Hockey Pays Tribute as Canadiens Legend and Brilliant Mind Who Changed the Game Passes Away
Photo credit: EstriePlus
We mentioned it a bit earlier, but former Montreal Canadiens member Charles Thiffault has passed away at the age of 87.
He is no longer suffering, and he leaves behind an incredible legacy.
I wanted to revisit this briefly because the excellent Jean-Nicolas Blanchet published an incredible piece explaining why Mr. Thiffault was truly a major figure in the world of hockey.
In his article titled "The Eternal Revenge of Hockey's Doctors," Blanchet opens with a powerful line:
"If you're a hockey player, Charles Thiffault changed a lot of things in your life."
Exactly!
A wonderful tribute from Jean-Nicolas Blanchet to former Montreal Canadiens and Quebec Nordiques coach Charles Thiffault
Blanchet continues:
"Whether you're the worst defenseman in your beer league, the top scorer on your pee-wee team, or once centered a second line in the NHL, you've been influenced by 'Charly' Thiffault and the four other brilliant minds often dubbed 'the doctors of hockey':
Gaston Marcotte, Georges Larivière, Claude Chapleau, and Christian Pelchat."
- TVA Sports
Gaston Marcotte, Georges Larivière, Claude Chapleau, and Christian Pelchat."
- TVA Sports
I won't include the entire article, of course, but these two passages say so much!
Thiffault made history thanks to his more scientific approach to the game, which was incredibly forward-thinking, especially considering where we are now with advanced stats and analytics.
"Imagine! In the early 80s, Mr. Thiffault was a professor at Laval University while also coaching the Nordiques."
- Jean-Nicolas Blanchet
- Jean-Nicolas Blanchet
That's pretty amazing!
As Blanchet also explains in his article, today it sounds impressive to be labeled a Doctor of Hockey or a Hockey Professor, but that wasn't necessarily the case back then.
Nowadays, we recognize these people as geniuses who completely transformed the way hockey is played (in a very positive way), but at the time, it didn't sit well with purists and those who had already "played the game", unlike geniuses like Charles Thiffault.
It was very difficult for them (and for him) to carve out a space, build a reputation, and earn credibility, but we owe him so much today.
Some of Charles Thiffault's innovative ideas included:
Timing each player's ice time with a stopwatch
Monitoring turnovers
Focusing more closely on faceoffs
Power play tactics
Forechecking strategies
Mastering body checks, but using them strategically to win games (rather than just to hit for the sake of hitting)
And many more..
"It sounds trivial.
But back then, nobody in the NHL was doing this. Nobody!"
- Jean-Nicolas Blanchet
But back then, nobody in the NHL was doing this. Nobody!"
- Jean-Nicolas Blanchet
These are just a few examples that show how important Thiffault was in the hockey world.
We strongly recommend reading the full article by Jean-Nicolas Blanchet (TVA Sports and Journal de Montréal) about Stanley Cup champion Charles Thiffault (1993).
A man who revolutionized how the game is played, and how a hockey game is prepared.
Once again, we extend our most sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr. Thiffault.
| POLL | ||
MAI 24 | 3171 ANSWERS Hockey Pays Tribute as Canadiens Legend and Brilliant Mind Who Changed the Game Passes Away Who will be the next Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup? | ||
| Montreal | 717 | 22.6 % |
| Edmonton | 2084 | 65.7 % |
| Toronto | 187 | 5.9 % |
| Other | 183 | 5.8 % |
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