Conflict between President / Coach / Player

One of the most shocking and bizarre incidents where the chain of command was disrupted involved one of the most esteemed professional sports franchises, the National Hockey League's (NHL) Montreal Canadiens. The date was December 2, 1995, the Detroit Red Wings were in town and the ''Habs'' were being humiliated by legendary coach Scotty Bowman's troops. Detroit had jumped out to a 9-1 lead with eight minutes left in the second period before goaltender Patrick Roy got pulled. Like switching pitchers after they give up considerable hits or runs, it is customary in hockey to pull a goalie during a weak performance. With the Habs trailing the Wings, Roy felt that he should have been replaced well before the ninth goal. A decade earlier, coach Mario Tremblay had been a roommate of Roy in his last season as a player with Montreal in 1985-86; the same year that the rookie Roy led the team to a record 23rd Stanley Cup. In any case, Tremblay did not pull Roy as early as he should. Some have argued that Roy may have been insulted to be replaced midway in a period. After all, even though Roy had played poorly, so did the entire team. Who knows, maybe Tremblay wanted to make things easier for Roy and pull him between periods. Whatever the case, the two had a history. Roy had been quoted as saying that he could not help but take a cold shower when he found that that Tremblay, his former road roommate and overall average player, was to coach him. At the time, Roy had been a three-time first-team All-Star, a two-time playoff MVP and a one-man franchise, having led Montreal to two Cups.

In that infamous game against the Wings, Roy made a seemingly easy save and received a sarcastic ovation from the crowd. Roy reacted by taunting the fans and was yanked. What took place then was odd. Roy got to the bench, took off his mask, sat down, wiped the sweat off his forehead with a towel, got up, walked passed Coach Tremblay and exchanged a death stare with his former roommate. As Roy walked passed Tremblay, he stepped up to seat 105 in the Red section, looked at team President Ronald Corey and stated that this was to be his "last game for Montreal." Roy then walked back to the bench.

What happened was that the authority figure – President Ronald Corey – had to side with the rookie coach over the respected 2-time Stanley Cup Champion to prove that the chain of command should not be broken.

The outcome was ironic. Going against the chain of command may hurt you in the short term, but Roy was "punished" by being traded to his first preference, the Colorado Avalanche franchise that had just relocated from Quebec City (then called the Nordiques). That first season with Colorado, Roy led the Avs to the Stanley Cup Championship. The Montreal Canadiens subsequently missed the playoffs for consecutive years.

The lesson was important though: when your superiors lose confidence in your abilities or judgment, you are living on borrowed time. So avoid getting in this situation in the first place. Remember that loose links pose a threat and will be cut, sooner or later. Unless you are the greatest at your position – like Roy was – your chances of coming back are slim. But if you know that you have been short-changed, then go ahead and give the ''thumb in the air'' salute and stand your ground. Risky and bold perhaps, but who said life was safe?