Team culture plays a crucial role in determining the overall performance and the odds of success of a group. It encompasses shared values, behaviors, and attitudes that allow team members to collaborate and take ownership of their situations. Managers talk about building a culture, but usually, it is nothing more than lip service. Building a culture means that the general manager (GM) is not only putting together pieces that they think will help on the ice but there is more to it than that.
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The saga involving Jeff Petry and the Montreal Canadiens has been a long one, spread out over 18 months and three trades. This storyline is a perfect example of the type of culture that GM Kent Hughes is trying to build with the Habs. A culture that players around the NHL are taking notice of.
Canadiens Value Communication
The first Petry deal occurred last summer, a few months after the 35-year-old reportedly asked to be traded. As a result, he and forward Ryan Poehling were sent to the Penguins, in return Montreal acquired defenseman Mike Matheson and a fourth-round pick. But the reasons for this trade demand speak volumes to what values the player himself, but also the Canadiens demonstrate.
There’s an old saying, a happy wife makes for a happy life. When your partner is happy, life is easier. That holds especially true for a professional athlete who relies heavily on their partner. Due to the pandemic and the restrictions that were in place in the province of Quebec, Mrs. Petry had too much to handle without help, so as a family, they chose to have her return home to the USA with the kids to have that assistance, which weighed heavily on Petry, who missed his family and thus distracted his focus from his play.
This trade shows that Hughes listens to the players, empathizes with their situations, and does what he can to foster open communication, which includes sharing information that builds trust, not only with Petry but with the entire roster, as they can see what is being done. It has had an impact on team culture. During the 2022-23 season, Jake Allen was asked about that and how it has impacted the team:
“There’s a lot of different aspects, but the culture that’s starting to be established here has lightened that load for a lot of guys in here”
– Jake Allen
Even though the Canadiens finished in the bottom five of the NHL for the second straight season, the new collaborative approach taken by Hughes, and by extension, his head coach Martin St. Louis is having a positive impact during this rebuilding plan.
Canadiens Building Core Values
Sometimes, it is easier to take the easy path and download the burden of the outcomes of decisions down onto your subordinates. However, doing so doesn’t lead to the best end product. So, when the Habs participated in a three-way trade that had Petry return to Montreal, it fell on Hughes to explain the situation to Petry and reassure him that the spirit behind his original trade demand is still being kept to heart.
Hughes remained transparent, or at least as transparent as he will allow himself to be, and explained the decision-making behind the deal and his next steps. “I’m a believer in general, whether it be players or people, that you try to do the right thing. In this case, I called Jeff [Petry] and explained the situation. I gave him my word.” explained Hughes. “We saw an opportunity to facilitate a trade, but we’re mindful that you have a family and a career, and that Montreal is not where you expected to play. I promised that we would not drag it out trying to move him, without trying to maximize every little value in the deal. I spoke with Jeff, and he was thankful. It’s important, it doesn’t mean we will do things against the organization’s interest, but if we can help ourselves and the player, we will do that.”
But he didn’t just communicate that privately to Petry, he shared that with the media and the fans. Transparency is refreshing in such a traditional market as Montreal, but this is also somewhat calculated. Don’t get me wrong, Hughes truly believes in this approach to players and cares for the outcomes. But by sharing this openly, he signals to the entire NHL, more specifically to the players, that he is a man of his word, and that their thoughts a valid and respected in the Canadiens organization.
Canadiens Take a Step Back to Make a Leap Forward
Montreal then made their third trade involving Petry when they sent him to his hometown Detroit Red Wings, in return for Gustav Lindström and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2025 draft. Was the return on the deal the best Hughes could have gotten, especially due to his 50% salary retention, which will cost the Habs $2.34 million for the next two seasons? Absolutely not.
Gustav Lindström is a serviceable defenseman, and at 24 years old, better fits the age group of the core, however, he is a third-pairing stay-at-home style defender with only the slightest possibility he can be more. Presumably, holding onto Petry until the trade deadline would have been far more effective in maximizing his trade value. If they had, a 50% salary retention would be worth far more than a fourth-round pick. But it is important to note that Hughes did do right by a player who spent several years in Montreal.
Hughes served two needs in this deal. First, that of the player, giving Petry a destination that he will be satisfied with. Second, he served the needs of the Canadiens, not by getting great value in a deal, but by demonstrating that he is a man of his word and that he can collaborate with the players. This helps to make any potential future players, be it via trade or unrestricted free agency, more attracted to the idea of joining the Canadiens.
Cultivating his desired team culture takes time, and so far, Hughes has demonstrated that he can remain consistent and focused on the long-term (big-picture) goals of the organization. While it is true, everyone wants to get paid what they think they’re worth, money isn’t the only thing people value. Being in an environment where you are valued as a person, and treated with respect, has worth, to the employee as well as the manager. Having a healthy team culture helps to improve motivation, satisfaction, and as a byproduct, production. Building a winning team is more than one or two moves, it takes years, a plan, and an ability to inspire a team to play for one goal, and that is achieved through a healthy team culture. This is achieved only through trust, and that is what Hughes is building now, trust.