fact: “We’re going to the next game”,” illustrated the general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, who spoke one-on-one with Jean-Charles Lajoie in Brossard.
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In the past, players were quicker to gloat over victories instead of thinking about the next challenge ahead of them.
“We celebrated our successes more,” Hughes said. It comes with maturity.”
Another example: it seemed as if all the circumstances militated against the CH during the last trip on the road. The team had to change time zones four times. But this increased coefficient of difficulty was only a parenthesis in the locker room.
“In a trip like that which was difficult, rather than thinking about the time difference, we wondered who the next opponent was,” said Hughes. It was more business.»
The rebuild is far from complete, but when it comes to the culture of the organization, Hughes believes the seeds have been sown.
“I think the base is really there,” he said. You can continue to add to the culture as you go. As a team, you want to establish the base and add later.
“When things go wrong, instead of everyone blaming themselves and someone else, it’s OUR problem, a problem we have to solve together.”
It’s also a sign that the players still have faith in Martin St-Louis.
“I heard Guhl (Kaiden Guhle) to say that the players play for Martin, underlined the CEO. Players play for themselves, but they play for everyone, not just the room. Because sometimes the chamber can resign on a coach or someone in the organization.”
