My surreal Pierre Gauthier experience

Let me begin this note by saying that prior to today I had never met Montreal Canadiens General Manager Pierre Gauthier in person..

Am I fan of his? I can hardly say so given the financial hole he has placed the Habs in. As the then  assistant to Bob Gainey three years ago, it was Gauthier who reportedly engineered the horrible acquisition of $.7.3 million a year bust Scott Gomez. Last summer he handed injured defenceman Andre Markov a three year $17.5 million contract. On Friday he traded for $4.25 million a year defenceman Tomas Kaberle, who did have two assists in Montreal's 2-1 victory over New Jersey today. The problem is Kaberle has more than two more years left on his contract, meaning there will not be enough room in the salary cap world next summer to resign Josh Gorges while giving Cary Price and PK Subban the substantial raises the deserve.

Pierre Gauthier

So there I was tonight at Chapter's downtown putting some magazines back on the rack. As I turned to my right, a gentleman who looked very familiar was doing some reading of his own. I looked closely and it was Pierre Gauthier. His wife and kids live in Burlington, Vermont and he commutes, staying in a downtown apartment while in Montreal.

"Kaberle had a good game today," I stated, looking right at him.

"Oh well," he responded, "it's only one game. But he had a good game."

At that moment I realized how surreal this was, especially on a day when this letter by me was published  in the Montreal Gazette sports section, calling for Gauthier's dismissal.

I wonder when I will bump into Habs owner Geoff Molson.