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[GLOVESAVE35]

TSN Link

MONTREAL (CP) - Claude Julien was fired and general manager Bob Gainey took over as interim head coach of the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, with former Montreal captain Guy Carbonneau tabbed to become head coach at the end of the season.

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The team also fired assistant coach Rick Green.

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Gainey said there was no reason for Carbonneau to make his head coaching debut in the midst of a tumultuous season.

''There really was no reason to drop him into a pot of boiling water when we can drop him in and warm it up gently,'' said Gainey. ''Guy will grab on to where we are and where we're going and what is needed quickly.''

The move was a shock to the players.

[SacredCow]

Well, as the official Montreal Canadiens expert here at AD.com, I will say that this was a surprise. It's been rumored all week that a major trade was imminent in Montreal, but I don't think anyone saw this coming.

Guy Carbonneau will watch Bob Gainey coach the team for the rest of this season to see how the boss wants it to be done and then will take over the head coaching duties beginning with the 2006-07 season. Gainey (the Habs GM) seems to be bringing back as many people as he can from the team he put together in Dallas that won the Stanley Cup in 1999. Gainey was the GM of that team and Carbonneau was a player.

Carbonneau was also the Habs Captain from 1989-94 and is a very popular figure in Montreal. So far the reaction in Montreal has been surprise, but pleasure.

I still think trades are coming, though, because this is simply not a good enough team to make much noise in the playoffs.

[Veca]

WOW!! Well, you sure can bet there will be more moves. When the GM does duty as coach, he can better tell who might need to be moved.

The times they are a changing.......