Saying he wants to “connect directly with fans who share my passion for Les Canadiens,” Montreal owner Geoff Molson has joined Twitter.
At first glance, this might not seem like a noteworthy development. There are other NHL owners operating their own Twitter accounts, most notably Washington Capitals boss Ted Leonsis -- but the timing of Molson’s Twitter debut is compelling because of the controversy surrounding him and his team.
As you might’ve heard, the hiring of non-bilingual interim head coach Randy Cunneyworth brought heat on the organization. Several French nationalist groups called for a boycott of Molson products -- the eponymous brewery makes one of Canada’s most popular beers -- while others have blasted Molson for his ham-fisted handling of the situation. Shortly after the Cunneyworth hire, Molson issued a statement saying, “Although our main priority remains to win hockey games and to keep improving as a team, it is obvious that the ability for the head coach to express himself in both French and English will be a very important factor in the selection of the permanent head coach.”
In a related story, I believe tire-au-flanc is French for “lame duck.” (There’s also the more literal translation of canard boiteux.)
So now Molson’s on Twitter (@GMolsonCHC), a whopping two days after his GM, Pierre Gauthier, publicly apologized to anyone that was offended by the Cunneyworth hire. Gee, think there’s a PR strategy in play here?
(Image courtesy Twitter.)