Majalah PowerPlay

It was on March 13th 2011 in season 7 that Francois Landry, a Laval PQ native, took ownership of a hockey team in Powerplay Manager. He was slotted into III.5 and instantly became hooked. This article is the remarkable story of his team's success, success that came seasons beyond expectation and shows that there is more than one way to be successful as a manager.

Francois Landry, also known as Habs72, runs Arquebusiers d’Auteuil formerly of II.2 and recently promoted to Canada's top division. What is remarkable is that not only is Habs72 the first manager in Canadian I.1 hockey to make it to the top level that didn't start in season one, but he's done it in just four seasons, perhaps a record worldwide at this stage in the game. Arquebusiers d’Auteuil have made the run from III.5 to I.1 in a mere four seasons, a very remarkable accomplishment and one that can serve as an inspiration to other newcomers to the world of Powerplay Manager.

I sat down with Habs72 and spoke with him about his run to the top in such a short time.

"First thing I did when I signed up was look around on the forums and the web, searching for any advice I could get. There was one clear bit of advice: facilities should be of top priority. Despite my respect for this advice, I didn't believe I'd be able to catch up in a respectable amount of time, thus, it was clear in my mind: if I wanted to be one of the top teams one day I had to do something different."

There has long been a debate as to what is the best advice for new managers on PPM. The old advice of "build the big four" referring to training, regeneration, human resources and sports academy facilities was almost always what new managers were advised. However, recently, there has been a movement towards a new strategy. One that gets teams competitive fast with cheap players, then worries about facilities later. Habs72's story is certainly one for this strategy.

The argument is, if you buy cheap good players you'll be competitive. Their qualities and career longevity are irrelevant seeing as they won't train fast for a few seasons anyway. You target buying these types of players to get yourself competitive in the league you're in as fast as possible. At this point you start investing in your facilities and slowly work in younger more long-term players.

"I think I can say it worked out pretty well" said Habs72. "At the end of season 8, I was promoted to II.2. I was told I should have stayed in III.5 as I would no doubt be relegated after season 9. I kept doing things the same way as I had been since the start and it paid off. At the end of season 9, right next to the number “8” in the standings were the words “Arquebusiers d’Auteuil”. Through this was only my first season in II.2, I had made the playoffs and after some thought, I aimed to promote after three seasons there. I started building my team accordingly. This lead to a fourth place this past season and a great playoff run. When I swept the Stoney Creek Saints in the second round, I realized that I might have a chance to promote earlier than planned. I knew I would not get through the Brantford Nytes, the regular season champs and my opponent in the finals, so I rested my top guys during the final, judging I had a better chance in the promotion round. It was a bit of a gamble but it worked out, again. I’ve had my share of luck along the way, I guess."

Habs72 is under no illusions with what this next season in I.1 will bring. "My first season in I.1 is going to be a tough one. I guess I won’t win a lot of games, but that will be an opportunity to get my aging team younger. And, well, I'll try to enjoy the sight from the top while I'm there." It will no doubt be tough, but lets face it. What his team has done already is remarkable. From the third division to the first division in four seasons.

I hope you all have enjoyed this brief article/interview with Habs72 and his miraculous run. I for one have long been a supporter of the "long-term philosophy" that is the "big four facilities". However, the remarkable climb by Habs72 shows that there are other options, perhaps better options all be them riskier. Regardless, everyone loves a good underdog story so no matter your views on facilities vs. market, we can only hope to see more changing of the guard as newer managers climb the ranks of the PPM ladder.