In this last instalment of a four-part series comparing Montreal Canadiens
general manager Marc Bergevin to his four immediate predecessors, we take a
look at Rejean Houle.

Marc Bergevin is not the most popular person in Montreal right now. The
Canadiens'; general manager has been under fire for a number of questionable
moves and public statements including an ongoing feud with captain Max
Pacioretty. Opinions among fans vary but many see him as consumed by power, or
at the very least, incompetent.

Hired by the Habs in 2012, Bergevin';s first four seasons were characterized by
 relatively minor moves aimed at strengthening the team';s depth and shedding
contracts of underperforming players. The media generally reported positively
about his performance, beginning with his selection of Alex Galchenyuk in the
2012 draft.

On June 29, 2016, everything changed. The team failed to make the playoffs that
 year and rumours surfaced about a problem in the locker room between
Pacioretty and P.K. Subban, who had become a fan favourite. Bergevin assured
the media in February he would not trade the star defender, but four months
later Subban was shipped to the Nashville Predators in the now infamous trade
for Shea Weber.

Since then, Bergevin has struggled to regain the confidence of many whose
discontent increases each time he addresses the media. Anger towards Canadiens
management is nothing new as anyone over 35  remembers another general
manager, Rejean Houle, who drove the team into oblivion only a few short years
after their last Stanley Cup victory while many looked on with disbelief.Tale
of the Tape: Bergevin vs. Houle

Time Served: October 21, 1995 - November 20, 2000 (Houle); May 2, 2012 - now
(Bergevin)

No. of Playoff Appearances/ Seasons: 3/5 (Houle); 4/6 (Bergevin)

No. of Division Titles/ Seasons: 0/5 (Houle); 3/6 (Bergevin)

No. of Playoff Rounds Won/ Seasons: 1/5 (Houle); 3/6 (Bergevin)

No. of Draft Home Runs/ Picks (a home run being a projected good, long-term
fit):

3/62  (Houle) Mike Ribiero at N0. 45, Andrei Markov at No. 162, Michael Ryder
at No. 216 all in 2012.3/ 32 (Bergevin, excluding the last two drafts) Charles
Hudon at No. 122 in 2012, Artturi Lehkonen at No. 55 in 2013, Victor Mete at
No. 100 in 2016.

Best/ Worst Free Agents Signed (based on contract and expected/ actual
contributions):

Sergei Zholtok/ Andy Moog (Houle)Alexander Radulov/ Daniel Briere (Bergevin)

Best/ Worst Free-Agent Re-Signings:

Saku Koivu ($6.3 million over two years)/ Vladimir Malakhov ($5.2 million over
two years) (Houle)Max Pacioretty ($27 million over six years)/ Carey Price ($84
 million over eight years) (Bergevin)

Signature Trade:

Patrick Roy and Mike Keane for goalie Jocelyn Thibault, left wing Martin
Rucinsky and right wing Andrei Kovalenko (Houle)P.K. Subban for Shea Weber
(Bergevin)

1995: Rejean Houle Becomes the Canadiens'; GM

Rejean Houle was well-known to Montreal fans when he replaced Serge Savard as
Canadiens GM in October 1995. Like Savard, he was part of a glorious era in
Habs history, playing on five Stanley Cup-winning teams in the 1970s.Rejean
Houle (Vince Richard/The Hockey Writers)

A talented winger with a scoring touch, the former first-round draft pick
retired from hockey in 1983 and became an executive with Molson Breweries, who
owned the Canadiens at the time. In hiring him, the team assumed his business
acumen and hockey background would be perfect for the new position even though
he had not previously combined the two professionally.

In the period between Houle';s retirement and his appointment as GM the
Canadiens won two more Stanley Cups and transitioned from a team of older stars
 (Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Steve Shutt) to a new generation of local
heroes, including Vincent Damphousse and goaltender Patrick Roy, who was
instrumental in both Cup wins and was regarded by many as the premier goalie in
 the NHL at the time.Patrick Roy sporting his 33 (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI
via Getty Images)The Controversial Patrick Roy Trade

Just six weeks into his new job, Houle faced a challenge that would define his
reputation as a hockey executive. In a game in early December, Roy surrendered
nine goals to the Detroit Red Wings in front of jeering fans before being
pulled. He then confronted head coach Mario Tremblay and Canadiens president
Ronald Corey in a public display of anger captured on live television.

Four days later he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche along with captain Mike
 Keane for goaltender Jocelyn Thibault and forwards Martin Rucinsky and Andrei
 Kovalenko. The trade pitted old Habs heroes Houle and Tremblay against a
defiant contemporary star, but Roy emerged as the winner, becoming the
franchise goaltender for the Avalanche and leading them to two Stanley Cups.

Kovalenko was soon traded and Rucinsky and Thibault became competent but
unremarkable regulars for the next few seasons. One by one, stars like
Damphousse, Pierre Turgeon, and Mark Recchi left, traded for players who would
have little or no impact on the team. Houle also brought back former Habs
Stephane Richer and Shayne Corson and traded for Trevor Linden, all of whom
were past their prime.

Houle fared little better in drafting talent, wasting first round picks on Eric
 Chouinard, Jason Ward, Matt Higgins and Marcel Hossa who combined for 79 NHL
goals, less than half of what Houle scored in his ten-year NHL career.The
Canadiens Historic Decline

After several lacklustre playoff exits, the Canadiens failed to reach the
playoffs in the 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01 seasons, becoming the first Habs
 team since 1921 not to qualify for postseason play for three consecutive
years. By the time Houle was fired in November 2000, the team was without a
bonafide offensive threat, a star defenseman, or a consistent goaltender.

While Houle';s successors, Andre Savard and Bob Gainey, were unable to win a
Stanley Cup, they would eventually return the team to playoff contention and
acquire enough talent to make the team exciting to watch again.Putting Bergevin
 in Perspective

Despite his perceived shortcomings, the current GM is not Rejean Houle. When he
 traded Subban he received one of the top NHL defensemen in return, not a
series of marginal players. In attempting to address the Habs'; lack of talent
at centre, he risked losing promising defenseman Mikail Segachev for Jonathan
Drouin, who is still young enough to develop into a quality player at that
position.Marc Bergevin, Montreal Canadiens, 2018 NHL Draft, Dallas, TX, June
22, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

In trading Alex Galchenyuk, he parted ways with a once-promising draft pick who
 failed to mature enough to become a consistent two-way player and replaced him
 with Max Domi, a player with an unquestionable commitment to the game and with
 the type of positive attitude Bergevin wants in his players.

Even in his current battle with Pacioretty, Bergevin has shown patience in not
accepting the first deal thrown at him. While it was a bad strategy to publicly
 tell the hockey world he was trading the captain, at least he';s still with
the team until a better offer becomes available.

Finally, there is a lot to be said for Bergevin';s skills at drafting talent.
Players like Victor Mete, Noah Juulsen, and Artturi Lehkonen are already making
 an impact on the team and Bergevin';s recent hiring of new coaches who
understand and can manage younger players will ensure their continued
development.

The Canadiens have missed the playoffs twice in the last three years but even
the most cynical fan sees the potential for their success down the road.
Players like Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Jacob Olofsson, and Ryan Poehling have them
saying "when?" compared to those who lived through the Houle era who could only
 sit back and say "why?"

The post Canadiens GM Showdown: Bergevin vs. Houle appeared first on The Hockey
 Writers.

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