Montreal Canadiens fire general manager Marc Bergevin, hire Jeff Gorton in executive role
The Montreal Canadiens have made sweeping changes in their front office by firing general manager Marc Bergevin and hiring Jeff Gorton as the club’s executive vice-president of hockey operations.
The Habs also dismissed assistant general manager Trevor Timmins and senior vice-president of public affairs and communications Paul Wilson.
“On behalf of myself and the organization, I wish to thank Marc Bergevin, Trevor Timmins, and Paul Wilson for their passion and engagement towards our Club over the last years,” Canadiens owner Geoff Molson said in a statement. “Their relentless work allowed our fans to experience many memorable moments, including last summer’s playoff run that culminated with the Stanley Cup Final. We wish them all the success they deserve in the pursuit of their careers.
“I think, however, that the time has come for a leadership change within our hockey operations department that will bring a new vision and should allow our fans and partners to continue cheering for a championship team.”
The Habs said a search is immediately underway for the clubs next general manager and are looking for someone with “significant hockey expertise” who can also communicate with fans in both French and English.
Montreal has stumbled out of the gates this year and these sweeping changes come a day after assistant general manager Scott Mellanby resigned from his post. He was one of Bergevin’s most trusted advisors.
Stumbling out of the gates, Montreal has struggled to put much of anything together in the 2021-22 campaign. They sit near the bottom of the Atlantic Division with a dismal 6-15-2 record and the league’s second-worst goal differential at -29.
A veteran of 1191 NHL games, Bergevin has served as the Habs’ general manager since 2012-13 after spending the previous seven years in various roles with the Chicago Blackhawks. Montreal has made the playoffs in six of the nine seasons under Bergevin and last year went on a deep playoff run to the Stanley Cup finals ultimately losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.