Canadiens hire Kirk Muller as Assistant Coach

The Canadiens have hired former Captain and 19 year NHL veteran Kirk Muller as Assistant Coach.

This move was rumored to be in the works for some time and today has become official news. Muller will join Carbonneau, Jarvis and Melanson to complete the Canadiens new coaching staff.

Carbonneau and Muller both played key roles in the Canadiens last Stanley Cup victory in 1993 and understand what is necessary to win.

Although Muller has little coaching experience and this will be his first venture at the NHL level, he was and is a great leader and will be a welcome addition to the new staff.

This is a busy summer for former Canadiens with Claude Julien taking over the reigns in New Jersey and another ex Coach Alain Vigneault getting another chance as Head Coach of the Vancouver Canucks.

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19 Comments

#1 jfk0202 says:
June 20, 2006 at 2:28 pm

they should of hired him as head coach and did anyone see that game lastnight the canes are champs that should of been the habs but we blew it becasue we suck and i told u theo suxs that the canes were going to win it

#2 team titanic says:
June 20, 2006 at 3:08 pm

Two coaches with NO NHL H/Cing EXPERIENCE> I trust RBG knows what he is doing.

#3 Habs#1 says:
June 20, 2006 at 5:28 pm

Muller was the best choice for the job and Carbs and Gainey did the right thing hiring him.

Two rumors that have started floating out their are that the Habs are interested in George Laraque if he wants to come and possibly, wait for it……………………… TIE FREAKIN DOMI.

I don’t buy into the last one but the first might be okay. Laraque would give them the fighter they don’t have.

#4 Phil says:
June 21, 2006 at 6:46 am

Habs#1 I agree with you …Domi..is usless ..I hope he stays with TO…They deserve him.The first two posts..Sooo what about the caines…get a life ..one with value….playing hopscotch …marbles or jacks.Idiots abound

#5 Joshua says:
June 21, 2006 at 6:17 pm

Rumours circulating have Samsonov and Arnott coming to Montreal to play in a line with Kovalev. Would be some nice talent.

#6 kazmojo says:
June 22, 2006 at 12:22 pm

That would be a great line. Samsonov is a right-handed shooting left winger, and Kovalev a left-handed shooting right winger. Arnott adds size up the middle, and is another right handed shot (Habs have too many lefties). He’ll just have to brush up on his Russian.

If Gainey can sign them, as well as Huet, Higgins, Ryder, Komisarek and Bouillon — and stay under the cap — then maybe I’ll consider him a genius.

As for the Laraque and/or Domi rumours: Gainey already locked up his grinders, and made a point of signing them first. Laraque or Domi would make Downey’s signing particularly redundant.

#7 Phil says:
June 22, 2006 at 1:26 pm

I agree with you kazmojo more then likely that is To fans hoping for a trade.As I remember there was huge outcry last year in TO cirles when Domi was signed to a multi year contract.I still think Gainey is keeping his options open for the draft to see whats available.

#8 Habs#1 says:
June 22, 2006 at 5:32 pm

Al Strachan is reporting in the Toronto Sun that Montreal has more interest in Arnott than anyone else but the question is does he want to come here.

He also says that Souray has demanded a trade out of Montreal. Yea Right! He said last year that he didn’t want to leave and when he worked out his stuff he was fine.

And don’t forget that Strachan is so Toronto centered that he’s also syaing that Pronger wants out of Edmonton really badly so he can go play in Toronto. Keep on dreaming Al.

#9 Jack says:
June 22, 2006 at 6:40 pm

Interesting stuff, Habs#1. Al Strachan was based in Montreal maybe as much as 20 years ago… he was basically kicked out of town. He was the sports editor of the Gazette before it merged with the Star, as I recall. Long story short, he was not known for his accuracy and probably engages in rumour-creation more than fact-reporting. So, now he works for the Sun in T.O. and holds a grudge against Montreal.

Dreaming, probably not. Selling papers and pandering to an audience, surely yes.

By the way, if Souray demanded a trade, we would not hear it from Al Strachan (!!) first. More likely to hear about it here!!

#10 kazmojo says:
June 23, 2006 at 3:18 pm

This might be an old rumour, but I read that the Habs and the Lightning are in talks for a “big” trade. I would think the Lightning would be interested in Huet or Aebischer, but who would the Habs want? If the Arnott rumours are true, the Habs don’t need another centre, so Lecavalier and Richards are out — and probably too expensive anyway. St. Louis would be great, but the Habs would be better off adding a power forward. If it’s anyone, it might be Pavel Kubina. And maybe the Habs throw in Souray to sweeten the deal?

