HABS-TOWN: "I'm no longer a fan of the Montreal Canadiens"

Many of you, like me, may remember Ben Raby from his time in Montreal. He worked at the Team 990 (now TSN 990) for four years with the likes of Mitch Melnick and PJ Stock. He left for Washington D.C. shortly after completing a Master's degree at Syracuse University. He still makes occasional appearances on TSN 990, most recently this week with Conor McKenna on "Melnick in the afternoon".

Ben Raby is a man of many hats in the sport world. I've had the pleasure of knowing him for the better part of a decade. He was a pretty good ball hockey player, has knowledge on a multitude of sports and my own mother confused a picture of him as me - so he must be a pretty good looking guy.

While Ben has moved on to another locale, he is still a Montrealer born and bred, the Habs were an important part of his growing up, and to me that makes him an interesting member of HABS-TOWN.

Many readers may remember you from your time at the Team 990 (now TSN 990) here in Montreal, were you always into sports, or was reporting your first love? 

I think my goal of becoming a sports reporter began when I was still a fetus. It was something I was always interested in as a kid and the interest only grew as I went through high school and university.

Somewhere (hopefully far away) are cassettes and video tapes of simulated sports shows I made from my bedroom when I was between six and ten years old. I also used to put together sports magazines and newspapers with my own writings during that time.  Those are now stored away in boxes and likely won’t be seen again for a very long time… but they were fun to sift through when I last saw them in 2007.

I was just a sports media junkie from a very young age- watching Hockey Night in Canada on Saturdays and the NFL on Sundays and calling Mitch Garber’s CIQC radio show on Sunday nights as nine-year-old with a high voice.

On a serious note, I also had a role model for a career in media with my uncle Jason Moscovitz having worked as a political reporter on the CBC for 29 years. He remains a mentor of mine and an honest reviewer of my work.

For those who don't know what are you up to these days?

I left Montreal in 2007 to pursue a Masters Degree in Broadcast Journalism from Syracuse University. The degree from an American university offered me the opportunity to work in the U.S. and I’ve done so since 2009 in Washington, D.C.

I wear a few different hats in D.C. working as both a broadcaster and writer. I’ve covered the Washington Capitals for the last three years and am part of the broadcast team on the radio side where I host the pregame, postgame and intermission shows. I also cover the Caps as a correspondent for NHL.com and with Comcast Sportsnet in DC and with a few different local radio stations.

When there are no conflicts with the Capitals, I work on the radio broadcasts for the American University and George Washington University’s Men’s Basketball teams and starting with this upcoming season, I’ll also be part of the radio broadcast team for the NBA’s Washington Wizards.

During the hockey and basketball offseason, I work as a sports anchor with WTOP Radio in DC covering all local teams including the Washington Nationals and Redskins. 

Does that make it difficult to still be a Habs fan? 

It may sound sacrilege to say I’m no longer a fan of the Montreal Canadiens but I’m in a different situation living in a different city and covering another NHL team for a living.

When Montreal kids go on to play in the NHL, they may have a soft spot for the Canadiens and look forward to the games against Montreal but their priority is always the team they play for and their upcoming opponents. That’s the way I have viewed things while I’ve been covering the Caps.

If for example, the Caps have an upcoming game against Florida and the Panthers are on the NHL Package in my apartment, but the Habs are also on TV that night, chances are good that I’ll be watching the Florida game in preparation for our broadcast. I really don’t even think twice about it.

There has also been a lot of turnover since I last called Montreal home and followed the Canadiens regularly. I think Andrei Markov and now Francis Bouillon are the only remaining players that were regulars with the team when I last lived in Montreal in 2007. I’ve never really had any allegiance to the current group of players.

That said- the soft spot for the franchise and the history is always there. Just don’t expect me to worry too much when the team hits a rough patch in their schedule next season.

What got you into hockey, more specifically the Habs?

I’m not sure if there was any one specific thing that got me into hockey and the Canadiens. It was probably just a combination of watching Hockey Night in Canada and going to games at the Montreal Forum with my father.

I also enjoyed collecting the old Panini stickers and hockey cards as a kid and when I was five or six years old, my grandfather got me the complete set of Canadiens player figurines from Provigo- a set that I still have today… somewhere.

Do you remember your first Habs game?

I don’t remember when exactly I saw my first Canadiens game, but it had to have been sometime in the late 1980s when I was four or five years old.

Apparently I was confused when the game started because there was no play-by-play announcer like all those games I had watched on TV. I’ve been told that I then took it upon myself to do the play-by-play from my seat, causing those around us to wonder what the heck this kid was doing. Guess it was a sign of things to come.

My father introduced me to the Montreal Forum when I was a little guy. I also remember my cousin Ben Raby taking me to see Wayne Gretzky and the L.A. Kings when I was five or six. 

Do you really have a cousin with the exact same name as you?

