There was a time when teams that would be part of the home opening of certains teams,they wished they could trade places with someone else.The Montreal Forum was one of those buildings.It wasn't the building itself,they feared,but the team that played there.It was the home of the mighty Montreal Canadiens.The temple of hockey, house of legends.Who could blame them.Les Canadiens could intimidate you just by taking the warm up.Then they would stare you down during the national anthem.Those were certainly the good old days.Other buildings also that kind of aura,but nothing beat the chilling effect of the grand old building at the corner of Ste-Catherine and Atwater, in the core of Montreal's downtown area.
Today,that is all gone, the newer building,the Bell Center does not have that same effect,neither does the team.The last home opener in the Forum was the beginning of the end of what was once one of the greatest hockey dynasties.On October 17th 1995,then President,Ronald Corey proceeded with a major house cleaning, that would have a domino effect that would last for years,even decades. To this day,the organisation is still trying to recover.
The new building,now known as the Bell Center,formely opened as the Molson Center.It has not been kind to its tenants.For a long time, you couldn't give tickets away.Of course that has changed since the end of the lockout in July 2005.In the five years since the 2004-05 cancelled season, the Canadiens have sold out every season,it most likely will again this year also.Against all odds, Les Glorieux,made it to the Eastern conference finals.The expectations will be high.In the six home openers they have played since the cancelled season, they have a 1-3-2 record.No Harry Sinden, the ghost haven't followed, but then again, you may want to get Bruce Boudreau's opinion on that one. By the way,in 14 home openers in the Molson/Bell Center, the Canadiens have 4 wins,5 losses, 3 tied games and 2 OT losses. What to do on a rainy day ?
Since it was a boring day here in Canada's national capital,I decided to go thru some stats on the fastest starts since the end of the lockout by the six canadian teams.Fun uh ? It was.Well lets start with Les Canadiens,their best start to a season since the lockout, came in 2008-09,when they went 8-1-1 for 17 points out twenty in the first ten games.This tied the Vancouver Canucks record in the 2005-06 season.The Ottawa Senators had the best of all six canadian teams in the 2007-08 season, when they went 9-1-0 in their first ten games.So much for great starts,Marc Crawford,Guy Carbonneau and John Paddock where all fired later on, following those good starts.
All stats used,are from the good people at hockey reference.
All stats used,are from the good people at hockey reference.
Around the League
There seems to be a new owner coming to town in Glendale,AZ, to buy the Phoenix Coyotes.Chicago businessman Matthew Hulsizer is closing on the deal to purchase the team from the NHL,according to Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press. The purchase price is targeted at about 165 million,25 more than the league paid for it 2009 from bankruptcy court. The league lost 30 million while running the team.
That's all for now !
That's all for now !
