According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN on Tuesday, the Montreal Canadiens have named Kent Hughes of Beaconsfield, Quebec as their new general manager. Hughes takes over from Marc Bergevin, who was fired on November 28, and has since accepted a role as a senior adviser for the Los Angeles Kings. After Bergevin was fired, Jeff Gorton was named the Canadiens executive vice president of hockey operations, whose primary job was to hire a full-time general manager.
It should be noted that Gorton went “outside-the-box” in hiring Hughes, as Stu Cowan accurately stated in his piece for the Montreal Gazette on Tuesday. Hughes does not have prior management experience in the National Hockey League, but has been a player agent instead. Among his clients have been Canadian Olympic gold medallist and Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron of L’Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang of Montreal, Quebec, and New York Rangers left winger Sammy Blais of Montmaginy, Quebec. Bergeron won the gold medal for Canada at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver and the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.
What Hughes brings to the table is hockey experience from a different perspective. As a person who has experience as an agent, will he show a little more compassion for the players in negotiations? Time will tell. As for this season, it will be tough for the Canadiens to reach the playoffs. They are currently at eight wins, 25 losses, and five losses in extra time, for 21 points, and are the worst team in the NHL.
