Fribourg-Gottéron: "I am a very emotional person", admits Christian Dubé - rts.ch

For the past few years, Fribourg-Gottéron, equipped with a magnificent new arena, seems to be heading in the right direction. Semi-finalists last season, the Dragons are indeed engaged in a process supposed to lead them to the first title in their history. RTSsport.ch met the main architect of this project: Christian Dubé.

He put away his attacking skates in 2015 and became the club’s sporting director in stride. Then, in October 2019, he again put on the coaching costume. This atypical journey is that of Christian Dubé (45 years old) in Fribourg. On the side of St-Léonard, the skeptics were initially numerous. Today, we probably only count them on the fingers of one hand…

Because the Dragons, which are part of the contenders for the title, have become an interesting address in the National League. Leading Swiss players, such as Reto Berra and Raphael Diaz, have indeed joined the HCFG in recent years. And this thanks to Dubé.

Double Swiss champion with CP Bern (2004 and 2010), the Quebecer has been a celebrity in Swiss hockey since 1999, when he decided to leave the New York Rangers for HC Lugano.

I had come to Lugano to rediscover the pleasure of playing

Christian Dube

RTSsport.ch: Double U20 world champion (1996 and 1997), you were a great hope for Canadian hockey. In 1997, you teamed up with Joe Thornton at the U20 World Cup in Geneva.

CHRISTIAN DUBE: It’s like it was yesterday! I was 19, I was in the NHL, and the New York Rangers sent me to the World Championship. We had a great team. Joe was 17 years old, he was very young. Each time he came to play at HC Davos (red: 2004/05, 2012 and 2020), we talked about this time together when we met. I have incredible memories of this tournament.

RTSsport.ch: Several of your teammates in the Canadian junior selections, like Thornton or Jarome Iginla, then shone in the NHL. Doesn’t that leave you a little bitter?

CHRISTIAN DUBE: It was my choice to leave at 22. I played most often in the AHL because the Rangers, at the time, gave pride of place to veterans. There was no salary cap, and a lot of money was invested in the salaries of these experienced players. I didn’t manage to get traded, so I ended up getting fed up. And I came to Lugano, to rediscover the pleasure of playing.

RTSsport.ch: No regrets, then?

CHRISTIAN DUBE: Of course I would have liked it to work in the NHL, it was my childhood dream. But I don’t regret anything. I have been in Friborg for 11 years. I have been a sports director for 8 years, a coach for 4 years. If I had stayed there, I wouldn’t be here today.

For Gretzky, everything was innate and easy

Christian Dube

RTSsport.ch: And even though you only played 33 NHL games, you still skated alongside Wayne Gretzky, the greatest player of all time. Few people can say the same!

CHRISTIAN DUBE: He was my idol. I had the chance to play some “shifts” with him. It was he who made the assist on my only goal in the NHL, in power-play. At home, I have a plaque commemorating this achievement. It’s something I will remember all my life.

RTSsport.ch: There is one area where you are better than the legendary no99. Coaching!

CHRISTIAN DUBE: I can’t tell you that’s true (laughs)! But I will probably stay longer than him behind a bench (red: Gretzky coached Phoenix from 2005 to 2009 in the NHL, never hoisting the Coyotes in the playoffs). It is not because you were a good player that you will necessarily become a good coach. And it’s not easy to be a good communicator either. However, for Gretzky, everything had always been innate and easy. For him, it must not have been easy to put himself in the shoes of players who had neither his talent nor his vision of the game.

RTSsport.ch: You mentioned the importance of communication. How was your adaptation to the role of sports director in 2015 at Gottéron, when you had just retired from playing?

CHRISTIAN DUBE: In the beginning, it wasn’t always easy, and some people didn’t accept the situation. During my 1st year, for example, I had to announce to defender Joel Kwiatkowski, once my best friend in the locker room, that I no longer wanted him in the team. Ditto with Adam Hasani, who had been a winger on my line. Or with goalkeeper Benjamin Conz, who I was close to. But then, over the years, the guys understood. From now on, there are no more problems at this level.

The advice of my father, Normand, is always precious

Christian Dube

RTSsport.ch: Just like your counterpart Jan Cadieux at GE-Servette, you are the son of a former Quebec player and coach who evolved in our latitudes. Do you regularly talk about your job with Normand Dubé, who had made the heyday of Sierre and Martigny in the LNB?

CHRISTIAN DUBE: My father has been my role model all my life, both as a player and on a daily basis. I asked him for a lot of advice at the start of my conversion. He didn’t really approve of me taking on the job of coach of Freiburg in addition to that of sports director. According to him, I put myself in a complicated situation. His advice is always invaluable, because he remained in the hockey world for a long time. It also helps me sometimes to remember how he behaved as a coach, in such and such a situation. But at the end of the day, I do things my way.

RTSsport.ch: Another parallel with GE-Servette, Fribourg-Gottéron has the best team in its history, on paper. But in reality, with the move to 6 foreigners, many other clubs can say the same, right?

CHRISTIAN DUBE: Exactly. So yes, we have the best team of all time in Fribourg. But all clubs are better than before! With 6 foreigners, the hierarchy of players is being redrawn in the National League. This implies, for me, having to devote a lot of time to human relations. It is necessary to explain to some why their playing time decreases, and it is not always easy. I try to be as honest as possible.

Our goal is the title. We are not here to tread water!

Christian Dube

RTSsport.ch: Nothing to do, therefore, with the coaching that you had experienced as a player?

CHRISTIAN DUBE: No. In my time, we walked with kicks on the behind. If we were told to turn right, we did so without flinching. Today, a player wants to know why he should turn right, and not left. In hockey, like everywhere else, young people need to understand everything. For example, there are days when I sit down in turn with 4-5 players to give them explanations. I can’t be a wall with them. On the contrary, I am a very emotional person.

RTSsport.ch: Are you satisfied with the current season?

CHRISTIAN DUBE: We had a bit of a rough start. But there, we got back well. We repeat from year to year that this league is tight, but it is really the reality. We climb or fall quickly 2-3 places. It will be tense until the end of the regular season.

RTSsport.ch: Gottéron is engaged in a long process which should lead it to the 1st title in its history.

CHRISTIAN DUBE: We have taken a good step forward in recent seasons. The challenge is immense. Because for 25 years, the champion has always been one of the 4 richest clubs in the league. And we are not part of this circle. It is reality. But our goal is the title. We are not here to tread water! Everything is possible, we have an extraordinary new ice rink, and a good team.