The appearance of Patrick Lagacé and Yanick Bouchard on the airwaves of 98.5 FM last October must have been a routine moment for Kent Hughes, general manager of the Montreal Canadiens.
But this apparently peaceful interview quickly turned into a nightmare for Martin St-Louis, thanks to a well-placed question from Bouchard.
As Hughes seemed ready to leave, Bouchard asked the famous question:
“What aspect must Martin St-Louis work on to become an even better coach? »
This question, which Hughes had clearly not anticipated, instantly changed the mood.
In a moment of unexpected transparency, Hughes blurted out a comment that spoke volumes:
“He must learn to delegate. He can’t do everything alone. »
“As a coach we can’t do everything. We have to put our trust in others.”
At that precise moment, what was supposed to be a harmless interview turned into a bombshell that would resonate all the way to Martin St-Louis’ office.
Hughes had just revealed, even without saying it outright, a desire for St. Louis to cede some control, a thinly veiled criticism of his authoritarian and solitary approach.
Of course, Lagacé, as a good journalist, did not let the tension subside, and this declaration immediately opened the door to speculation: would management be looking for an experienced assistant to supervise a sometimes perceived St-Louis like a Napoleon in the locker room?
This twist of events immediately reawakened the rumors that were already circulating: Martin St-Louis would be reluctant to accept the help of an experienced coach, preferring to maintain total control.
For such a proud coach, a public comment like that was hard to swallow. Observers know that St. Louis has never shown any enthusiasm for surrounding himself with well-made heads, much less those who might question his authority.
Since the departure of Alex Burrows, he has chosen to manage the numerical advantage alone, and he has surrounded himself with assistants without much experience like Stéphane Robidas and Trevor Letowski.
The 98.5 FM interview only confirmed what many suspected: Hughes is tired of seeing a novice coach try to do everything alone, without delegating.
And this pressing need to add someone more experienced is no longer a secret. For St-Louis, this public declaration risked being a difficult slap to digest, a challenge to his total control in the room.
This also opens the door to growing tensions with Hughes, especially if he sees the suggestion as a personal attack rather than advice for the team’s improvement.
After this interview, one observation emerges: the relationship between St-Louis and Hughes will never be the same again.
The coach is now aware that his CEO, although he is a former pro-player agent, is starting to doubt his ability to surround himself well.
At a time when Canadians are accumulating defeats and criticism, this question of delegation takes on crucial importance.
For Patrick Lagacé, this interview marks a resounding journalistic success. With a simple question, he helped reveal the underlying tensions brewing between the GM and coach.
But for Martin St-Louis, this could mark the beginning of a realization – or, on the contrary, reinforce his isolation and his desire to maintain total control.
One thing is certain: St-Louis now has the choice to evolve and open itself to valuable help or to persist in its position of sole authority, at the risk of alienating not only management, but also its players .
Can CH hope to win a Stanley Cup with a Martin St-Louis who refuses to delegate and surround himself? In light of this interview, the question arose directly.
The interview between Patrick Lagacé and Kent Hughes was much more than a simple discussion on the ambitions of the Montreal Canadiens: it opened a breach which precipitated things, leading directly to the announcement of Georges Laraque, making it A meeting between Hughes, Gorton and Gérard Gallant in a Toronto café.
This news was later denied by Kent Hughes.
“I never spoke to Gerard Gallant in my life”
“The last time I saw him was in Las Vegas at the trophy ceremony when he won the Jack Adams. This is not true information. »
But this interview with Lagacé was still the shock of a series of events which risk redefining the Montreal bench.
When Hughes admitted, half-heartedly, that Martin St-Louis should learn to delegate, he was actually sending a powerful and unambiguous message.
From there, it became obvious to everyone – fans, journalists and even the Canadiens staff – that Hughes had reservations about the management of St. Louis.
This comment planted a seed of doubt in the minds of CH leaders, notably Jeff Gorton, who, according to certain sources, had long considered bringing more experienced management around St-Louis.
So, a few days later, a real bolt from the blue struck: Hughes and Gorton reportedly met Gérard Gallant in a Toronto café.
Even if the news was denied, the damage is done for St-Louis. All of Quebec now wants Gallant as assistant coach…or head coach.
Hughes and Gorton want to ensure that St. Louis is better coached and can rely on someone who has experience guiding a team through difficult times.
The uneasiness is obvious: St-Louis, which values an autonomous approach, now finds itself forced to consider cohabitation with an assistant of Gallant’s caliber, a man respected by players and managers.
Above all, this false news amounts to a loss of power for St-Louis, a reminder that he has not yet fully convinced Quebec of his ability to lead this rebuilding team alone.
The supposed meeting with Gallant (denied) is therefore the direct extension of this interview with Lagacé, a logical consequence of this veiled criticism of Hughes.
This is a clear message: Martin St-Louis will have to accept this help or risk seeing his authority diluted by a more experienced deputy who could eventually succeed him.
For St. Louis, this is a wake-up call; for Hughes and Gorton, a strategy aimed at strengthening the management around their head coach in order to avoid a total collapse of the team.
Lagacé’s interview with Hughes, and the false meeting with Gallant could well be the beginning of a solution imposed by management.
St-Louis now finds itself faced with a difficult choice: accept this new dynamic or risk seeing itself marginalized by Quebec as a whole.
Well done Patrick Lagacé.
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