Canadiens inspire 'new energy' in Montreal

The Montreal Gazette went one-on-one with Canadiens owner Geoff Molson, publishing the entire Q&A.

Here’s just a taste.

Q: There’s a better feeling in this city about the Canadiens than there has been in some time. A feeling that there’s a plan, that the organization isn’t grasping at straws, that Bergevin and his hockey-operations people have a vision.

“One of the reasons I liked Marc so much when I interviewed him is that his two main platforms are stability and development,” Molson noted. “He brought in people who make our fans feel that there’s stability. It starts with me but he’s a high-quality GM and everyone around him is also high-quality support to him.

“Then, we’ve got a whole bunch of 20- to 25-year-old kids who make you believe we’re going to be on a good ride here for a while. Fans see that. When kids see a young player on our team come in and excel, and we’ve had five or six who have really stepped it up in the past two  years, when you see a lot more T-shirts and jerseys around town, that’s because they’ve fallen in love with the team. …

“We’ve had a tough couple of years in Montreal that started with the lockout (laughs). Whether you like it or not, whether you’re supportive of it or not, there’s a bunch of things that happened in Montreal that just brought people down.

“So many people have written me, called me, talked to me in the streets, and expressed how proud they are of this city, and it’s a direct result of how the Canadiens are playing.

“There seems to be a new energy in this city that I can’t really explain but it’s powerful and I hope it continues beyond hockey. Having the Canadiens performing just makes everyone happy and proud to be a Montrealer.”

Source: Dave Stubbs, Montreal Gazette