The Montreal Canadiens have a unique situation when it comes to coaching. It's not like they just prefer to hire coaches who can speak both French and English, they have to. No, it isn't because a few people protested when Randy Cunneyworth was named interim head coach in December of 2011, it's because the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens essentially functions as the public face of the most revered company in the province. More than that, the Canadiens are a cultural icon.
There will be times when this restriction holds the Canadiens back, but there are a relative wealth of French Canadian coaches with impressive track records, and even without that restriction, having a job opening at the wrong time, there could be very little available.