by Coach K, AllHabs.net
SAINT-LAZARE, QC. – On Thursday, November 11th, the Montreal Canadiens parted ways with defenseman Ryan O’Byrne. The six foot five inch Victoria, British Columbia native was touted to be the second coming of Mike Komisarek. This was, of course, during Komisarek’s first few seasons with the Habs. O’Byrne’s physical prowess was his most impressive asset, because there wasn’t much to be desired offensively. O’Byrne had 16 points (2 G and 14 A) and had a -3 plus/minus rating in 125 regular season games with the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge.
Although these numbers suggest he was holding his own, there were a few incidents in his short career with the Canadiens that can be attributed to his decline in the organization’s ranks.
In February 2008, he was charged with grand theft, when he took a woman’s purse from a Tampa Bay nightclub shortly after the Canadiens’ rookie dinner. Subsequent to the investigation, all charges were dropped by the Tampa authorities, leaving O’Byrne with no criminal record .
The following season, on November 24th, 2008, in a game versus the New York Islanders, he scored on his own goal during a delayed penalty. That incident led to O’Byrne’s confidence being questioned, which led to multiple delay of game penalties in subsequent games when clearing the puck over the glass. He never really recovered from that, although in the latter stages of 2009-2010, and as early as this pre-season, he was playing pretty good hockey.
So what was the reason for his trade to Colorado? You can start by looking at the Canadiens’ track record when it comes to insulating their prospects upon their arrival in Montreal. For years now, the Canadiens have notoriously missed the boat when it comes to instilling the proper ideals in young players. Many of these prospects are new to the fast and furious lifestyle that comes with playing in Montreal. Think back to February 2009, when Kostitsyn brothers were linked allegedly linked to the mob, another accusation that was investigated and deemed inaccurate by the RCMP. Or even last season, when pictures surfaced of Carey Price smoking a cigarette and partying hard in Mexico. Protecting your young players is a huge undertaking. Many of them, especially those coming from the junior ranks, are away from home for first time in their lives, and don’t know how to handle the independence.
Another shortcoming of the Habs’ organization is their reluctance to let a player learn from their mistakes. When a player is developing at any level, you can do drills with them until you are blue in the face, but they learn the most during game situations. So, when a player makes a mistake, it’s up to the coaching staff to console the player and send him out for his next regular shift. O’Byrne wasn’t given that luxury. Instead, he was normally pinned to the end of the bench, a glorified spectator. Do you have any idea what that does to someone?
And finally, there is this season, where the Canadiens’ brass kept O’Byrne on the NHL roster to start the season, while having no intention of playing him. Instead of placing him on waivers prior to the start of the season, and allowing him to play in Hamilton under Randy Cunneyworth, they kept him in the press box.
For those of you who think the O’Byrne deal is going to lead to something else, bear in mind that the move only frees up $942,000 on the salary cap. The only thing I can see is that, in order to help the struggling powerplay, GM Pierre Gauthier is going to do something idiotic and resign Marc-Andre Bergeron (Please shoot me now!!)
So now what? Do you think the Canadiens will learn from their mistakes? It doesn’t seem likely. Over the past 15-plus years, this organization has gone from perenial Stanley Cup contenders to playoff wannabees. They have overplayed their best players during the regular season, causing them to lose any vigor when the playoffs rolled around. They’ve taken highly-ranked prospects and destroyed their confidence, thus forcing them to play elsewhere to regain it. When thinking of this, I really fear for Lars Eller, who may be the Habs’ next victim of sub-par organizational standards.
Mediocrity breeds failure. In a city deemed the Mecca of Hockey, our treatment of players has become mediocre. The Canadiens are doomed to failure until such time that the organization’s standard rise from the ashes, and restored to their glory days when Sam Pollock and Frank Selke ran the club. Ownership, now back in the hands of the Molson brothers, need to remember that.
(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
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