TAMPA - He climbed to the top of the highest mountain with the most storied franchise in hockey history. He also walked through the deepest valley with what was then one of the least-known franchises in sports.
Through it all, Jacques Demers carried on with his eternal optimism and trademark smile.
Demers coached the Canadiens the last time they won the Stanley Cup, in 1993. He also coached the Lightning from 1997 to 1999, the dark period of the franchise. And these two teams meeting in the playoffs for the first time prompted Demers to return to Tampa for the first time since he was fired in the summer of 1999.
"The first time I've been back and the first face I run into was (Lightning general manager) Jay Feaster," said Demers, who broadcasts Canadiens games for RDS. "I'm very, very happy for Jay. He has done a wonderful job. I'm so proud of him. I'm not surprised."
Not surprised because Demers, if you remember, brought Feaster into the organization.
When Demers took over the GM duties after Phil Esposito was fired in 1998, Demers needed a lawyer-type to handle paperwork such as contract negotiations and the collective bargaining agreement. He tapped Feaster, a lawyer who was in charge of the minor-league Hershey Bears.
Feaster survived the change of ownership from Art Williams to Bill Davidson, but Demers did not. Rick Dudley became GM, and he hired Steve Ludzik as coach. Demers never wanted to leave.
"It wasn't my choice," Demers said. "Rick Dudley wanted to bring in his own guy, and that's part of the game. I have no ax to grind with anybody. I'm not bitter."
But he did leave disappointed.
"Obviously, I didn't do what I would have liked to have done," Demers said. "To tell you the truth, (former Lightning goalie) Daren Puppa got hurt too much. If Daren Puppa was healthy, we would have had a better chance."
Demers, though, could not be happier with life. He lives outside of Montreal, his beloved homeland. His job keeps him around the game he loves.
Best of all, his wife, Debbie, is healthy. Last week marked the fifth anniversary of Debbie being cancer-free after breast cancer.
"It's so great," Demers said with a wide smile. "Now we can look to the future with a much better outlook."
And he can look back at the past with dignity and fulfillment.
