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Sunday, November 21, 1999
Axe hanging over Habs' coach, GM
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- If you listen to the whispers, the axe is about to fall in Montreal.
Sitting in last place doesn't sit well in the city where hockey was born, which means it's now only a matter of hours before the Montreal Canadiens fire GM Rejean Houle and coach Alain Vigneault.
While many believed Houle and Vigneault would be relieved of their duties when the team returns from its California road swing Wednesday, sources say neither may return to Montreal with the team.
"They're as good as gone," said an NHL executive yesterday, "and I really believe that in both cases, it might come as a relief. Houle and Vigneault aren't handling this situation very well. It's been tough on them both and on their families."
There has been some sense Vigneault might survive a purge by newly-appointed team president Pierre Boivin, but that seems unlikely because that would be a tough sell to the fans in Montreal.
Coming off a 6-1 loss to the Nashville Predators Thursday night, media types expected that Houle and Vigneault wouldn't last until the morning. Patience has never been a virtue with the Habs' organization.
Houle told Montreal reporters he was prepared to go to Boivin to ask for more money in an attempt to improve the team. That's nice, but the Habs already have a $30-million US payroll and they're losing money.
Ideally, Houle would like to make a move to bring in Carolina Hurricanes centre Keith Primeau. With Saku Koivu sidelined for three months, former Senators centre Sergei Zholtok has moved to the No. 1 line.
Vigneault, who may never get another chance to be a head coach in the league again if he's fired by the Habs, would probably escape the wrath but he's supported every move that Houle has made.
So, who's next?
The talk is former Calgary Flames coach Dave King may be parachuted in from his role as European scout to take over behind the bench, while consultant Jacques Lemaire assumes the full-time role as GM.
Nobody is sure a change will do the Habs any good, but at this point they have to do something. A quarter of the way through the NHL schedule, they're sitting in last place and that's simply not acceptable.
The clock is ticking on Houle and Vigneault.
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