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Wednesday, January 31, 2001
Sale marks end of association with Molson
By Brian Engblom
Special to ESPN.com
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This is a very unusual situation. Montreal has been around in the NHL since the very beginning and has been a very important part of Canadian heritage. Having an American owner will certainly take getting used to. It will be a strange feel and will make Canadians go "hmmm." But this is clearly indicative of the financial state of sports in general.
The team has been so closely tied to Molson for so many years. From David Molson and the Molson family at the beginning through the sale to the brewery, Molson has been connected with the Canadiens for a very long time. It's strange that anyone else is involved in the ownership of the team, let alone an American.
I'm sure George Gillett is aware of what he's buying here. This is one of the most storied franchises in sports, one that any individual owner should be proud to attach themselves to. I'd be shocked if he didn't have a fairly close association with the team. It's like being part of the New York Yankees or Boston Celtics – all three have won the most championships in their sport. With so many expansion teams and teams moving, to be part of a storied franchise that has so much history is very rare and valuable.
Much of the Canadian press is complaining about this move already. But they would be complaining about something else anyway. The Canadian people in general are probably a little sad that they're losing ownership of yet another franchise to Americans. The team will remain in Montreal but the sense that they've lost control of something precious is still there.
But that is simply where sports are at this time in history. It's tough to find people with enough money to buy franchises at their current cost. The situation is strange, but not surprising. For the people of Montreal it will be a strange feeling for a while but easy to forget because all the outward appearances will be the same. Bottom line is, very little will change after this sale has been approved.
Brian Engblom is a hockey analyst for ESPN. He played 11 seasons in the NHL as a defenseman, including six with the Montreal Canadiens.
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