Yes. Yes I do. He's a doctor.

Do you have a favorite Habs player ever?

Russ Courtnall was among my favorite players when I was still a little guy. He was a goal scorer with plenty of speed- was just fun to watch. I used to always request jersey #6 in my house leagues because it’s the number that Courtnall wore in Montreal.

Shortly after he was traded to the Minnesota North Stars for Brian Bellows, I got a custom made Stars sweater with his #26 on the back (they didn’t exactly have those hanging on the racks in Montreal).

I also liked Chris Chelios which was more a result of his being my older sister’s favorite player. Wearing a Chelios jersey at the Bell Centre in the early 2000s always garnered plenty of reactions. 

More recently Saku Koivu was another favorite of mine and his name is one of the few that I still look for in the box-scores. He was a gamer in Montreal. Captained the team during the worst decade in franchise history and he put up with so much nonsense in the media. I’ll always remember his comeback in 2002 and his going up against Boston’s Joe Thornton in the 2002 and 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

I was actually at the game in Dec. 1996 against the Chicago Blackhawks when Koivu suffered a serious knee injury. He was the NHL’s leading scorer at the time with 38 points in 30 games, but after the injury he never produced points at that rate again.

 

Is it easy to turn the "fan" off and on when appropriate? 

I don’t think it’s too difficult to turn the “fan” off when appropriate. Selfishly speaking, you usually want to see the teams you cover do well because it’s usually good for business (more people tuning in or reading your coverage), but that doesn’t mean you need to cheer in the press box or forget that you have a job to do.

When you deal with the players you cover regularly you develop a relationship that differs from a fan-athlete relationship. It’s a professional relationship that may also allow for a casual conversation when time permits, but I’ll put it this way- reporters can’t talk to players the way fans may talk about the team on a call-in radio show.

The best example I can give of tossing away the fanhood is when you’re working on deadline. When writing a story on a tight deadline the last thing a reporter needs is an overtime finish or a crazy late-game comeback. In those situations, regardless of whether “your” team is leading, sometimes you just want the game to end quickly regardless of who comes out on top. It makes life as a reporter a whole lot easier.

What's the best hockey game you attended? what do you remember about it?

Some of the best hockey games I attended were the first few times the Colorado Avalanche visited the Molson Centre in the late 1990s. At the time the Avalanche were one of the best teams in the NHL, they were still only a couple of years removed from Quebec City (brining out plenty of Nordiques jerseys to the arena), and their goalie Patrick Roy had a little bit of history in Montreal. The atmosphere at those games was always special.

I’ll also always remember attending the final game at the Montreal Forum on March 11, 1996. The Canadiens beat the Dallas Stars 4-1 and the postgame ceremonies included an eight minute standing ovation for Maurice Richard.

A couple non-hockey questions, you moved to DC right around the same time as the Expos, now you work for the team, does that make it that much easier to be a Nationals fan, or do you still feel the pain of the Expos loss? 

The Expos were my favorite team growing up so I’ll always have a soft spot for the team’s history in Montreal and the memories of seeing some great players at Olympic Stadium (say what you want, but I maintain that it had to have been one of the most under-rated fan experiences in all of baseball).

That said, this is my fifth summer in D.C., and having covered the Nationals in some capacity since 2008, I have gotten to know the folks who work with the club, I have followed the growth of the team and I have seen them evolve into a pennant contender. It’s been a great ride which should only get better.

I do acknowledge the unique situation I’m in. I understand that most Expos fans don’t care about the Nationals, just as most Washington baseball fans don’t care about what the franchise did while in Montreal. 

The Nationals themselves (perhaps under orders from MLB) do a very good job of acknowledging the Expos past. Any time a franchise record is broken for example, you’ll often hear a reference to a Montreal Expo. Whenever the Nats begin a home stand, the press notes will always include the club’s all time record (dating back to 1969) versus the upcoming opponents.

I would say that in each game broadcast, there are least three or four references to the Expos. On the TV side, former Expos outfielder FP Santangelo is the color analyst, so many of his anecdotes or references come from his time with Montreal.

It was also special in 2010 when the Nats honored Andre Dawson and Gary Carter by including them on the team’s ring of honor at Nationals Park. The Nats wore the tri-colored Expos hats during batting practice that day and the players then had to sign the hats for charitable auction purposes.

Adam Dunn, Ian Desmond (third-round pick by Montreal in 2004) and Drew Storen (an Expos batboy in the late 1990s in St. Louis) weren’t happy about having to give up the hats and apparently went out and bought their own Expos hats after the fact.

The point is- the Expos actually have a bigger presence in D.C. then some may realize. 

Before I let you go, I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you - have you gotten around to seeing The Godfather or Goodfellas yet?

I have in fact gotten around to seeing the Godfather and Good Fellas, and the latter is actually among my all-time favorite movies. 

