Captain in Montreal | The Journal of Montreal

“Suzuki has an 8-year contract, I think learning a few words in French is enough to make the fans happy. »

Guy Carboneau is clear. Being the captain of a hockey team is first and foremost for the unity of the club to foster a harmonious bond between team members, young and old, coach or management members.

In Montreal, there is the French fact and for Carbo, it is undeniable, but above all, it is the team. Bob Gainey is a perfect example of him.

“Congratulations to Bob who learned French, but you have to be honest. Everything in the locker room is done in English. »

Yvan Cournoyer served two kinds of excellent leaders. Jean Belivey, the tallest player, warned his teammates that he would be the captain in the winter, the season, the playoffs, come summer. Family, personal or other issues, all players know that Big Gene has a listening ear and is a true big brother. Yuvan also talked about his father in his case.

“My other best captain had only one thing in mind: winning. Henry Richard turned it into a disease. He couldn’t swallow defeat and his interventions multiplied as soon as the team started to suffer. No patience. »

He won just 11 Stanley Cups.

“I’m still surprised if he didn’t intervene faster than the coach. He wasn’t embarrassed, he was angry, and if Henry was around it was impossible to get his hands dirty, practical or matched. »

Yvan learned a lot from these two very different people, and when he appeared with the “C” on his jersey, he tried to combine his own character with what he learned from Jean and Henry.

“I loved being a person…