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Who will be the next Montreal Canadiens GM, and what's next for Marc Bergevin? – ESPN

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The Montreal Canadiens‘ encore to their Stanley Cup Final appearance last season has been an abject disaster, as they have a 6-15-2 record. With general manager Marc Bergevin in the last year of his contract having not signed an extension, it felt like a regime change was coming.

Did it ever arrive on Sunday.

Owner Geoff Molson announced that Bergevin, assistant general manager Trevor Timmins and senior VP of communications Paul Wilson were all “relieved of their respective functions” with the franchise. That’s after assistant GM Scott Mellanby resigned after he didn’t get either Bergevin’s job or a higher office. Former New York Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton has been hired as executive vice president of hockey operations and tasked with finding the next (bilingual) general manager of the Habs.

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Here’s a look at the decision and the fallout for the Original Six franchise, including who could take over for Bergevin.

Why did the Canadiens hire Jeff Gorton?

Gorton is viewed by many as the best available option for teams seeking a new general manager.

He learned under Harry Sinden in Boston and Glen Sather with the New York Rangers. After working as assistant general manager for several seasons with the Bruins, he was the interim general manager from March to July in 2006. During that stretch, the team drafted Phil Kessel, Milan Lucic and Brad Marchand; traded for Tuukka Rask; and signed Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard as free agents.

He became general manager of the Rangers in July 2015 and was credited for their quick rebuild during his tenure, which ended in May 2021. He traded away veteran players like Ryan McDonagh, Kevin Hayes and Mats Zuccarello for future assets. He also experienced some unparalleled luck in securing forwards Alexis Lafreniere (No. 1, 2020) and Kaapo Kakko (No. 2, 2019) in the draft lottery, star winger Artemi Panarin as a free agent and Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox via trade, as the Rangers were his preferred destination.

That the 2021-22 Montreal Canadiens, a franchise adrift in mediocrity, would hire Gorton isn’t all that surprising … except for the fact that he doesn’t fit the bilingual prerequisite for a general manager. Instead, they got creative: Gorton was given the role of executive vice president of hockey operations to “ensure the continuity of the day-to-day operations of the hockey sector” while the team searches for a general manager who can “communicate with fans in French and in English.”

Speculation around the league is that Gorton will be at the head of the table when it comes to personnel decisions, with a bilingual general manager working under him. That makes this an interesting hire: If language restrictions were off the table for this new role, might former Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford have been worth a hard look as the head of hockey operations? He’s been angling for a role that’s higher up the food chain from general manager, and his track record is unmatched by available candidates.

But the Habs moved quickly on Gorton. He was their guy.


Who are the possible bilingual general manager targets for Montreal?

  • Mathieu Darche: The director of hockey operations with the two-time Stanley Cup-champion Tampa Bay Lightning, Darche played three seasons with the Canadiens from 2009-10 to 2011-12 before retiring. The 45-year-old assists general manager Julien BriseBois “in all aspects of player personnel decisions, analytics, player development, contract preparation and negotiation, budgeting, scheduling and cap tracking.” And since they’re not getting BriseBois to leave the cushy confines of Tampa Bay, perhaps Darche is the next-best thing. Multiple sources have indicated that Darche is an early favorite to land the gig.

  • Martin Madden: Madden is in his 14th season with the Anaheim Ducks and his second as assistant general manager. He’s a native of Quebec City, and his father, Martin Madden Sr., was the general manager of the Quebec Nordiques from 1988 to 1990. The younger Madden was an amateur scout with the Carolina Hurricanes when they won the Stanley Cup in 2006 and was running the Ducks’ drafts when they found diamonds in the rough like defenseman Sami Vatanen (106th overall, 2009), defenseman Josh Manson (160th overall, 2011), goalie Frederik Andersen (87th overall, 2012) and forward Ondrej Kase (205th overall, 2014). When Bob Murray recently resigned to seek treatment for alcohol abuse, the Ducks promoted assistant general manager Jeff Solomon to interim GM. Where does Madden fit into the Ducks’ search for Murray’s replacement?