The origin to this question dates back to 2006 when I was working with Mitch Melnick and it was discovered in an on-air conversation that I have seen very few must-see movies.

I think I was given a list of ten classics that I was instructed to watch… I only wound up watching four of them- Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, The Godfather and Good Fellas- but I’m forever grateful that they were brought to my attention.

I still have never seen the Wizard of Oz. 

For more from Ben Raby, follow him on twitter: @BenRaby31

or read his articles at CSN Washington.com

HABS-TOWN: "Pat Burns got knocked out cold by a frozen Turkey!"

I had the privilege many years ago of running my own roller hockey league. The league was a lot of fun for those who played in it. I was sixteen years old at the time, and that may have been a big part of the reason that I and the league garnered about 14 minutes of fame.

The Montreal Gazette wrote a story on us, the Suburban wrote about me, and CF-CF 12 sent a "Pulse" news reporter to cover us - Pat Caporali. The whole thing was a pretty neat experience for the players in the league. "Hey, we're gonna be on TV! - and they sent a gorgeous reporter to cover us!". We were, after all teenagers, so clearly Pat's beauty was on the minds of many.

I'm no longer 16 years old, and while Pat still has that same beauty, I know she clearly did not get to where she is as result of those looks. Pat's smart, funny, a good writer, has great instincts for story - and most importantly she knows her sports. There certainly are some female reporters who are given a job in sports based on looks (or in some cases are prompted to act as though they are) - but that is not Pat.

Some of you may remember Pat from her time on CFCF-12 (now CTV Montreal)'s newscasts, or you may remember her from her time on Mitch Melnick's CIQC drive show, or from her time working the Habs radio broadcasts for CJAD.

Pat spent a decade working the Montreal Sports scene on radio & TV - and a huge chunk of that time was devoted to covering the Habs, making her a certifiable expert on the subject and an integral part of HABS TOWN.

Many readers may remember you from your time with CTV Pulse news or working on Mitch Melnick's show in the mid-90's. Were you always into sports? or was reporting your first love?

I definitely developed love for sport early childhood. I spent lots of time with my dad watching “Wild World of Sports”, boxing (Muhammad Ali & Sugar Ray) and Formula 1 racing on Sundays, along with a LOT of late school nights watching hockey playoffs games in the late 70s.  I spent ANY allowance on buying hockey cards. And even though I lived and breathed the Habs and HATED Boston, my secret prize possession was a Bobby Orr lunch box, which I still have! I NEVER took it to school for fear my support for the Habs would be questioned.

I TRIED to play sports as a kid but I was kind of REALLY small and a “girl” so I gravitated to more typical figure skating, gymnastics and dance. I hated that I wasn’t allowed to play baseball or hockey with the boys. At most I’d be relegated as the token outfielder behind the fence or the “CAR!” lookout for hockey street games.

By high school I was playing (and winning some banners) in field hockey, volleyball and competed in track and field (javelin was my specialty). In college, I was weight training and even set records in my class for dead lift and squat.

I didn’t start playing hockey until I went to University. I sucked. BIG TIME. I could skate really well, but put equipment on me, give me the puck and I was a mess. I couldn’t stand to be bad at anything and I REALLY wanted to play, so I took some clinics with the Concordia Women’s hockey team and Olympian France St. Louis. I improved enough to be able to play in a charity game with my employer CJAD/Mix 96 against NHL legends at Verdun Auditorium. I was the only girl on the ice, got plenty of ice time, and played against Steve Shutt, Henri Richard, Yvon Lambert and others. It was pretty awesome.

While I initially had plans and grades to become a veterinarian, going into sports media was a natural but almost accidental progression. I always had a love for good stories and strong appreciation for sports journalism. I really admired good writers’ or broadcasters’ ability to really tell the story in a way that makes you believe in or want to cheer for an unknown athlete or team, tell the story/truth no one knows, or learn something new. I hold sports journalism in very high regard. I feel very lucky to have grown up with and worked with some of the very best in the business. 

That's quite the accomplishment to go from not playing hockey at all, to being able to skate with varsity players. Do you ever play anymore?

It's been WAY too long since I played last. I still play outside on the ice in winter but without equipment or skates. I still have all my equipment and don't foresee giving it up. :)

What got you into hockey, more specifically the Habs?

It was the 70s, I’m Canadian and I grew up in Montreal. Everyone lived and breathed the Habs. Watching “Hockey Night in Canada” on CBC on a black and white 13” TV was the way my Dad and I bonded. Guy, Shutty, Big Bird, Dryden, Gainey, Dougie, Serge, Mario, Houle, Yvon, Engblom, Lapointe… I knew them all, memorized their numbers and stats. I cheered them all on. I never imagined that a little over a decade later I’d be working with most of them.

