(Didja see what I did with the capital C and H there? Pretty ****ing clever)

It’s time to stop comparing the past to the present

Today marks the 100th anniversary of Le Club de Hockey Canadien, and celebrates the Stanley Cup victories and legends throughout those 100 years. If there’s one word that best describes a century of Les Canadiens, it’s tradition. However, moving forward, that word cannot be used as it once was. The league has changed, as have the players and the game itself. ‘Tradition’ no longer suits the 2010 Habs unless you’re referring to a tradition of emotional roller coaster rides and relying on a goaltender to stand on his head to even make the playoffs. Now is the perfect time to make the distinction between past and future. Let the ghosts rest in piece for the rest of hockey eternity from hereon in.

There are now 30 teams in the NHL. When the Habs last won a Cup, there were 6 less teams. During the 70’s era of the greatest team ever assembled, there were only 17 teams. What will the landscape look like 5 years from now? 10 years? 20? Does anyone really expect that this one team out of 30 to build a dynasty within that span? Even if they do, what are the odds that they can keep the team together? The Habs may have the advantage of attracting big name alumni, but that’s about it.

I’m not even being pessimistic about this due to the current play of the team. This is how I’ve felt for a long while now. If you’re a true Canadiens fan, you won’t be bitter about tonight. You’ll see that the past 2 seasons mean next to nothing compared to honouring 100 years of hockey history. Don’t let the heartless performance of this current incarnation spoil the celebration of names like the Rocket, Le Gros Bill, St Patrick, the Roadrunner, Big Bird etc.

Tags: cen