Habs General Manager Kent Hughes visits his Alma Mater – Beaconsfield High School

Students at Beaconsfield High school on Montreal’s West Island were treated to a special guest on Wednesday afternoon. Montreal Canadiens General Manager Kent Hughes, who was a graduate of the class of 1987, visited the school to participate in their annual charity tournament ‘Dodge for a Cause.’

Grade 11 student Roger Tinh described the feeling of having Hughes visit his school as, “butterflies in your stomach, you can’t believe it’s really happening.”

“I’m happy that we can build a longer table in life versus a higher fence,” said Melanie Schneider, teacher at Beaconsfield High school and organizer of ‘Dodge for a Cause’ charity tournament. “I always believe that as teenagers and community people, we need to help. And obviously helping the homeless and a refugee family that’s coming into the city means something for them.”

‘Dodge for a Cause’ raises money for deserving charities and gives teachers and graduating students the chance to throw balls at one another by playing dodgeball.

“It’s been, I think, 37 years since I graduated, or maybe off by a year or two, but still looks the same, still feels the same, brings back a lot of memories,” said Hughes.

“We thought wouldn’t it be fun if we brought someone to our charity event that we’ve been hosting since 2018,” said Schneider. “And one of the students said, why don’t we try and bring Kent Hughes home? So we went to the library, found an old yearbook, and the plan started from there. In the end, we created a gift package of things we knew that he would maybe like, including letters from his former teachers.”

“As kids growing up and going through life, you’re figuring out your identity and who you are, and there are people that shape who you become, right?,” said Hughes. “Either by pushing you to be more or just being a friendly face when you need it as a young kid. So they had an impact. I remember them to this day, and it’s really nice to see them.”

“It’s breathtaking, you wouldn’t expect someone as high as that coming to your local school, and I think it’s amazing that he’s willing to do it,” said Tinh.

“It’s a great motivator,” said Matthew Franceschini, grade 11 student at Beaconsfield High school. “I want to be just as successful as him (Hughes), and it also feels really amazing that he came here and now he’s coming back.”

“This grad class actually never graduated elementary school,” explained Schneider. “They started grade seven in a bubble. It was obviously hard to see, but it kind of shows me that even though you are going through some challenges, you can get through them.”

With the Montreal Canadiens’ clutch over time win Tuesday night, beating the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in back-to-back games, Hughes says he’s proud of the team.

“I’ve always been a believer in not being afraid of what could happen, but excited about what might happen,” said Hughes. “And I’m proud of the guys for a young team to have the kind of resiliency that they’ve showed, and most importantly for the fans.”