Five life lessons I’ve learned watching the Montreal Canadiens

As a boy growing up in Montreal I dreamed of playing hockey for the Montreal Canadiens. As the years went by it became clear I had more talent with a balance sheet than a hockey stick, and I realized my second calling at the Bank of Montreal. My personal connection to my favourite team is strong though, and I’ve been privileged to be involved with the Habs as a director on their board for the last decade.

Despite the Habs missing the playoffs last season, I’m inspired by what they accomplished – achievements made in the face of long odds, especially if you were reading media reports from Fall 2018. A team one year removed from a record of 29-40-13 for 71 points overall, placing them 28th of 31 teams, improved to 44-30-8 for 96 points overall – tying the NHL record for the highest point total to miss the playoffs… Sometimes you just get unlucky.

Here are five management and life lessons I took away from last season:

1.    Competitors write off teams that carry low expectations at their own peril

If the Habs had believed their own press at the beginning of the season, they’d never have made it as far as they did. This is a credit to their discipline and vision. It’s precisely when expectations are lowest that a team has the greatest opportunity to out-perform. These opportunities for implausible momentum relative to a competitor’s performance are critical to recognize and chase with all of your energy. At the same time, teams must be guided by their own goals and expectations, and not by external forces.

2.    Take the long-view

Their 2017-18 record was one of the worst in the NHL. Twelve months later they were in playoff contention right to the end. At the same time they proved concept on a faster, more aggressive style of play, with new players, new leadership in the locker room and on the ice, while preserving their core strength of league-leading goalkeeping. While the playoffs and a championship are always top of mind, stepping back to look at year-over-year improvement inspires confidence that the plan is working and guides refinement for how to improve through the off-season and years ahead. 

 3.    Look to unexpected places for out-performance and give high-potential players the space and time they need to compete

Two players come to mind: Max Domi and Tomas Tatar. Consider Domi in 2017-18 vs. 2018-19: year-over-year he produced 60% more points in the same number of games. Tatar produced 71% more points playing two less games this season than last.

Freeing up space for Domi to grow by providing a strong foundation for him to achieve it (see #4) drove his out-performance, especially in goal scoring. Meanwhile, the driver for Tatar’s production was a 135% improvement in his assist production. These results are courtesy of two players, who with even the most charitable interpretation of pre-season commentary in 2018, were not expected to produce at this level. They were given the opportunity and conditions to perform and they delivered results.

4.    Know your strengths and organize your efforts to help them perform at a high level.

Carey Price. The best goaltender in the NHL. A calming influence and graceful leader. His skill differentiates the Canadiens and makes him a generational talent. They have done an excellent job of building around him to ensure he has what he needs to continue to perform at the highest level, every game.

A key part of that mix was the acquisition of Shea Weber, who has made the Canadiens’ defence corps one of the strongest in the game and brings leadership and character to an elite level. Every team needs leaders like Price and Weber. They ground the team in experience, serve as rocks to inspire high-performance culture, and give their less-experienced or less-proven teammates the space to take the risks they need to learn – with the confidence that these foundational pillars are behind them.

5. Don’t be afraid to give someone a stretch assignment – you can be surprised by what they deliver

Watching junior, college, and affiliate club players get called up to the big show to finish out a season or step right into the playoffs has brought tremendous energy to the teams taking advantage of the opportunity. The hat trick and shootout winner by our 2017 draft pick Ryan Poehling in the final game of the 2018-19 season against the Toronto Maple Leafs is something Habs (and Leafs) fans will remember for a long time.

With two games to go in playoff contention Poehling was a healthy scratch, and the team could easily have continued that way for the last game of the year. But management gave him a shot, stretched his experience, and he joined the very small group of players that scored three goals in their NHL debut.

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This team is fun to watch and be a part of. With strong players in the pipeline and veterans returning, the future is bright. I can’t wait to see what they will do this season and in years to come.