Gainey got it right with Martin hire

The Montreal Canadiens got their man: Jacques Martin. And, for many, the hiring of Jacques Martin as head coach, came as a surprise. After all, when was the last time a GM left a team to be a head coach somewhere else? But, was it really a surprise? Probably not. Jacques Martin, is a coach at heart.

Bob Gainey knew that and went after him.

For some, the choice of Jacques Martin is not unanimous. Why? Because he never won the Stanley Cup. Some fans preferred Bob Hartley or Marc Crawford. To those fans, I say this. As head coaches, Lindy Ruff and Barry Trotz never won the Stanley Cup, either. Would they coach my team? In a heartbeat. T

he fact of the matter is Hartley and Crawford, had the luxury of having Patrick Roy in goal. If Jacques Martin’s Ottawa Senators, had Patrick Roy instead of Patrick Lalime, they too, would have won a Stanley Cup, and maybe two.

Five reasons why Jacques Martin is the best man to coach the Canadiens.

1) Experience: the Montreal Canadiens could not hire a rookie coach again. They tried that, it didn’t work. Martin has been a head coach in the NHL for 14 seasons. He will be prepared to respond to adversity.

2) Bilingual: whether we want to admit it or not, it’s important to the organization, certain members of the media and a certain fan base. Whether you agree or disagree, whether you like it or not, it’s a prerequisite in Montreal.

3) Success: he ranks ninth all-time in NHL wins by a coach. He must be doing something right.

4) Structure: he preaches strong defensive play, discipline and accountability. Under previous coach Guy Carbonneau – despite Carbo's rep as a strong defensive teacher and coach -- this was not the case.

5) Communicator: every player will know their role. Martin is also a great teacher. With likely more than half the team having only five years NHL experience or less, the coach will aid them in their development.

Furthermore, let's not forget that when Jacques Martin coached the Ottawa Senators, he worked with two members of the Canadiens' brass, Pierre Gauthier and Trevor Timmons. So, the familiarity is there. I believe, that out of all the candidates interested in coaching the Montreal Canadiens, Jacques Martin was the best choice.

Kudos to Bob Gainey.

This time, he got it right. --Tony Marinaro is the host of the Montreal Forum and co-host of The Intermission, weekdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Montreal's Sports Authority, the Team 990 (990 AM)