Ex-Hab Dale Weise talks playing under Julien and whether Price should be blamed for his dismissal

There has been plenty of chatter on social media the past 12 hours or so on Montreal GM Marc Bergevin's decision to fire head coach Claude Julien and his associate Kirk Muller. As you can imagine, it ranges from "about time" to "wrong decision" and everything in between. There's even been a lot of talk about Canadiens goaltender Carey Price, as some feel he should take at least some of the blame for getting two coaches fired from the Habs, Julien and his predecessor Michel Therrien back in 2017. It was somewhat surprising to see former two-time Canadien Dale Weise jump into the fray, but he offered some interesting insight.

Weise was not with the Canadiens for Julien's first stint as head coach of the Habs from 2003 to 2006. He was, however, around for parts of two seasons during Julien's second go around with the team, although he spent some time as a healthy scratch and with Laval of the AHL. Weise's most notable reaction when someone asked if firing Julien was the right call was the reply "overdue." He later deleted that comment, worried that people would think it was a direct jab at his former coach rather than a comment on the shelf-life of coaches in the NHL in general. One comment he left up, and was challenged on, was that he felt Montreal would take fewer too many men penalties now that Julien was gone. He was questioned on that statement by Jimmy Murphy of Boston Hockey Now, who accused Weise of kicking a guy while he was down and told him to "stay classy."

"Coaches can do and say and be anyway they want behind close doors but they lose there job and we should feel pity?," Weise asked? "And guys like you come on saying don't kick him while he's down? Give me a break."

Weise went on to say the Julien never called his lines and everyone on the bench would get confused over who was next, which led to penalties for too many men.

"...the guy never called what line was up there was never any idea who was going and who wasn't," said Weise, "It was mayhem."

Murphy asked Weise straight up whether he agreed that Price should shoulder some of the blame for Julien's dismissal given his mediocre numbers this season.

"I would never agree to that," Weise said.

"...I got no issue with his game."

That is certainly an interesting statement if he's being truthful. Even the biggest Price fans have to be at least a little worried about his game right now. Mike Johnson really nailed it on commentary during the Montreal-Ottawa game Tuesday night, which proved to be Julien's last as bench boss with the Canadiens, when he said Price would make several big saves in a game this season, and would then in turn give up goals that he or most other NHL goaltenders should have had. As for whether Price should take responsibility for getting Julien fired, that seems like a bit of a stretch, but there are plenty of other people willing to argue the other way.

Weise ended his Twitter conversation by saying it's "nice to be able to speak your truth" now that he isn't in the NHL any longer. Weise was not re-signed by Montreal in the offseason after becoming an unrestricted free agent.

"It's so bad!," he said. "There is so many hilarious hockey players and people would get such a kick out of! But instead the culture of hockey is don't say anything controversial or outside the box!"

It's so bad! There is so many hilarious hockey players and people would get such a kick out of! But instead the culture of hockey is don't say anything controversial or outside the box!— Dale Weise (@daleweise22) February 24, 2021

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