Starting in 1991, I was the on site producer and operator for the Montreal Canadiens broadcasts on CJAD radio from the Montreal Forum with Dick Irvin and Steve Shutt, and in following years, Pete Mahavolich and Ron Francis. It was then that I began working with Mitch Melnick as the on site producer for various pre and post game sports shows, and eventually became his producer and sports reporter covering the Habs and other sports.

I eventually moved to CFCF TV (now CTV Montreal) where I was the cubby reporter among veteran broadcasters Ron Reusch, Randy Tieman, Brian Wilde and Al Bishop. I was charged with focusing on more local and amateur sports, soccer, boxing and motorsports, with only the occasional Habs feature story.

Do you remember your first Habs game?

It was a regular season game, Boston Bruins at the Montreal Forum with my dad. I’m fuzzy on what year it was exactly, or who won (somewhere between 1979-1981) He had been given tickets at work by a season ticket holder at the last minute. I was SO excited to be sitting in the famous red seats! I remember how nice the ladies in the red uniforms were who escorted us to our seats and held vigil over us like flight attendants. I remember the feel of the wood seats and the smell of the hot dogs/chien chaud. It was overwhelming and I felt like I was sitting on hallowed ground.

Do you have a favorite Habs player ever? If so, whom, and why?

I have had a soft spot for a few players over the years. The list includes goaltender Steve Penny for his amazing performance in the 1984 playoffs and then unfairly having his name left off the Stanley Cup in 1986 even though he qualified with an injury exemption. The team still gave him a ring and included him in the team photo.

Brian Skrudland is definitely on my list for never giving up on playing professionally even after he was never drafted, and earning a spot with the Canadiens as a free agent. Over the years I was inspired by his leadership, sportsmanship and competitiveness but mostly for living up to my image of him when I eventually met him. He was and still is unbelievably kind, a fabulous family man, is always smiling, and made you feel like a friend from the moment you met him. 

I had a great relationship with former coach Pat Burns which I feel like I can qualify as a friendship. Most of the fun and laughs we had were over stories told when the microphones were off. My favorite Pat Burns story was from when he worked as a police officer. He was called to a domestic dispute between a couple in their kitchen and got knocked out COLD when he was inadvertently hit in the head by a frozen turkey thrown towards the husband by the angry wife. All the while, his partner could barely contain the tears and laughter when he called for backup and an ambulance.

Lyle Odelein was the first player I officially interviewed for radio sound bites in the Forum locker room at a time where there were few women reporters and very little privacy for players to shower and change. We had met many times on the sports show and got along well, but on this occasion he was particularly courteous, friendly and patient. He never gave me the usual “gave it 110%” spiel. He even played “big brother” by often staying in locker room to make sure I got all the players and interviews I needed before leaving.

However, I have to say that Jean Beliveau is about the classiest person I have ever met and had the privilege of interviewing. He is the absolute definition of a gentleman. 

Did the couple settle their dispute & eat the Turkey at least?

Pretty sure the turkey never got cooked. But no arrests were made.

For those who don't know what are you up to these days?

After my years in the media in Montreal, I went to the dark side. I joined the world of PR. I kid. Sort of. I joined the Canadian Player’s racing team in 2000 with driver Patrick Carpentier and Alex Tagliani, then won a Championship in 2003 with Paul Tracy. I have worked with Target Chip Ganassi, Vision Racing and a short stint with the FAZZT race team. I’ve worked with more than 30 amazing world-class racecar drivers, in various high level series, over a 12-year span, and it has been quite a wild ride.

The last few years have been very challenging ones in IndyCar for a variety of reasons that include the economy. I stepped away from racing for the past year or so, returned to Montreal and have been busy with freelance work in the PR, communications and social media field, but will likely be back in the sports or motorsports world one way or another.

 

Do you still watch hockey?

When I left media to work in motorsports in 2000, I watched hockey less often due to my schedule and partly because of the clutch + grab /”dump the puck” style of play at the time. The 2004-2005 lockout definitely hurt my interest level.

During that time and up until recently, I lived in Indianapolis, Indiana while I worked in motorsports. I had access to St. Louis and Columbus games and the occasional Chicago ones on TV but the US broadcasts just CANNOT compare to “Hockey Night in Canada”. I’d often go to local hockey games to watch Indiana Ice (USHL) and even ran into Chris Chelios a few years ago who was in town to see his son Dean (and later Jake) play against them.

Indy actually has some good hockey history. Championship banners still hang in the Coliseum at the Indiana Fairgrounds won by the Indiana Racers (WHA) for whom Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier played. Former Canadian coach Jacques Demers also coached the team.

I would often run into NHL players at various IndyCar events in NHL cities. Vincent LeCavalier would come to races in Saint Petersburg, FL and meet the Canadian drivers I worked with. I actually often saw Montreal Canadiens former player and recently named Player Development Coach, Patrice Brisebois, as he is not only a big race fan but has been behind the wheel of a few stock cars himself.

