The Montreal Canadiens put an end to the suspense: Kent Hughes was named general manager of the team on Tuesday.
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A native of Montreal but living in Boston for several years, Hughes was a National Hockey League (NHL) player agent for over 20 years. Patrice Bergeron, Kristopher Letang and Darnell Nurse were among his most important clients.
Holder of a five-year contract with the Habs, Hughes grew up in the West Island of Montreal and speaks French and English. According to the specialized site Puck Pedia, the total value of active contracts for Hughes clients exceeds $290 million.
His eldest son Riley was drafted in the seventh round, in 2018, by the New York Rangers … at the time led by Jeff Gorton, current executive vice-president of hockey operations for the Habs. His caddie, Jack, is ranked seventh among North American skaters heading into the upcoming auction, according to NHL Central Scouting.
“The process of hiring our new general manager allowed us to meet several highly qualified candidates. Kent is the one who stood out the most, and who, in our opinion, is the perfect person to occupy the position of general manager of the Canadian. We believe that his extensive experience as an agent will be an important asset to our organization,” Gorton said in a statement.
On the side of Hughes’ agency, Quartexx Hockey, the director of operations, Giordano Saputo, said he was happy with the news of the day.
“It is an honor for us to see Kent named GM of the Montreal Canadiens. His exceptional leadership and extensive experience have undeniably contributed to making Quartexx the renowned agency it is today. We are extremely happy for him and are certain that he will be a considerable asset to the organization of the Canadian. Although we will miss Kent at Quartexx, we have faith in the team we have in place, which Kent has partly built, to pick up where he left off.”
Short stay on the ice
Hughes had a brief playing career, playing with the Lac-Saint-Louis Lions at the midget AAA level for one season. He then crossed the border to play with Middlebury College, in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division Three, for four campaigns. The 1991-92 season, in which he wore the “C” on his jersey, was his career last.
According to the TSN network, Gorton had asked Hughes several years ago to become his right-hand man, as assistant general manager of the Rangers.
Dismissal and hiring process
The Canadiens had been looking for a new GM since Marc Bergevin was fired on Nov. 28, when the team was down 6-15-2 and ranked 29th overall in the NHL. The same day, Gorton was hired.
Bergevin had been shown the exit door at the same time as head recruiter Trevor Timmins and senior vice-president of business and communications Paul Wilson. He had been in office since 2012.
Once the departure of the former CEO was announced, a long hiring process headed by a committee made up of owners Geoff Molson and Michael Andlauer, of Gorton as well as former general manager Bob Gainey began.
The Canadiens have planned to hold a press briefing on Wednesday in which Molson and Gorton will participate.