  • Daniel Briere: Like Darche, Briere is a former Canadiens player, albeit for one season (2013-14). Unlike Darche, Briere has yet to earn substantial experience at the NHL level as an executive. That’s not to say he isn’t experienced: Briere, 44, was named vice president of operations for the ECHL’s Maine Mariners in 2017 and became president and general manager for that franchise in 2021. Since NHL hiring seemingly always boils down to previous relationships, it’s worth noting that Briere’s Mariners were a New York Rangers affiliate when Gorton was the general manager at MSG.

  • Roberto Luongo: Could the 42-year-old former NHLer make the leap from heading up the Florida Panthers‘ goaltender excellence department to running the Canadiens? Luongo has been a special adviser to the Panthers’ general manager since 2019. He’s earned executive experience as the general manager of Team Canada at the 2021 world championships. He’s also an assistant general manager for Canada’s 2022 Olympic men’s hockey team.

  • Patrick Roy: Speaking of former goaltending greats, there’s always fan support for the notion of Saint Patrick blessing the franchise with his presence. He’s managed and coached the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL on and off for the past 16 years, spending three seasons behind the bench with the Colorado Avalanche as their head coach. He had player-personnel aspirations with the Avs and left the team when it was clear they weren’t going to be fulfilled. Does he want to be a general manager or a coach? He’d probably take either gig in Montreal. But if it’s the GM role, then there’s only one question to answer: Can Roy allow Gorton to have ultimate control over the Habs?

  • Martin Lapointe: If the Canadiens were humoring internal solutions, one assumes the 48-year-old Lapointe would be in the mix. He’s been director of player development with Montreal since Bergevin brought him aboard in 2012. He added director of amateur scouting duties to his plate earlier this year. He’s signed through 2023-24, but it’s hard to imagine Gorton staying in-house with his hire — especially since a lack of player development is part of why the Canadiens are in this pickle.

  • Vincent Damphousse: A former Canadiens great whose name gets circulated by fans and media for a managerial role on the team. The 53-year-old has been an analyst for RDS. He was rumored to be up for a president of hockey operations gig above Bergevin’s role, rumors that ran so hot that Molson himself had to quash them. But he’s worked more in the Scandinavian spa business than he has in hockey operations in the past several years.

  • Pierre McGuire: McGuire was a runner-up to Bergevin for the Canadiens’ general manager hire in 2012. At the time, he was an analyst for NBC Sports. Since July, he’s been senior vice president of player development for the Ottawa Senators. He was previously an assistant general manager with the Hartford Whalers. If the Habs want a bilingual front-facing executive, they’d have a vocal one in the 60-year-old McGuire. But even as Ottawa GM Pierre Dorion has been extended through 2024-25, there’s the perception that McGuire is next in the succession line with a franchise that may not have the prestige of the Canadiens but might have a clearer path to contention.


What’s next for Marc Bergevin?

It’s not every deposed general manager who gets to release a statement on the team’s official website on the way out. “It is with my head held high and with lasting memories that I am leaving my position as general manager of the Montreal Canadiens. I wish this organization and my successor the best possible success for the future,” Bergevin wrote.

His teams made the playoffs in six of his 10 seasons there, including a trip to the conference final in 2014 and the Stanley Cup Final last season. The Canadiens had the 10th-most postseason wins of any team during his tenure. His weaknesses as an executive were glaring: some specious contracts to veteran players, odd decisions on his coaches, and a draft and development history that frankly could be disqualifying for future endeavors. The best player the Canadiens drafted and developed under Bergevin plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning — defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (who was traded for Jonathan Drouin).

That said, the 56-year-old will undoubtedly get another crack at being an NHL general manager. As for his immediate future, the New York Post reported in October that Bergevin “just might wind up in Los Angeles next season working with Kings president Luc Robitaille.”

There’s another interesting option: The Chicago Blackhawks‘ general manager job that was vacated when Stan Bowman stepped aside. Bergevin claimed he was unaware of the sexual assault accusations made by Kyle Beach against video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010, when Bergevin was director of player personnel for the Blackhawks. Would they hire anyone from that era, though?

If nothing else, Bergevin will be remembered as someone who zealously cared about the success or failure of the Montreal Canadiens. He didn’t have a poker face when it came to on-ice results. And when they were good, like the way they were last season, Bergevin’s buoyant reactions were like watching an executive morph back into an excited player.