#11 Joshua says:
June 23, 2006 at 3:42 pm

Isn’t Pavel Kubina a defenceman? (yes). Btw, Montreal is not interested in St.Louis. He was already offered to them (for theodoro) and rejected. He is overpaid and will never repeat a season as good as the one he had prior to last season. Richards and Lecavalier won’t be coming anytime soon either since they like tampa and the GM there likes them too much.

#12 Habs All The Way says:
June 24, 2006 at 2:01 pm

i c everything starting to fall into place…
i heard that gainey wants to trade some players to get a better pick in the draft today…
the coaching staff is good, so that is a big improvment
the 3 major tasks for gainey this summer is as follows:
1. re-sign cristobal huet
2. find a strong, yet skilled centre for kovalev’s line (jason arnott)
3. improve on the defence, markov cannot do it alone since souray is useless one-on-one (examples: brierre, chara, spezza, bergeron,etc…)

we have a lot of talent coming thru the system on offence, it is just the defence that we need…

GO HABS GO

#13 Habs All The Way says:
June 24, 2006 at 2:03 pm

btw…
PLEASE DO NOT SIGN DOMI!!!
and get rid of reberio…

#14 Habs All The Way says:
June 24, 2006 at 2:05 pm

ya,
just get rid of reberio…that will help the team…
many ppl pointed to reberio for theodore’s downfall becasue reberio is a bad influence.
he acts like a movie star, which he is far from, and distracts the other players while being useless himself!

#15 Habs#1 says:
June 24, 2006 at 3:14 pm

I’ve read that Gainey is mere inches from singing both Huet and Boullion. Everything important in the contracts are in place and all they need to do now is finalize them and put pen to paper. (source: the fourth period website)

He apparently is also aggresively shopping Ribeiro, Zednik and Aebischer right now in Vancouver at the Draft. Don’t be surprized to see Gainey make a major deal.

And Chris Pronger, your welcome to go back to the States with your pampered little trophy wive. Your nothing but a stuck up American now. I hope you never play for Team Canada again.

#16 TORONTO FAN says:
June 25, 2006 at 2:09 am

habs suck. toronto is gunna win the cup this year baby!!!

#17 TORONTO FAN says:
June 25, 2006 at 2:10 am

with tie domi and tucker

#18 Canadianfan46 says:
June 29, 2006 at 11:35 am

I beleive the will, providing the league allows teams to replace golies with sheets of plywood.

#19 Paul G says:
February 26, 2007 at 3:48 am

Muller was a player with a tremendous work ethic, has great leadership qualities and should help restore pride to this once, and again to be, great franchise. Go Kirk, best of luck to you and the Habs!!!

(An old Devils fan who never tired of watching you play)

