Carbonneau returning home to help Canadiens rebuild

By Jeff Caplan for The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 4, 2000

Guy Carbonneau is returning home to Montreal, where hockey is king and the former Canadiens captain is regarded as a prince.

Carbonneau turned down the Stars' offer to remain in Dallas and accepted a position yesterday in the Canadiens' front office. A fan favorite while he played the final five seasons of his illustrious career with the Stars, Carbonneau joins a rebuilding Canadiens franchise as supervisor of prospect development.

"Montreal has always been home," Carbonneau said last night from Montreal. "The last five years in Dallas ... I wish I could have stayed in Dallas, but I think the opportunity in Montreal is a little better. It's more of a challenge."

The newest challenge for Carbonneau, who announced his retirement earlier this summer, is developing draft picks into productive NHL players in a short period of time.

"In today's NHL, you have to within three or four years of drafting a kid, get him ready for the NHL," Carbonneau said. "That is my main job."

Stars general manager Bob Gainey offered Carbonneau a position similar to one former Stars player Craig Ludwig had after his retirement. It offered the opportunity to sample different areas and functions of the organization. However, Gainey said he could not guarantee Carbonneau a long-term position in his desired role.

"He's made a choice very good for him and the organization he is going to become associated with," Gainey said. "We did speak about certain possibilities with our organization in Dallas. I think the Canadiens had a place and need for him."

Carbonneau, who played 12 seasons for the Canadiens, is the latest addition to a restructured Montreal management team. This off-season, the Canadiens lost consultant Jacques Lemaire to the head coaching job of the expansion Minnesota Wild, pro scout Mario Tremblay, European scout Dave King and assistant to the general manager Phil Scheuer.

Canadiens general manager Rejean Houle, a longtime teammate of Gainey's with the Canadiens, added veteran scout Martin Madden from the New York Rangers, Andre Savard took over as director of player personnel, and now Carbonneau.

Montreal "is the most successful hockey franchise in the world," Carbonneau said. "Seeing them not playing as well was hard for everyone that has played there. To come back and have a chance to try to change that philosophy and change the team to a winning team, in the end, Montreal was the better opportunity."

Carbonneau will permanently move back to Montreal with wife Line and daughter Kristina. Daughter Anne-Marie, who dates Stars forward Brenden Morrow, will remain in Dallas. She will be a freshman at SMU in the fall.