“Despite the pitfalls, the organization that I led, with a lot of passion, has always recovered,” he wrote. But it’ll take some heavy lifting.


What’s next for the Canadiens’ new regime?

Head coach Dominique Ducharme was given a three-year contract extension after the Canadiens’ run to the Stanley Cup Final while he was interim coach. That deal, reportedly worth $1.7 million annually, runs through 2023-24. It’s tradition in the NHL for new executives to bring in their own coach. Ducharme is currently 21-31-9 in the regular season.

Bergevin leaves behind a significant salary-cap commitment. It starts with 34-year-old Carey Price, who makes $10.5 million against the salary cap through 2025-26 with a full no-movement clause. He’s one of 17 players under contract for next season and 13 players the Canadiens have under contract through the 2023-24 season.

There are some pieces to build around here: promising young players like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Alexander Romanov; veterans like Brendan Gallagher, who should be wearing the captain’s “C” for this team. The player who last wore the “C” was Shea Weber, and his loss from the lineup due to multiple injuries — likely ending his career — left a hole it’s going to take a while for this team to fill.

Whoever steps in to help Gorton will have to figure out which parts stay and what parts go. But hey, it’s only the Montreal Canadiens — no pressure.

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'Something I promised': Maple Leafs' Mark Giordano dedicates comeback goal to dad – Sportsnet.ca

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Cult of Hockey Player Grades: Strong 4-1 Edmonton Oilers win over L.A in possible 1st round preview – Edmonton Journal

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The Edmonton Oilers won a big divisional battle on Thursday, a 4-1 victory over the Kings creating a 5-point spread between Edmonton and L.A. in the Pacific. Vegas slides into 3rd place but is 4 back of the Oil.

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Edmonton won both ends of the specialty teams battle (PP ½, PK 2/2) and the goaltending showdown (Skinner over Talbot).

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L.A. had 33 shots on net…but they are volume shooters. Overall, a sound defensive performance by the home club.

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Here is the tale of the tape…

Edmonton Oilers Player Grades

STUART SKINNER. 8. Steady 1st from Skinner but without a lot of serious work. But he had to be very sharp early in the 2nd as the Kings pressed with 7 unanswered shots, making solid saves off Moore (2-on-1) and Lewis. Stuffed Kempe a few shifts later. With the game still 1-0 Skinner stoned Kempe and then Kopitar in tight. Those were tide-turning saves as just shifts later his mates scored the 2-0. Precious little chance on the 3-1, it was a bang-bang play after a turnover. Big glove save off a Roy point shot. Then helped close it out late in the 3rd with big stops on Dubois and a 1-timer off Kempe’s stick. Stopped 32 of 33. Named the game’s 2nd Star. Looked to be in playoff form.

CONNOR McDAVID. 9. Hit the 120-point mark for the 3rd consecutive season with the 1-0 in the first, knocking down a Mattias Ekholm point shot then back-handing it home for a 4v4 goal. Levelled a hard check on Lizotte late in the 1st frame. No call from the Zebras when he was dropped while cutting hard across the slot. Wins the faceoff after a bad icing by L.A. and ends up with the secondary assist on the 2-0. Earned the primary assist on Bouchard’s 3-0 goal with a pass from behind the goal line. A rare turnover in his zone with possession and the net empty at the other end but eventually cleared the zone on that series. Fought relentlessly through the Kings withering trap. Ended up +3. Named 1st Star.

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RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS. 6. Fine defensive performance. An excellent clear on the 1st Period PK. Blocked shot and then a steal and clear on the same 3rd Period PK. Hard battle and clear of his own zone in the 3rd. Superb back-check forced an L.A. off-side.

ZACH HYMAN. 6. Good backhand chance from a 3-way passing play with Bouchard and McDavid. Could not convert a sneaky inside pass from Ekholm late in the 1st. Called for a 3rd Period Interference infraction. But then drew a slashing call leading to the 3-0. 5 shots.

DARNELL NURSE. 7. A tower of strength. High Dangers 6-2 5v5 on Darnell Nurse’s stingy watch. Delivered 7 hits to lead the squad. His elite-level speed was a definite edge over a team like the Kings with average boots by comparison. Both sides of this 1st pairing (tonight) were excellent.