I started watching hockey again in 2010 because my roommate in Indy was a Vancouver native, diehard Canucks fan and bought the NHL package for our TV viewing needs. I’ve keep closer tabs on hockey ever since but now that I am back in Montreal, as long as the season starts on time, I might invest more of my time watching the Habs alongside my 9 year nephew (who boasts a wardrobe that is 70% Canadiens gear, 8% Sydney Crosby t-shirts and jersey, 2 % IndyCar racing and the final 20% dedicated to Star Wars.)

I was 12 when the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup in '93. I have some memories of it, but I'll never forget some of the players. I even wear #11 on my back when I play sports because of Capt.Kirk "is work" Muller. Who do you think your nephew has to look up to on the team now?

I did forget to mention that while my nephew's closet contains 70% Habs gear... he lives in Toronto and his favorite book is Roch Carrier "The sweater". I'd say Subban tops that list at the moment. His favorite player however is Sidney Crosby, especially for his role with Team Canada at the Olympics. I'll be introducing him to the movie "Slapshot" soon enough.

Do you find it difficult to be a hockey fan at this point? Or is it easy to turn the "fan" off and on when appropriate?

I definitely have a tough time being just a fan. I still find it difficult to sit in the stands at a hockey game or at a racetrack without trying to analyze like a reporter instead of just sitting back and enjoying it casually. I seem to have developed an all or nothing attitude about it. I either want to know about EVERYTHING going on, or nothing at all. Now that I don’t cover it as a reporter, I never feel like I’m getting the whole story.  Sometimes I get the urge to call up some of my media friends and say: “Ok. Seriously. What’s the REAL story.”

I have also come to realize that I have a passion for the sport of Hockey but I don’t have the sense of connection to a team or players that I had as a kid. I feel like the human part of the story is getting lost and that it’s become more about numbers, stats and salaries. I’m not sure I like that at all.

It sounds like you're expecting your nephew to turn you into a fan again - is that something you're actually hoping will happen?

I would be lying if I said I didn't wish for that a little. :)

You talked about working in the world of IndyCar racing, how was that the same or different from Sports reporting?

They both involve a lot of travel and story telling. My role in IndyCar was to help get the story of the team and drivers out to the media, attract more fans in order to benefit sponsors and the team.

In a way, it wasn’t so far off what I was doing as a reporter except that I was now on the inside trying to get the story out.  I was now part of a team rather than a completely unbiased observer. Having said that, while I’m fiercely competitive and loyal to a team, I still tend to abide by the “no cheering in the press box” rule that I lived by for so many years as a reporter. It gives me the ability to do the job and tell the story from a somewhat more neutral position, and in a way that should be helpful to media, sponsor and fans. But it was great to be able to share my insider’s view with them as well.

Racing, like hockey is still very much a team sport but racecar drivers are equivalent to goalies in hockey or pitchers in baseball or quarterbacks in football. They are elite athletes. While, they can’t do it with out a strong team around them, they are a still a different breed. They think differently. They see things differently. They are hyper competitive. They react differently and are just “off” enough to be able to do what they do VERY well. And that makes for some very good stories to tell.

There has been a definite evolution in “storytelling” or sports reporting this past decade, especially with the appearance of social media. I’ve really enjoyed the challenge of getting their stories out in new and unique ways.

Do you ever miss sports reporting or give any thought about getting back into it?

You bet I do. All the time. But the opportunity hasn't quite presented itself.

What's the best hockey game you attended? What do you remember about it?

Hard to pick just one but I’d say every Canadiens game in the 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs would be on the list, particularly the overtime games. The most memorable is a toss up between the LA Kings game 2 with the Marty McSorley illegal stick incident and the final Game 5 Stanley Cup win in Montreal and the ensuing mayhem that followed.

Do you have any funny or interesting stories that are somehow related to the Habs?

Too many to recount but they often come up over beers at Hurley’s Pub or L’ile Noire in Montreal with some of the media that covered the team over those same years.

I’d say the oddest ‘story’ was the 1993 broadcast I was involved with as the on-site producer for the “live” RADIO broadcast from the chapel at Concordia University in Montreal of famous broadcaster Danny Gallivan’s funeral. It even had live play-by-play commentary of the service and guest lineup by Habs broadcaster Dick Irvin. That was just… very awkward.

In 2002, I brought IndyCar drivers and Montreal natives Patrick Carpentier and Alex Tagliani to the Bell Center for a Canadiens game. I escorted them to do interviews between periods and meet the players after the game. Both drivers would later laugh that I got more attention that day than they did, because of all the people (media, ushers, players, etc) that would stop us just to say hello and chat with me rather than them.

There are quite a few Canadians (and hockey fans) that work in IndyCar and one particularly fun memory happened at Milwaukee Mile racetrack some years ago. Following a storm, as we waited for the track to dry on a bitterly cold day, a mechanic pulled out some tuques, a dozen hockey sticks and a ball. A hockey game broke out right there in pit lane. 