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ShoutBox

Last Message 18 hours, 1 minute ago

goalie : I don't know when they'll announce it but the Oilers will be signing Sutter (Flames ex-coach) to coach their team - that's why Kevin Lowe chose him to coach in the World's. That was the world's worst kept secret.
Senet1 : I guess I wish we could get it done so all the speculating was over and we can get to building out team.
goalie : I can't type.... what a faux pas on my behalf...
goalie : I just realized what I said adn didn't say yesterday. What a fayx as on my behalf. Regarding coaching Randy Cunnyworth MUSDT stay as an assistant- he deserves at least that after the tremendous job he did in the latter part of this past season. I'd still mlike to have Robinson, Carbo adn Allard on the staff also.
Avatar37 : I agree Senet, my choice if we can't have Cunneyworth would be Crawford, Robinson on defense, Cunneyworth for offense, and Carbo as offense/faceoffs .
Senet1 : I think if I had my choice it would be Crawford and see if he could get Carbo and Robinson as assistants. That would be my idea coaching team.
goalie : I witnesed Marc Crawford MANY times when the Avs, etc. played against Oilers and let me tell you - he is constantly on the referees asses virtually game after game. He is the complete OPPOSITE of J. Martin. Crawford is calm on TSN but he is one excited coach behind the bench. A friend of mine who was an NHL linesman for 26 years said they dreaded Crawford he was so tough on the officials!
goalie : You know, I've bee thinking about the coaching situation. I'd be really excited if the Habs had Hartley as head coach and Carbo adn Robinson as his assistants. I also read it somewhere about a month ago that Toronto's goalie coach Allard (?) wants to relocate back to Montreal where he has his goaltending school/business. Add him to the mix and I'd say the Habs would be in great shape coaching wise.
Avatar37 : Well, from what I recall, Hartley didn't do all that well with the Thrashers. But, I don't know enough about him to judge one way or the other. Crawford I do know, and he always seemed to be a good, level headed coach to me.
Senet1 : even Pacioretty two years ago did not impress any of us. Younger players have to play and make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. If they sit in the press box they are learning nothing.
Senet1 : Of course if he have some good assistants like a Larry Robinson to teach the young defence and someone like Carbo to teach faceoffs etc. then your coach does not have to be as good at teaching. If Hartley fits the bill you get no argument from me. My only previous point is that if he is impatient with your younger players to the point that he does not play them, then we are right back where we were with Martin. Martin was a good coach too, but how he handled Emelin, PK and even Pacioretty two
goalie : I would like to see the Habs sign a coach who realizes that our team isn't tough enough (we need to get bigger and somewhat more nastier),the coach needs t be a great TEACHER and be a coach who can get the players to understand and buy into his system. Other than that I couldn't care what lingo he speaks. I wnat to see our team become a ligitimate contender fast!
HabsLoseAgain : Well we dont know if he is or is not a teaching coach. I woukd just hate to paint Hartley something that he is not. There will always be questions but if Hartley was hired as the habs new bench boss i for one would not be overly upset.
Senet1 : My thoughts are not that he is or is not a good coach but rather that when he won the cup he had an experience team of superstars on that team. Where as we have a group of young inexperienced players, is he a teaching coach or a tactical coach or both? I am not question whether he is a good coach, but my question therefore is he the coach for us at this point in the deveopment of our team?? Not sure we are all purely speculating at the moment?
Senet1 : Something happened to my first post. I will try again.
Senet1 : That is why I said I am not sure he is the coach for us at this time? Right now we are all speculating including yourself, because non of us know for sure?
HabsLoseAgain : Crawford also won a cup with Patrick Roy so would you say he is a good coach or did he just have great players and one of the best goaltenders of alltime?
HabsLoseAgain : Senrt so please give me some reasons why you think Hartley is not the coach the habs need right now. What is it that you do not like about him or his coaching style?
HabsLoseAgain : Well all great coaches had great players playing for them so i guess you you add a a pile of other coaches to that list including Bowan......
Senet1 : Hartley, was he a good coach or did he just have great players and one of the best altime goaltenders of all time. I am not sure that he is the type of coach that this organization needs right now. Unless of course we sign a ton of free agents.
Avatar37 : However, my feelings may completely be wrong, Hartley may turn out to be a good fit.
Avatar37 : I didn't say Hartley was unknown, I said we demoted a good coach in Cunneyworth and now have an unknown quantity because we don't have a coach. I don't have that great a feeling about Hartley, I'd be much more comfortable with Crawford.
HabsLoseAgain : In my opinion i think he might be a good fit in montreal. Oh and he also likes to have a tough team.
HabsLoseAgain : Also this year he coached the ZSC Lions to the swiss championship title.
HabsLoseAgain : lol the so called "unknown" won a cup in 2000-2001 with the colarado avalanch.
HabsLoseAgain : lol Bob Hartley is not an unknown lol.....sheesh.
Senet1 : I think he has until the trading deadline to show us that he deserves to be on this team. If he does not get back on track then he could be simply a 2nd round draft pick to whoever we can trade him to.
Avatar37 : Bourque reminds me of Pouliot, size, skill, and invisible. He needs to get back to playing a physical game and bang people around and maybe he'll start getting some of those garbage goals again. Need to get to the front of the net. I hope he can find his game again.
Avatar37 : We had a good coach in Randy Cunneyworth. Now we have an unknown, with Bob Hartley rumoured to be the front runner. I'd rather have Cunneyworth.
goalie : A player like Rene Bourwue has al the physical attributes of what would be a beter than average player. Hwever, he certainly didn't play that well especially after being in Montreal about three weeks. We NEED players like Rene to play hard AND produce points on a REGULAR BASIS in order for us to be competitive.
Senet1 : MONTREAL – Rene Bourque had a rocky start to his career as a Hab, but he’s planning on using the next four years to make up for it. After arriving in Montreal under less-than-ideal circumstances in January, Bourque spent the following 38 games hoping to find the spark he needed to rekindle his offensive production. Despite flanking Tomas Plekanec on the team’s second line to close out the season, the 30-year-old sniper suddenly found himself firing blanks in his new NHL home.
Senet1 : I think we have to be patient and not expect too much too soon. Let's get a strong management team in place, make a good choices in the draft get a good coach and then see what we need at the free agent market. I will not be too disapointed if we miss the playoffs again next year if it means a long term team success. We have the opportunity to make some major strides over the next two years at the draft table. Then we fill in the holes.
goalie : I certainly agree that we need to get some impact forwards who will sign for 5 years, not for a season then walk away. That's not going to help us.
goalie : I wouldn't trade PK for Ovetchkin no matter what. He is a coach's NIGHTMARE and a poor team player.
Senet1 : I believe he will as we graducally put better players around him and build this team.