CODY CECI. 7. His best effort in a long time. Ceci got a shot on net off a lovely Draisaitl pass in the 1st. The two teamed up in a similar fashion early in the 2nd. Showed particularly good patience deep in his own end and the net empty, found a lane, and drained a 193-foot shot right up the gut for the 4-1. High Dangers 5v5 5-2.

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LEON DRAISAITL. 8. Smart stick to end an L.A. sortie early in the 1st. Erased a pending Oilers PP with the tiniest slash on an L.A. player but it was ‘right’ in front of the referee. Just missed potting a bounce off the back boards on a shot-pass by Bouchard. Thumped Roy with hard hit mid-way through the 1st. A terrific pass to Ceci for a chance. Found Ceci again in the 2nd for a point-bank chance. Dangerous shot through a screen. A hard, power move behind the net leads to a pass throw at Henrique in front for the 2-0. Won the faceoff on the 3-0 and ultimately earned the secondary assist. Hard backcheck on Kempe. A spectacular backhand pass set up Henrique in the high slot. Had a rough night in the faceoff circle until it really mattered. Then, won 3 D-zine faceoffs with the Kings net empty, earning a primary assist on the 4-1 with his 3rd win. 3 assists, +3. 3rd Star.

ADAAM HENRIQUE. 7. “Go to the net, kids”. Henrique was rewarded for doing just that, on the ice with sparse seconds remaining in the 2nd after a bad Kings icing. A Draisaitl pass deflected off Henrique’s shoulder right at the top of the crease and in, sending dejected L.A. to the room with a 2-0 deficit after 2. Could not drain a hi-light reel pass from Draisaitl in front. 6 hits.

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WARREN FOEGELE. 5. Hard 2nd Period hit on Doughty. Worked hard on the fore check, responsible without the puck. Just did not have a lot of numbers to illustrate a good effort.

MATTIAS EKHOLM. 5. Earned the primary assist on the 1-0 with a point shot that McDavid converted. A fine pass up the middle for Hyman late in the 1st. A glaring giveaway behind his own goal line, leading to the 3-1. A rare night on the bad end of High Dangers 5v5 (4-6).

EVAN BOUCHARD. 8. He was excellent. Secondary assist on the 1-0. Sifted a hard pass off the back wall which Draisaitl nearly swept home for the 2-0. Excellent stick check of Kempe in front. A sweet pass up the middle to spring McDavid and Hyman on a break. Played a 2nd Period 2-on-1 expertly. Part of the sequence on the 2-0. Hammered home the 3-0, a one-timer high glove off a McDavid feed. It was his first since a goal versus L.A. back on February 26th. Involved in the 3-1 against but I had no problem with Bouchard’s decision to pinch in the neutral zone.

RYAN McLEOD. 5. Fine pass by Ryan McLeod led to a break between Kane and Perry. But his best work was without the puck. Very responsible. Sawed off in 5v5 CF. His speed in between Kane and Perry seems to work well.

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EVANDER KANE. 6. Set the tone for the game by thumping Drew Doughty with a heavy check in the first, whistled for a questionable trip on the play. Delivered another heavy hit on Englund when he returned. Crisp pass across to perry on a good chance on a 2-on-1. Kane finished up with 6 hits and a string North-South game.

COREY PERRY. 5. Career NHL game number 1,300. Good feed to McLeod in the 2nd who must missed. Tried to deke Talbot 5-hole on a 2-on-1 with Kane. 3rd Period blocked shot.

BRETT KULAK. 5. The far superior member of the Oilers 3rd pairing tonight. Bailed out his D-partner on a bad pinch as Kulak swept the puck away from the gaping Edmonton net. Sawed off on High Dangers 5v5.

VINCENT DESHARNAIS. 3. Struggled. Drew a 2nd Period slash. 2nd Period turnover with a soft pass behind his own net, a harbinger of bad things to come. Yet another giveaway led to point-blank shots by Kempe and Kopitar. Ill-timed pinch led directly to a Grade A chance against.

DEREK RYAN. 5. This line decidedly lost the shot-shares battle but all 3 were so solid defensively they still receiving passing grades. Good anticipation for an interception high in his own zone in the 2nd.