Play By Play for a funeral sounds crazy. I have no recollection of that, but I do remember how packed the square was in front of the Cathedral the day of Rocket Richard's funeral. Do you think it's a good thing or a bad thing that Hockey is treated like a religion in this town?

Passion is never a bad thing but sometimes it needs to be given a bit of direction or perspective. As long as it doesn't hurt anyone... Just like any set of beliefs or religions, it's all fun and games until someone gets suspended or there's a riot. Let me be clear though. "Hockey riots" have little to do with hockey or passion. The one and only exception to that rule is the very first one...  March 17, 1955... the only one that had any REAL moral and cultural implications in support of Habs player Maurice Richard and even that was less about hockey and more about civil rights and the start of the "Quiet Revolution".

I'm sure you must have some funny stories about some of the current faces of Montreal sports media that people might not know, care to share?

WAY too many to tell without risking someone getting upset with me.

There was the time Mitch Melnick and I called out one of the newscasters at the radio station for almost burping on air after eating/stealing hotdogs that were brought to us by a listener.

He denied it happened so we edited the "tape" to include a REALLY tremendous burp and replayed it on air as the "uncensored version".

We laughed so hard we couldn't pull it together for about 5 minutes live on the air. 

There there's the time that Terry Haig interviewed left handed baseball pitcher Steve Frey on Mitch Melnick's show while I was producing and working the board. His question to the pitcher was "So Steve, is it true that lefties have more stuff on their balls?" I completely lost it and was CRYING. Mitch and Terry had NO idea what the hell was wrong with me because I couldn't speak to explain. All I could do was replay the portion of the interview during commercial break. It ended up being a long break until we could compose ourselves.

I have a vague recollection of Brian Wilde doing a live hit prior to a hockey game where Edmonton was playing the "Blackcocks" that night. 

I also get the hiccups a lot. They are loud and obnoxious. I get them often when I am nervous or anxious about something. I once had them so loud and so long when I was working a Canadiens radio broadcast (as producer) that the play-by-play guy and Hall of Fame broadcaster, Dick Irvin, had to apologize to everyone listening nationally (Canada) for the odd noise you could hear over the crowd. We were inundated by calls from listeners offering suggestions on how to get rid of them. None of them worked. 

What do you think of the hiring of Marc Bergevin and his moves so far?

I think he has the most difficult and scrutinized job in hockey. I think any and every move he makes will be analyzed to death by the Montreal media and fans. I’m not sure anything he does will be meet with complete agreement. I’d say, in my opinion, so far so good but I think he’d better invest in some antacid and to be safe, put in an order for some thicker skin.

With Free agency still going on, what do you think are the Habs biggest needs? 

I think they need to keep P.K. Subban but I would hope the GM isn’t done shopping. The GM is there to always look at improving a team. Key to the equation is good leadership both on and behind the bench but chemistry can’t be overlooked. But I’m not sure what he needs on the ice can be bought right now.

What do you think is coming in the immediate future for Scott Gomez?  

There better be a lot of hard work and at the very least an equaling or surpassing of his 2011-12 goals total. That probably shouldn’t be too hard to do.

Will the 2012-2013 NHL season start on time?

It certainly better start on time because in this day and age, there isn’t a single sport, not even hockey in Canada, that can afford to lose any fans or their support. Do not take them for granted.

For more from Pat Caporali, follow her on Twitter @PCaporali

HABS-TOWN: "It would be wrong to ride it out with those crap assets"

Often times during the evening I sit on the couch after my day of work. The dishes are done, dinner has been eaten, and it's time to veg. Sometimes I have my smartphone in hand and the wife will ask: "What are you doing?", my usual answer "I'm on Twitter".

The conversation usually ends there, because the phone goes away, but when it doesn't - it's usually because I am having a long drawn out discussion with CTV's Brian Wilde.

For those of you who follow @BWildeCTV on twitter, you already know that he is a very active tweeter. He is passionate, articulate, and opinionated on many things. Movies, Music, Tennis, The Impact, but mostly The Habs.

Brian Wilde has been with CTV Montreal since the mid-90's, and he has been on the Habs beat that entire time. Before that he covered the great Gretzky led Oilers dynasty in Edmonton.

Being a reporter is different from being a fan. Reporting requires someone to be impartial, and yet Brian Wilde in his impartiality is also passionate. He frequents Randy Tieman's TSN 990 show when there is something Habs related to talk about and he speaks with unwavering conviction about his point of view.

Whether you like him or dislike him, whether you agree with his opinions or not - Brian Wilde is an asset to the Montreal sports scene - and in particular an asset to this HABS-TOWN.

What got you into hockey, or later on more specifically the Habs?

