Machabée explains how Geoff Molson convinced her to take the job with the CH and leave RDS

PUBLICATION

Jeff Drouin
August 5, 2022 (9:58 PM)

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When Chantal Machabée was named Vice-President of Communications for the Canadiens last January, it was a breath of fresh air for the organization.

The former RDS journalist gave herself the mandate to show more transparency in the organization and let's just say that she has succeeded.

As reported J.B. Gagné, of GoHabsGo.com, Machabée was on Radio-Canada's Bonsoir, Bonsoir! earlier this week and spoke about how she made the jump to the Montreal Canadiens.

"I wasn't looking to leave (from RDS) at all. So when they (France Margaret Belanger and Geoff Molson) called, it took a while before I said yes. I was calling France Margaret all the time: "Could I do that? Could I go there?" Because I, I have a lot of ideas and I know what doesn't work and I would change it all for you!"

Let's just say it was quite a career change for her, but in her words, it was critical that she be given carte blanche in her work and that she be able to bring her ideas into the organization.

Geoff Molson and France Margaret thought it was funny. ''Chantal, we're giving you carte blanche! We understand that uprooting you from RDS will not be easy and we understand that if you come, it's because you want to change things. And that's exactly what we're doing.

When she was assured of all that, she accepted the new challenge and left the RDS station she had worked for since it opened in 1989.

Thus, that was the clincher.

Since her arrival, both the journalists assigned to cover the team and the team's fans have been more open than ever before from the organization, which had been relying on omerta and silence for several years. A change that was necessary to better adapt to today's reality.