Montreal Canadiens hire Jacques Martin.

The Montreal Canadiens General Manager, Bob Gainey, has hired Jacques Martin yesterday to relieve himself from the coaching position he assumed after the firing of Guy Carbonneau.

Martin has been coaching on various levels for the last twenty years and more recently in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators and the Florida Panthers where he was still the General Manager with a two year contract in hand.

Martin has always been good for young players. It seems that many of the promising players he managed and coached reached their promised potential.

As for his own comments during the press conference, the usual pride, honor, dream and priviledge speech was delivered. But the fact that Bob Gainey actually hired a coach in June could give us a hint on what's coming up. Gainey would stay at the GM position despite a wave of unpopularity due to last season's nightmare ending.

So the Gainey-Martin era begins. I wish Jacques Martin the best of luck in this challenging rebuilding phase. A lot of moves are to be made with the club this summer as over ten players have no contract for next season.

(Picture: Jacques Martin and Bob Gainey, Canadian Press.)