Canadiens owner Geoff Molson answered questions from the media on Monday morning, the day after Marc Bergevin, Trevor Timmins and Paul Wilson were fired. Here are some of his responses.
Regarding the decision to fire Marc Bergevin:
“I made this decision because it was necessary. Our start to the season is unacceptable and something had to be done to change direction. I have no other options but to make these changes in order to improve the structure of our hockey operations. There, we turn the page. [C’est] a new start. ”
About the timing of this decision:
“I wanted to think about it, during the last year of Marc’s contract, to really see how it was going to go. Of course we started the season badly at the start and I was hoping that [le vent] was going to turn out, but it continued to go wrong for a longer period of time than I expected. It was very recently that I made the decision to start finding replacements. ”
“Marc and I started to have discussions together for a potential extension last year. It took longer than expected. After we managed to play in the final, we still had discussions together. It wasn’t until September that I said: maybe it’s better to wait before extending the contract. I had a lot of thought to do. ”
About Jeff Gorton’s contract:
“It’s a long-term contract. I am very happy that we managed to have him because he has an excellent reputation, not only as a person, but as a CEO, recruiter… For this organization, we are lucky to have him in the long term. ”
” [Son mandat] is to be one of the two people who run this organization. He joins us as senior VP of hockey operations. In the short term, of course, I need him to manage the team’s files. But soon, when we manage to find our GM, it’s a team that will work together. ”
“I think having two people to do the job, with the expertise that Jeff brings and that of the new GM, it will make us better. It will allow us to make better decisions, whether in terms of draft, development or recruiting more diversity in the organization. ”
Regarding the dismissal of Trevor Timmins:
“Trevor is someone who has dedicated all of his efforts to the Canadiens. He had good and bad shots. He’s a friend too, someone I really like, who’s going to do well elsewhere. But for me it was very important to make this decision. Over the years we’ve had two third picks in total, and today neither of them are with the team. ”
À propos de la vision à long terme :
« Je viens juste d’embaucher Jeff Gorton avec un contrat à long terme. J’ai très hâte de trouver le DG et ça va être à eux de discuter ensemble de la nouvelle vision, des changements, de ce qu’on veut accomplir : une reconstruction complète ? J’ai très hâte d’avoir une conversation avec eux, mais c’est trop tôt pour répondre à cette question. »
« Je suis très à l’écoute et je pose beaucoup de questions. J’essaie de me faire une opinion. Si une reconstruction m’est proposée, je vais la prendre au sérieux. »
Concernant l’embauche d’un directeur général bilingue :
« Nous vivons dans une province qui est, je ne sais pas le pourcentage, mais principalement francophone. C’est essentiel que les personnes qui communiquent avec les fans de façon régulière soit capable d’échanger avec eux. »
« Dans notre marché, nous devons respecter la langue, autant le français que l’anglais, même si nous avons des fans à travers le monde. C’est unique, mais aussi compliqué. »
« Ce sera une recherche exhaustive [pour trouver le nouveau DG]. We will look everywhere to find the right person. The faster the better, but not at the expense of finding the best person. ”
About this new start:
“We want to set new standards of excellence in hockey operations and improve the way we manage the team on and off the ice. These new standards include several very important organizational improvements such as being better in the draft as well as developing and supporting our players to be successful in our market. Our goal is to be a team that competes with the best. ”
Regarding his long media silence in recent months:
“You’ve known me since 2009 and I don’t think there was a time when I went out publicly to talk about the performance of the team. That is the role of the CEO. My role is to support him. Our GM has gone out a few times to talk about his team, but I’ve never done it and I’m never going to do it in the future either. ”
A message to the supporters:
“I cannot thank you enough for your continued support during these difficult and disappointing times. I am making these significant changes today in order to get better results. The incredible passion and support you showed in the last Stanley Cup Final was extraordinary. I will do everything to try to bring our team back to the final, in the hope of bringing the Stanley Cup to Montreal. ”