Monty Comes Clean

After the speculation had died down about his dismissal from the Dallas Stars, former head coach Jim Montgomery surfaced today with a statement about his firing and the circumstances that surrounded it. There were some guesses made as to why Montgomery was cut loose from the Stars, but all we had from the man in question was an informal "no comment". After a few weeks of silence, Jim Montgomery spoke today, and his statement was one of honesty and sincere regret in this writer's view.

Here is Jim Montgomery's full statement.

"Losing my job as head coach of the Dallas Stars last month was a wake-up call. It was also the appropriate call. I let the team's front office, staff and players down. More importantly, I let my wife and my family down. The team's decision to end my role forced me to look into the mirror and decide whether I wanted to continue living a damaging lifestyle or get help. I decided to get help. I turned to professionals in the field of alcohol abuse for their guidance and counseling. It has been an overwhelming and a very humbling experience knowing that I am not alone.

"Today, with the unconditional support of my wife and family, and many close friends, I took another step forward by admitting myself into an inpatient residential program, where I intend to take the steps to be a better husband, father, friend, coach and mentor – one day at a time. It's a process I am committed to. As I do this, I ask that my family's privacy be respected. Thanks, Monty."

It is never easy to publicly admit one's faults, and I feel that Jim Montgomery did that in an honest and respectful way to all parties involved, most of all to his family who doesn't need additional strife or upheaval following Montgomery's dismissal. Montgomery's statement today not only earns respect from me for the man, but puts me squarely in his corner as I want him to find peace and happiness by beating this vice. I'm also hopeful that, once he's on solid footing again, he can find employment in the hockey world because Jim Montogomery was a good hockey coach.

Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill also released a statement that backed Montgomery in his battle with alcohol that read, "We are supportive of this decision by Jim and we hope that by pursuing this help, he and his family will be stronger for it. Out of respect for him and his family, we will not be commenting on this situation further."

That's to-the-point and a little unemotional, but it seems the Dallas Stars are also behind Montgomery. I know that Jim Nill, from the press conference where it was announced Montgomery was being dismissed, stated that he and Montgomery had a friendship, so here's hoping that Nill or the Stars might be able to help him get the help he needs as well. The Stars, of course, have no obligation to do so, but it would come off as a classy move by the organization and would show that the club is indeed supportive of Montgomery's efforts to get clean.

It takes a lot of humbleness and courage to step forward and admit that one has a problem that, in this case, led to his dismissal from a job that very few get. However, I have the utmost respect for Jim Montgomery in coming clean to get clean, and I hope we'll see him back behind a bench in the future after getting the help he needs.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!