There are few certainties at the start of the year. But we can name one: the Canadian will have a new general manager in 2022. The organization has just started contacting teams to obtain their permission to speak to certain candidates.
This is what the journalist Pierre Lebrun, of The Athletic, reported on Sunday afternoon.
According to him, the Habs have already asked to speak with a few candidates, including Roberto Luongo, Daniel Brière and Mathieu Darche.
Luongo has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in the NHL, much of it with the Florida Panthers. The Montrealer is currently acting as special advisor to Panthers GM Bill Zito.
In Brière’s case, he is the president and general manager of the Maine Mariners, in the ECHL. A native of Gatineau, Brière wore the CH uniform for a season in 2013-2014. It is the Philadelphia Flyers who must agree to allow the Habs to meet him.
As for Mathieu Darche, his name has been part of the discussions since the day Marc Bergevin was fired. The Quebecer, who played for the Canadiens for two and a half seasons between 2009 and 2012, has been director of hockey operations for the Tampa Bay Lightning since 2019. They have won the Stanley Cup twice since.
During the Lightning’s visit to the Bell Center in early December, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper was asked if Darche would make a good GM.
“He’s not been with us for that long, but Mathieu has been fantastic,” he replied. Julian [BriseBois, le DG du Lightning] hasn’t been in the league for as long as a guy like Lou Lamoriello, for example, but I’ve been with him for 10 years and see everything he does, his preparation, his work ethic. This is something that is spreading within our organization, and it results in a culture that Mathieu is a part of. ”
The Canadian has not had a general manager since November 28. He has since hired Jeff Gorton as vice president of hockey operations. He then set up a committee to advise him, of which Bob Gainey is a member.