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MATTIAS JANMARK. 5. Hard play along the wall to earn a zone clear on the PK in the 1st. Clever deflection on a 3rd Period shorthanded chance. 4 hits. Coach trusted him out on the ice late to protect the lead.

CONNOR BROWN. 5. Nice zone clear on a 1st Period PK. Set up Janmark for a dangerous chance shorthanded.

Edmonton’s record now sits at 44-23-4, 92 points. They remain 2nd in the Pacific, opening up a 5-point gap between them and L.A., 4 points up on Vegas. And the Oilers have 2 games on hand on the Golden Knights, 1 on the Kings.

Prior to the game, Official Kyle Rehman was recognized for his 1,000th NHL game. We do not pull punches here when it comes to officiating. We also recognize meaningful accomplishments.

Find me on Threads @kleavins, on Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, Mastodon at KurtLeavins@mstdn.social, and X @KurtLeavins.

Recently, at The Cult…

McCURDY: Are the Edmonton Oilers better or worse since the trading deadline?

STAPLES: Oilers show their grit in 4-3 win over Winnipeg Jets

LEAVINS: Oilers loss to Leafs begs important questions.

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Allen on trade to Devils from Habs: 'Sometimes you've got to be a little bit selfish' – Yahoo Canada Sports

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Jake Allen loved being a member of the Montreal Canadiens.

The hockey-mad market, the crackling Bell Centre on a Saturday night, the Original Six franchise’s iconic logo.

The 33-year-old goaltender is also realistic.

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With the Canadiens still in full rebuild mode — and two young netminders in Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau ready for more playing time — Allen could see the writing on the wall.

Desperate for help in their own crease, the New Jersey Devils asked Montreal about the veteran’s availability. But the team, general manager Tom Fitzgerald told reporters earlier this month, was initially on Allen’s no-trade list.

There wasn’t anything the Fredericton product disliked about the organization or city. The Devils simply appeared to have their crease set for years to come.

But when the club that finished with 112 points and made the second round of the playoffs in 2022-23 was badly hampered by poor play from Vitek Vanecek, Nico Daws and Akira Schmid — each netminder owned save percentages below .900 — the Devils circled back.

And Allen had changed his tune.

“Loved my time as a Hab,” he said of pulling on Montreal’s red, white and blue threads. “I always will cherish that. Put on probably the most special jersey in hockey, in my books. But you realize in your career, it doesn’t last forever.

“You’ve got to make decisions sometimes.”

Allen, who is signed through next season, eventually agreed to a deal that sent him to New Jersey ahead of the NHL’s March 8 trade deadline for a conditional third-round pick at the 2025 draft.

Apart from playing meaningful hockey on a team trying to claw its way back into the Eastern Conference playoff race, the swap gave him more runway to get his family settled in a new city instead of waiting to see what this summer’s crowded goalie market might bring.

“Sometimes you’ve got to be a little bit selfish,” said Allen, a Stanley Cup champion with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. “Look yourself in the mirror and wonder what’s best for you and your family.”

He’s been really good for his new team.

Allen was lights out in Tuesday’s first period against the Toronto Maple Leafs, making an eye-popping 25 saves in what would turn into New Jersey’s 6-3 victory.

So far he’s 4-2-0 with a .925 save percentage and a 2.51 goals against average in six starts for the Devils, who sit five points back of the East’s second wild-card spot.

“A real pro,” said interim head coach Travis Green.

Allen is a combined 10-14-3 in 2023-24 with a .900 save percentage and a 3.39 GAA. Across his 11 seasons with St. Louis, Montreal and now New Jersey, he’s 193-164-41 with a .908 save percentage and 2.75 GAA.

“Makes the saves we need to get some momentum back,” Devils captain Nico Hischier said. “If you have a solid goalie in the net, that makes your work easier.”

Allen is also 11-12 with a .924 and a 2.06 GAA all-time in the playoffs — a good sign for his new club should New Jersey manage to make the cut.

For now, though, he’s just enjoying being back in a post-season race.

“I thought this was a good opportunity to come in the rest of this year, play some games,” Allen said.

“It’s been a good start.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 28, 2024.

___

Follow @JClipperton_CP on X.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press

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