Growing up I was just another kid who wanted to play hockey and loved it but who wasn't talented enough. Later on, I worked firstly with the Oilers as their host and then moved to Montreal. I Got the Habs gig when the previous guy quit but it wasn't too surprising because I am passionate about it.

You grew up in Edmonton, so I doubt your first NHL fan experience was at Habs game. Or was it?  Do you remember your first NHL game? when was it? who took you? What do you remember about it....

My first best memory is actually an Edmonton Oil Kings junior game. Al Hamilton was the best player. My dad took me. It was at the Edmonton gardens which has since been demolished - a real old barn. I just Thought it was the greatest thing ever. One of the moments where you are looking around all the time. Time flew. 

First NHL experience was the Oilers first game in the league or close to it. Against Detroit. I remember thinking "how much are Oilers gonna get killed?" They did by 3 if memory serves. Greatest memory was the red wheel uniform. Looked so red!!!

Do you have a favorite Habs player ever on ice? if so, whom, and why?

My favourite players are not conventional. I usually like them as people and not players. So my favourite player though we never became close at all and all conversations stayed on hockey is Hal Gill. Just so obvious that he sees the bigger picture! The one about team and commitment and winners are winners because they stand up and care for each other. 

I've seen the great Oilers cup winners and lousy teams up close and Hal gets what becomes obvious over time. Josh (Gorges) too. Matt Darche too. Gotta have players who want a "team to be proud to be a team" as Ken Dryden says.

I was a fan in the seats the night Saku Koivu made his triumphant return from cancer. What was it like covering that moment?

Saku. 

The fans stick out most. It was that kind of Montreal welcome that is so famous. The fans appreciation can be the story even when a guy comes back from cancer. It is just that way here. Saku tried to minimize the moment in clients about cancer. Natural from him.

Anyone who follows you on Twitter can tell you're a big fan of the Impact. Are you able to be a Habs fan?
I don't cover the impact so I've let myself have a little fun there. I don't have contact with the players so I don't worry about it.

With the Habs I most definitely have to and find it easy to keep an objectivity. I talk to the players every day. I can't let them believe at all that there is a line I am willing to cross. As far as being a fan -  no way. I am however a fan of my more enjoyable life so there is a natural hope that I can travel in the playoffs. But that pervades in only a very general sense but doesn't impact the day to day. The love of the soccer team is also a love of the city. If this city has another Expos moment I will actually feel crushed.

If someone asked you to fill in the blanks: "My ideal place to watch a game is______ with _____" how would you fill the blanks, and why?

I'm a very nostalgic person. I have a high value for things older and simpler - so I wish I could have time back with my dad because inward robbed of too much of it and I wish I could have it back. So my dad and I'd combine that with another trip down memory lane and say the old Chicago stadium. Wow what a place to see a game. I opened a telecast at the organ loft once. Incredible.

What's the best game you ever went to? what do you remember about it?

Best game I ever went to? Man. You'd think I'd pick out an Oilers game having season tickets for 4 of the 5 cups but Habs comeback vs NYR from 5 goals down. The press box went from "these guys aren't that good" to "holy these guys can do anything". At 5-3 everyone knew the Habs would win. 

Then 2nd would be take 7 in Pittsburgh to beat the penguins in the playoffs. That was memorable because of my cameraman Jason Clarke who was so stoked that he could barely control his enthusiasm. Just his reaction was priceless.  

I seem to recall you talking on air with (Mitch) Melnick or Randy Tieman that you had a bleak outlook for that Pittsburgh Series. That you just didn't see any way that the Habs could possibly beat the Penguins. Somewhere deep down inside, do you think you may have felt something like what Jason was feeling?

I saw Pittsburgh as a more complete team. Playoff ready.

Well, it meant traveling another round in the playoffs which is fun work to do. 

What do you think of the hiring of Marc Bergevin and his moves so far?

Bergevin has done perfectly for me. He seems to get it in every way and my initial impression is he is going to be an all timer at it. Yep I said it. He seems to understand about overvaluing an asset. He passed up on Jagr and Parenteau when it would have been easy to seek more strength short term.

He is going to be a great one. People need to let him plan. That's all.

You wrote a fantastic blog posting about 2014-2015 being the year for the Habs. Many veteran contracts expire then, many younger players may be ready to step in. What do you think fans can expect to see in the interim? 

Short term before all the money and assets come available I think it s going to be lean. Not as lean as last year but lean. (Former General Manager) Pierre Gauthier acquired some awful assets. No one talks about Markov and I have stopped too because of the flak but I am on record maintaining that there is little left in that knee. He played very fearfully so that besides Bourque, Gomez, Kaberle is a 4th big money suspect asset. Sorry but teams don't win in the face of stupid issues like that. That is 4 of 20 players and almost 20 million in payroll. That's scary. There is a lot for Marc Bergevin to patiently get off the books.

Are you scared to see how much room those assets are given this season? I'd personally rather let the prospects dominate in Junior or in Hamilton and let the assets that are here bring what they got in the interim. 

