Of Minor Interest

Cleghorn · Veteran Member

Of Minor Interest

mperra (Admin) · Guru

Cleghorn wrote:

While driving south of Parry Sound on Hwy 69 last weekend - I passed a cottage road - the sign listing cottagers had "Irving Grundman" and "Pollock" - has to be the former Hab GMs right? Now I know why Scotty didn't get the job after Sammy, the poor fool probably spent his summer after Sam's retirement worrying about how to make the team better instead of sharing Molsons with Sam while the grandkids went tubing.

Actually you raise an important question in Canadiens history. Why did Scotty Bowman, a hockey genius to many, get passed up in the Canadiens family by Irving Grundman of all people back in 1979???? People often bring up the Rejean Houle debacle but we Habs fans (I for one) sometimes have forgetful memories.

Sure, Houle was part of the coming of age for the internet so many of us have debated Houle's era to death. I'm curious to know had the internet of today been around back in 1980, what would have we concluded?

--Mario (vacationing in Maine freeloading off a cottage neighbor's unsecured wireless network!!!).

-- Edited by mperra (Admin) at 23:33, 2006-08-02

Cleghorn · Veteran Member

I had read in one of the many many books on the Habs that Sam Pollock said that he passed over Bowman because while he saw him as a great coach, he felt that Scotty's temper and passion would have worked against him as GM. The book quoted Sam as saying that any time a Habs' player had a bad game, loafed during a game or goofed off in practice Scotty would roar into Sam's office demanding that he trade the offender - Sam said he was afraid Scott would trade away some great players every time he was severly ticked off about something.

If true, obviously Sam was wrong.

Now that I've spent many decades in the working world - I could see the reason being as uncomplicated as Sam and Irving having cottages next to each other - and while Scotty worked, Irv networked!

mperra (Admin) · Guru

Cleghorn wrote:

Now that I've spent many decades in the working world - I could see the reason being as uncomplicated as Sam and Irving having cottages next to each other - and while Scotty worked, Irv networked!

Yeah and 2 years ago, Irv also got busted with fraud in municipal politics.