Theodore reconnecting Habs with history
He may not be St. Patrick (Roy), but Jose Theodore is breathing life back into the once-moribund Montreal Canadiens. For hockey's equivalent of the New York Yankees, the rebirth comes none too soon.
"I don't like to compare myself to a guy like Patrick Roy," Theodore told reporters during training camp. "He did so much for the Canadiens. When I was young, the thing what I appreciated the most was he was very strong under pressure."
That quality has marked Theodore's performance in the league so far, particularly last year when he led the Canadiens to their first playoff spot in four years and a first-round upset of the first-place Boston Bruins. What he has done for the Canadiens on the ice is obvious. He hasn't replaced Roy -- who could? -- but he has once again given the Canadiens a bona fide French-Canadian star at a time when they desperately need one. The Habs need to be ever mindful of the French-Canadian content on their team. No one with the organization would ever admit it publicly, but there has always been the belief that a French-Canadian player always gets the benefit of the doubt when it comes down to a choice between him and an Anglo. It is not the case now, but there was a time when Les Canadiens embodied the pride of the Quebecois people. Maurice Richard's popularity in the province transcended that of a hockey star, and the star of the Canadiens was often the biggest star in the National Hockey League.
There had been an uninterrupted ascension to that throne, from Richard to Beliveau to Lafleur to Roy, but after Roy's departure there was a void. Theodore is now poised to fill it.
The popularity of the native Montrealer is rocketing, fueled by his on-ice success, his disarming personality and his good looks. His face jumps out from the pages of the October issue of GQ magazine as he chomps on a puck with his pearly whites while sporting a $1,995 leather jacket by Prada Sport.
Theodore plays the game hard, he plays it right, and he is a tremendous example to those who may not be thought big enough. Theodore is a modest 5'11", but he has worked hard to overcome his shortcomings (no pun intended).
"The butterfly style is essential to being successful, but a lot of kids overplay it," said Melanson. "We have worked on making him less predictable. He's not 6-2 and able to use his size to make up for his mistakes. He has to be almost technically flawless to have success.
"At 5-11, we have to make him play bigger, make him look bigger. We brought his hands up, brought his back up. We made him less vulnerable to going down early. We've worked on reading the play, watching video and making percentage plays. We have simple little by-laws we follow. We don't expect to win every game, but we expect him to give us a chance to win."
That is a tall order for a little goalie.
But the Theodore mystique is growing, on and off the ice.
The Canadiens had best hope that he is able to duplicate last year's MVP season. Without Theodore in top form, it could be a long, cold winter in Montreal.