Normally it would be wrong to ride it out with those crap assets and let them play out the string but nothing is happening now on this big transformation to greatness, so this season is always going to be limited. 

If you have a long term view on how to win the Cup, then you just quietly don't worry about this season. Just don't jeopardize any long term plan and have the money available when you need to fill the gap. Just don't tell the fans who shell out the big money to attend your limbo season.

For more from Brian Wilde, I encourage you to follow him on Twitter: @BwildeCTV

I also strongly urge you to listen to Randy Tieman on TSN990 weekdays 12-2pm

and of course, catch them both nightly on CTV Montreal News at 11:45pm for Sports night.

 

I feel a kinship with that place

The Montreal sports landscape was shaken today.

I was shaken today.

I have never worked for TSN 990 or The Team 990 before it, but like many of you I feel a kinship with that place.

Like many of you, I have been listening since day one. I've heard people like Tony Marinaro turn from passionate caller to a fan with his own show (albeit originally alongside a stout comedian) to a very good reporter delivering stories with "true fan conviction". 

I have listened to Montreal radio icons like the late Ted Tevan, the late Ted Blackman and the incorridgeable Terry Haig lend their credence to the airwaves.

I've listened to the next generation of media in this town - some of whom who have moved on from the station - work hard at their craft and creep in to the same territory of some of their mentors. People like hockey night in canada's PJ Stock, CBC Daybreak's Andie Bennett, MLB.com's Ben Raby, and of course station stalwarts like Shaun Starr, Conor McKenna and Moe Khan.

Over the years, I've listened as a station with only one locally produced show, added fifteen hours of local content. A station that attracted many long time respected montreal radio personalities into their fold. People like Elliot Price, Barry Morgan, Randy Tieman and most recently, Ted Bird.

The station has grown so much since that fateful day in May 2001 with so much more room to grow. Since adopting the TSN monicker, and adding Montreal Canadiens broadcasts it seemed to be growing exponentially.



I find it shameful that in the not too distant future, this station will be fading away. Bell Media - who owns TSN and by extension TSN 990, recently entered into an agreement to purchase Astral Media. Astral Media owns other local Anglo stations - CJAD, CHOM, and VIRGIN. The CRTC will not allow one body (in this case Bell) to hold on to so many English Language stations. The Bell Media solution is to change TSN 990 to RDS 990 (and eventually RDS 690).

The Always excellent Steve Faguy (aka Fagstein) has a great story up on this today, going into all the details that exist at the moment.


I'm truly saddened today, as I feel this whole thing is a lost opportunity for Bell Media. TSN radio 990, and The Team 990 before it have "stars" - many of whom they have created in house. I had the opportunity to work with one of them a few months ago - Dave Kaufman.



I had an idea, one that Dave seemed to like. Bell Media has a channel available on FIBE and Bell Satellite. They call the Channel TSN HABS. The Channel airs about 30 Montreal Canadiens games a season, and lies blank the rest of the year. That's about 8670 hours of dead air. I thought those hours could best be used for brand cross promotion. I thought if I'm Bell I look and say to myself "I have a radio station and a tv station and they both focus on local content.Maybe they should cross-promote".

I thought that was coming to fruition a little when John Bartlett handled play-by-play on a few games on the TSN Habs' TV feed. There were even ads "tune in to the post-game show on TSN 990". But that was it.
I thought, why not go one step further? Put a camera in the studio. Show the post-game on TV. Add things to it that radio can't offer (like highlights) but still have the radio show so people can tune in from their car and what not.

I happen to big a big fan of Dave Kaufman's excellent "The Kaufman Show". He and I spoke. I came in to the studio and recorded his show one evening with Ari Grunzeweig of Imagination Creations. We weren't broadcasting live, clearly. We edited the show in our spare time, and brought in many of the elements I talked about before. It took us a month, and then the show was put up online. A show with sports information a full month out of date - and it still racked up a few hundred hits. The audience is there for this kind of stuff.



Missed opportunity.

In the suburban on June 20th, Mike Cohen wrote "TSN 990 has been on fire" - who knew it would be their own parent company that would snuff that fire out.

I'm not naive enough to think that everyone will be out of work, nor can I believe everyone will be re-assigned. Many will never leave our airwaves, some we may never here from again - things are going to change. 

I'll reserve judgement on what the future holds, but I know for certain it doesn't hold another TSN 990. For now they're still on air, so tune that receiver to 990 and catch some of these great voices before the transmission ends - because whatever they do next won't be the same.  Sometimes change is good, in this case - I think not.

I'd be remiss if I didn't talk at all about the godfather of the station - the godfather of sports shows in Montreal, at least to my generation.Mitch Melnick.

I think Mitch himself did it all today, and summed up exactly how the listeners are feeling, with a perfect song selection, as only Mitch can do.