If your Canadian, then you've already heard that Bob Gainey has stepped down as general manager of the Montreal Canadiens. Never fear, though, as his friend and protege Pierre Gauthier has already been signed on long term to run hockey in Montreal.
You can count on one hand the number of GMs who have voluntarily stepped down in the past 10 years, so Gainey is a rare Canadian. Hockey runs through his veins and as a hockey legend in Canada he knows how important the game is to us fans.
Playing for 16 years in Montreal (eight of those as a captain) he won five Cups and 4 Selke Trophies. He knows the pressure of hockey in Montreal and he expects 200 percent from his players and himself. He's the type of man that would rather step away from several hundred thousand dollars a year rather than give one's best and know it's not good enough.
He could have stayed on in Montreal for as long as he liked but he didn't. He wants the team and the fans to win the Cup and he'll step aside if he thinks that it will reach that goal. That's a Canadian with character!
Too many professional managers with little personal character development within the game are running NHL hockey teams. Sure, you can develop a great character in other ways throughout life, and sure you can apply it in hockey to some degree. Bob Gainey shows us however that hockey can develop something special inside a person.
Congrats Bob for living a life of the utmost character! We'll always cheer you anytime you watch a game with us in Montreal!
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