Mathieu Darche's actions speak for themselves!
The Tampa Bay Lightning are in town for the first time since beating the Habs in the Stanley Cup Final. However, that's not what people are concerned about the Lightning being on Quebec soil, but rather Mathieu Darche.
He made the trip with his general manager Julien BriseBois, but he was not present at the Lightning's practice this morning and he will not be at the game tonight at the Bell Centre. He must be avoiding the media like the plague, with all the rumors that are circulating and linking him to the Habs. Why is he hiding? Are these rumors true?
Let's remember that he would be a serious candidate for the title of general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, according to several rumors.
Lightning head coach Jon Cooper spoke to the Montreal media this morning, and not surprisingly, Mathieu Darche's name came up.
Jon Cooper was adamant that Darche has what it takes to be a GM in the NHL.
"Whether it's today, tomorrow or a year from now, I think Darche will have what it takes (to be a GM)."
Cooper is obviously a big fan of Darche. He kept praising him, as if he were trying to sell a product to a customer.
"I can't speak for a decision that's not mine," he replied. "For the short time Darchy has been with us, he has been fantastic. I know Julien (BriseBois) hasn't been in the NHL as long as Lou Lamoriello, but I've worked with Julien for 10 years and I can recognize his value. I've learned a ton from him, just the way he prepares. The effect of Julien is felt by all of us. Darchy learns from him as well."
"All organizations are different. But we've built a winning culture here and Darchy is part of that. He plays an important role. He's also had very good timing. He's been here two years and he's won the Stanley Cup twice! He's a smart guy, I've seen him grow in the last two years with Julien."
He then went on to mention that if Darche were to get promoted to the NHL, it would be a big loss for the Lightning. However, he would be really happy for the Quebecer.
"It's the same for everyone. When you lose an equipment guy, an assistant, an assistant GM, it's a loss," Cooper said. "There's synergy on a team. You'd always like to keep everybody. But all the guys have goals. I can't speak for Darchy. I don't know. Being the GM of the Montreal Canadiens, I guess that might be at the top of his list?"
"You also want to help your partners achieve their goals," he continued. "Yes, it would be a loss for our organization, but we would be happy for him. It was the same story with Blake Coleman or Barclay Goodrow. We wanted to keep them in Tampa. In a salary cap reality, however, that was impossible."
If we go with the inference of Cooper's words, it is obvious that Darche would like to be seriously considered for the GM position in Montreal. A return to the fold seems to be a real possibility for the former Tricolore player.
