After two wins against Ottawa this week, Montreal is holding down the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, although it’s fair to say it’s an open question as to whether the Habs will make the playoffs. But what the Forbes numbers underline is that they don’t actually need to make it to the post-season to generate fantastic profits, especially if general manager Marc Bergevin is helping out his boss by keeping $7 million to $9 million in the CH bank account each year.
The core of the Canadiens’ profitability is the blind support of its fan base and that’s a pretty sweet thing for a brand to have. Is all that money the sole cause of the mediocrity of the 21st century Habs? Of course not. There are loads of other factors, starting with the CH obsession with always looking nostalgically at past glories rather than present-day challenges. All I’m saying is that when you can’t close the company safe because there are hundred-dollar bills flying in every direction, there is no urgency to be the best in the league.
