Jacques Martin to Coach Habs

[JKidd]

MONTREAL --Canadiens’ General Manager Bob Gainey announced Monday the appointment of Jacques Martin as the Club’s new head coach. The St. Pascal, Ontario native was the Florida Panthers’ General Manager for the last three seasons (2006 to 2009) while assuming the duties of head coach with the Panthers from 2004 to 2008. Martin, who signed a multi-year agreement with the Canadiens, has 20 years of experience at the NHL level, including 15 seasons as head coach.

Jacques Martin first joined the Panthers’ organization in May 2004 as head coach. In three seasons behind the bench, he posted a 110-100-36 mark and stands as the club’s all-time leader in games coached (246) and wins (110). On November 2, 2006, Martin became only the 13th head coach in NHL history to record 450 wins and a few months later, on March 3, 2007, he became the 12th coach in NHL history to coach in his 1,000th game. He currently ranks 10th on the NHL all-time list for games coached (1,098) and also ranks 10th in wins (517).

Midway through the 1995-96 season, Jacques Martin was hired as head coach of the Ottawa Senators. In his 9-year tenure with the Senators, he led his team to three division titles and had four seasons of at least 100 points. In 2002-03, following a 113-point season and the best record in the Eastern Conference, he guided the Senators to the Conference Finals in a 7-game series against the New Jersey Devils.

As coach of the Ottawa Senators, Martin posted a 341-255-96 regular season record. He stands as the franchise’s all-time leader in games coached (692), regular-season wins (341), playoff games (69) and playoff wins (31). Martin has been nominated for the Jack Adams Trophy as NHL Coach of the Year four times (1997, 1999, 2001, 2003) winning the award in 1999.

Jacques Martin also has extensive experience on the international level serving as an associate coach on Team Canada’s hockey team for the last two Winter Olympics (Salt Lake City and Turin), earning a gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games. He was also a member of the Canadian Team coaching staff at the 2004 World Cup.

In 1986-87, Martin entered the NHL as head coach of the St. Louis Blues leading them to the playoffs on each of his two seasons. From 1988 to 1993, Martin successively worked as an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks and associate coach with the Quebec Nordiques and, following a one-year stint as head coach of the AHL’s Cornwall Aces, with the Colorado Avalanche.

Jacques Martin began his coaching career in major junior hockey with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes as an assistant to Dick Todd from 1982 to 1984. He then moved on to become Guelph’s head coach in 1985-86 season leading the Platers to the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions and to the Memorial Cup. His achievements earned him the Matt Leyden Trophy as Ontario Hockey League Coach of the Year.

Before embracing a coaching career at the minor league level, Jacques Martin was a goaltender with the NCAA”s St. Lawrence University from 1972 to 1974.

[Messier3499]

Please Please Please be true!

[The Woodsman]

It's official:

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=280562

[Grittzkey]

Ouch

[Gunslinger]

Ha! Ha! Ha! Gainey took one look at all the Stanley Cup rings that Martin has won in Ottawa and Florida and knew that he would be the "saviour" coach to lead the Habs to the promised land. Whats that? You mean Martin has'nt won anything in this league!? He perenially takes promising teams(Sens) and makes them wimpoid defensive teams that routinly choke when the pressure is on. He made a bad Florida team worse(hard to believe!) and now the Habs take him. I can't wait for Tucker316,KordicNilanRoberge put a spin on this. The Habs have now passed the Isles in the race for worst run team in hockey.

[Thrillhouse]

This is fantastic news

[KordicNilanRoberge]

Very good news,after little surprise off course. I wait Roy take place for Canadiens head coach, but he must to be wait pair years. First start for assistant coach or Bulldogs head coach is better way. Martin is experienced coach.CKAC speaking Mario Tremplay , one team assistant coach and Lemaire a strong possibility as a special advisor for team. Confirm some this? Same CKAC ,GM Bob Gainey said his new head coach would be speaking soon with associate Doug Jarvis and assistant Kirk Muller. Melanson and Livingston are out for next season. After Demers, we don´t seen experienced coach for Canadiens. All for Tremplay for Carbonneau are first timers. Fantastic...Are Canadiens new owner by Savard leading group? Wait what happening next...

[JKidd]

Everyone available... everyone with great credentials... everyone with an amazing view on how to play the game... and they choose Jacques Martin.

You Panther fans (all 3 of you), got lucky to not only lose his coaching "prowess" but also lose him as a GM.

Double lucky mother truckers!

[Isles4life]

Interesting choice for Montreal. If they're looking to change things up Martin can do that. They came awfully close to missing the playoffs this year, so based on his experience in Florida I think he knows what it takes to get them over that hurdle to officially rejoining the outside teams looking in at postseason play. Or maybe they wanted a guy they felt would be familiar with perennial disappointment, which he seemed to become adept at during his Ottawa days.

But things could be worse. They haven't named Kovalev captain yet.

[GODARDNYI]

this is very good news








for the rest of the East

[brandonh19]

and the freefall continutes, so many good coaches out there, even bob hartley who was won a cup is out there and its Martin. I guess gainey figured making the playoffs in 8th every year isn't worth and figures tanking a few years in a row is better.

And oh hey wait lets bring back Mario Tremblay cause that really worked the first time, maybe he'll chase Price out of town too...

[antonio106]

Can't wait for the Habs to come to Scotiabank place now.

[nyislesfan45]

Is Montreal making Islander fans more content with the teams management choice? If so, it's working.

[Tucker_316]

Not bad. He will bring structure and discipline to a team that had none of it. There will be accountability. He's good at working with young players, which Montreal has and will have a lot of. Should help limit the amount of shots Price gets, who was just being unloaded on by subpar defensive work.
There will be a system in place, whereas before Montreal basically had none and came up with whatever on the fly. Plus, we finally sign a coach with prior NHL experience, and hopefully someone who can hold up to the amount of pressure he will face here in this city. Haven't signed a coach with NHL experience since 1993.

As for bad management...take a gander at Florida. Cohen allowed the Habs to talk with their GM thus negating their opportunity to acquire anything from the Habs in the process. A GM they had just recently signed to a contract extension to boot. Cohen is an idiot.

[Gunslinger]

I did'nt have to wait long for Tucker to spin it and fail miserably. Only a moron thinks that having Martin as coach is a good thing. Oh right, your a Habs fan. Moronic behaviour is mandatory.