It’s humorous the belongings you neglect on this enterprise.
Total, my reminiscence remains to be fairly good, however I had completely forgotten the second, 4 years in the past Sunday, when somebody on the information convention to introduce Kent Hughes requested Jeff Gorton if it was true that Hughes was his greatest good friend.
That cringeworthy second mercifully vanished from my thoughts till I learn colleague
Stu Cowan’s unique column
, written after Hughes was employed as common supervisor.
“No person would need any of my greatest pals to be working the Montreal Canadiens,” Gorton stated, “so I’d by no means try this to you. No offence, however Kent shouldn’t be my greatest good friend.”
The workforce’s president of hockey operations defined that day in 2022 that his friendship with Hughes went again to his tenure as assistant GM for the Boston Bruins, when he was negotiating an entry-level deal for Patrice Bergeron. Hughes impressed Gorton then, and we’re fairly sure that he’s nonetheless impressing him right now.
We’re undecided the place the friendship half stands 4 years later, however we’re positive of this: Gorton and Hughes are the very best tandem within the sport right now and
Hughes is the very best GM of the Canadiens for the reason that legendary Sam Pollock.
Forgotten now are the whispers that have been going round when Hughes first surfaced because the newly minted GM — the speak that he and Gorton have been greatest pals was much less critical than the accusation that he was there solely as a result of he spoke French and that his operate was to be a glorified mouthpiece for Gorton.
It was a ridiculous suggestion. Right here was Hughes, a extremely profitable and well-liked participant agent and a local Montrealer. Why within the identify of Pierre Lacroix would he take a job through which his solely position was to elucidate in French what Gorton had determined to do? If he wasn’t going to have the guiding hand within the first rebuild of the Montreal Canadiens, Hughes would by no means have left New England.
I believed it was an excellent rent from the get-go and I believed unsuitable. It wasn’t good, it was nice.
Of all of the hirings throughout that vital stretch, I’d counsel that Hughes was the really very important hyperlink. Who else would have gone exterior the field so far as hiring the inexperienced Martin St. Louis as head coach? Who else would stake his repute on 148-pound Lane Hutson? Or use his expertise as an agent to craft contract after contract in a method that advantages each participant and workforce? Or provide you with one deft, unexpected commerce after one other to herald gamers like Alexandre Provider and Alexandre Texier?
The job shouldn’t be carried out. The Canadiens have been very lucky to come back out of sloppy video games towards division rivals Buffalo and Ottawa with two factors. They’re a stable third within the powerful Atlantic Division in the meanwhile, but it surely’s nonetheless attainable they may miss the playoffs.
How far they’ve come for the reason that day Hughes was launched. I’ve been following the sport since 1970 and masking it since 1994 and I’ve by no means seen something prefer it. Not merely the on-ice success however the best way these people have modified your entire vibe across the membership.
From Bob Gainey’s tenure via Pierre Gauthier and Marc Bergevin, the vibe towards the media and the broader neighborhood right here in Montreal was paranoia tinged with hostility. It helps that the trades and draft picks have been virtually completely profitable, but it surely’s the strategy that’s completely different.
Montreal, in thrall to the Canadiens for greater than 100 years now, is in love with this younger workforce. The gamers conduct themselves admirably, the managers are fashions of low-key professionalism and the coach himself is an outstanding communicator.
There are not any ensures in sport. When 32 groups are pursuing the identical aim, you are able to do every thing proper and fail.
But when nobody has thought to ask these days whether or not Gorton and Hughes are greatest pals, it’s as a result of it merely doesn’t matter. They’re excellent at what they do. That’s greater than sufficient.
A go to to Ottawa:
Our nation’s capital, Ottawa, has many issues to supply, just like the spectacle of Garry Galley gleefully levitating over the Rideau Canal each time the Senators rating.
Galley, alas, was plunged into mourning Saturday after the
Senators have been ambushed by the Canadiens with two late targets
and the standard extra time snipe from Cole Caufield to take Saturday evening’s sport, 6-5.
However let’s be sincere: the Canadiens can’t go on residing like this. The eight-game stretch main as much as the Olympic break subsequent month is brutal: the Wild twice, the Sabres twice, the Bruins, the Knights, the Avalanche and the Jets. Not a straightforward sport within the bunch.
If they will play .500 hockey via this stretch, they need to be a lock for the playoffs. If not, nicely — we’ll burn that bridge after we come to it.
Heroes:
Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Lane Hutson, Nick Suzuki, Ivan Demidov, Noah Dobson, Alexandre Provider, Martin St. Louis, Jeff Gorton &&&& final however not least, Kent Hughes.
Zeros:
The Florida Panthers, Matthew Tkachuk, Tom Brady, Tony Romo, Garry Galley, Wayne Gretzky, Bud Selig Jr., David Samson &&&& final however not least, Jeffrey Loria.
Now and perpetually.
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