BROSSARD, Que. -- Marc Bergevin promised when he was hired last month that he would boost the presence of French-speaking personnel on the Montreal Canadiens. One week after hiring Michel Therrien as head coach, the new general manager went a step further Wednesday when he named three former players from Quebec to his management team. Martin Lapointe, who won two Stanley Cups as a player with the Detroit Red Wings, was named director of player development and former Canadiens defenceman Patrice Brisebois was tabbed as the new player development coach. The club has also announced that another former Montreal rearguard, Sylvain Lefebvre, will be the new head coach of the American Hockey Leagues Hamilton Bulldogs. "The credibility of the men we hired was as important (as the language they speak)," Bergevin said at the teams suburban training centre, where the first day of summer rookie camp was underway. "With their backgrounds, I can answer to any concerns anyone may have about them. I wanted good people who are qualified for the jobs they will do and I feel I reached that goal." With the recent hiring of Scott Mellanby as director of player personnel, the front office is set and the next task will be to find assistants for Therrien. Former coach Randy Cunneyworth and assistant Randy Ladouceur were let go. The team announced that Clement Jodoin, who coached the Bulldogs last season, will be interviewed for an assistant coaching job. Mellanby is to look after the development of professional players in the organization, mainly those in Hamilton. Lapointe, 38, said his role will be "to support the younger prospects, especially in junior, to help them get ready for pro hockey and to be a liaison between them and the Canadiens." The Montreal native who has an arena named after him in his old neighbourhood has been a pro scout with the Chicago Blackhawks since 2009. He played 991 games for four teams over 14 seasons after Detroit made him a first-round draft pick in 1991. "I remember my first training camp, no one talked to me, not even the coaches," Lapointe recalled. "Patrice and I will be with the young players, to help them, share our experiences with them and try to make the transition easier." Previously, top amateur scout Trevor Timmins had the added duty of player development. The move signals that area will be given greater importance in the organization. "Trevor didnt have enough hours in the day to do everything he had to do," said Lapointe. "So we decided the share the duties. We want the young players to feel theyre part of a family." Brisebois, who played 18 NHL seasons, all but two of them in Montreal, said he takes inspiration from Claude Ruel, who was his mentor when he first joined the team in the early 1990s. "Yes I had talent, but it was Claude Ruel who transformed me and gave me confidence," said Brisebois. "Now its my turn to do that job." Brisebois, 41, a member of Montreals 1993 Cup-winning team, had his ups and downs as a player and knows what it is to be booed by the Bell Centre fans. Bergevin sees that as a plus in his new role. "It was important to me to have someone who could share his experiences of the different situations that can arise," said Bergevin. "Someone who can explain what he went through in the good and bad times, and how to deal with that." Lefebvre, 44, was an assistant for three seasons to head coach Joe Sacco with the Colorado Avalanche after having worked as an assistant in the AHL with Erie. He said he would not have left the Avalanche for an assistants job because he felt ready to try his hand at being a head coach. "On top of working for the Canadiens, under a whole new management, I really wanted to be a head coach," said Lefebvre, who played 14 NHL seasons for four teams. "Ill coach my first game in the AHL in the fall and then well see where it goes." 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This week, they discuss the casualties of the NHL lockout, Triple-Crown threat Miguel Cabrera, Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano and all of the sports figures who behaved badly this week.LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen made a huge mistake with a one-run lead in the ninth inning to Lance Berkman, and was relieved it didnt turn out to be as costly as it seemed to be at the time. A.J. Ellis drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth, and Los Angeles pulled out a 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night in the opener of a series between the NL West and Central Division leaders. Adam Kennedy had four hits against his former team and James Loney drove in two runs. Berkman, 3 for 31 with 10 strikeouts against Dodgers left-hander Ted Lilly, was not in St. Louis starting lineup despite having led the NL with 22 road home runs last season. He came up with two outs in the ninth as a pinch-hitter for Shane Robinson and drove Jansens 0-1 pitch into the pavilion seats in right-centre. Jansen (3-0), who struck out his first two batters trying to preserve a 5-4 lead for Lilly, ended up with the victory despite getting charged with his second blown save in five attempts. "Kenleys fastball was really good — probably as good as Ive seen it all year," Ellis said of his batterymate. "He threw a good down-and-away fastball to Berkman, and I think everybody at this point knows where Berkman likes the ball. He likes the ball elevated and out over the plate, and we hit that spot. We didnt execute what we were trying to do and he made us pay for it." Berkmans homer was his first in 41 at-bats this season — ending the longest season-opening drought of his 14-year career. "We werent worried about Lance. I mean, Lance is going to be Lance," Cardinals starter Lance Lynn said. "Once he gets some at-bats and gets back in his groove. hes going to be just fine. Hopefully tonight started him toward that. When Lance comes off the bench and ties it up like that, you think youre right back in it." Pinch-hitter Elian Herrera drew a leadoff walk in the bottom half from Fernando Salas (0-2), Kennedy singled with one out, and Loney was intentionally walked with runners at the corners. That set the stage for Ellis, who walked on four pitches to force home Herrera. Lilly was charged with four runs — all unearned — and four hits through seven innings with six strikeouts and no walks. The 36-year-old left-hander lowered his ERA to 1.87. One of the hits off him was a two-run homer by Matt Holliday. Cardinals right fielder Carlos Beltran, who took over the NL home run lead from injured Dodgers slugger Matt Kemp last Sunday, was back in the starting lineup for the first time in five gamess and went 2 for 4 after being sidelined with a sore right knee.dddddddddddd "I took four days rehabbing and working to try and make it better," Beltran said. "We were approaching this situation day by day, and every day I was making improvement — but not to the level where I could play in games. Today, I went out there, did some sprints in the outfield and everything was 100 per cent, so there was no reason for me to sit on the bench. Right now, I feel good. Im just hoping to wake up tomorrow feeling good to and being in the lineup again." Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly was ejected for the second time in six games during the top of the third inning while the Cardinals were rallying from a 3-0 deficit with four runs. But the Dodgers tied it in the bottom half with an RBI single by Kennedy. Tyler Greene led off the Cardinals third with a bunt single and advanced when catcher Ellis tried to surprise him with an attempted pickoff and threw the ball past Loney for an error. Robinson reached on a strikeout-wild pitch, and both runners moved up on Lynns sacrifice bunt. Rafael Furcal drove in the Cardinals first run with a sacrifice fly, and Matt Carpenter checked his swing on a 1-2 pitch. Ellis appealed to third base ump Chad Fairchild, who ruled no swing, and Mattingly was tossed by plate umpire and crew chief Tom Hallion while he was barking at Hallion from the dugout. "Im not going to say if it was a quick trigger or not, but Donnie was just making a point about the checked swings and Tom didnt appreciate what Donnie was saying. I guess he gave him a really short leash," Ellis said. "But Donnies definitely protecting the players and hes out there fighting for us — not that he wasnt doing that last year, but I think hes getting more comfortable. "One thing we know is Donnies going to be there every day and hes going to bring it. So theres not a man in this clubhouse who doesnt love playing for him." Carpenter capitalized on the big break and singled home Robinson. Holliday then put St. Louis ahead 4-3 with his third in four games and ninth overall. Notes: Former Cardinals manager Tony La Russa will join Mattingly and ex-Dodgers managers Tom Lasorda and Joe Torre on June 14 at the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles to raise funds for Torres Safe at Home Foundation, which helps victims of domestic violence. The panel discussion will include Angels manager and longtime Dodgers catcher Mike Scioscia. Dodgers Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully will serve as master of ceremonies for the benefit, which will include a sports memorabilia auction. ' ' '