Canadiens extend president Jeff Gorton, GM Kent Hughes for 5 years

Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes have been rewarded for their efforts to rebuild the Montreal Canadiens.

The Canadiens announced multi-year contract extensions with Gorton, the president of hockey operations, and general manager Hughes. Both executives had been in the final year of their contracts.

“I am very pleased that Jeff and Kent have committed to the Montreal Canadiens for an additional five years. Their commitment to building a world-class organization has been unrelenting and will only get better as we progress in the years to come,” said Geoff Molson, owner and CEO of the Canadiens, in a press release. “I would like to thank Jeff and Kent for taking this team and organization to where it is today, full of talent, size and speed with a support structure that is second to none, an objective from day one. I look forward to many more years working with them.”

Gorton joined the Canadiens in November of 2021 and hired Hughes as general manager in January of 2022. The duo has rebuilt the Canadiens on the fly after a veteran core was disbanded following a run to the Stanley Cup Final in the spring of 2021.

Notable decisions by Gorton and Hughes include the hiring of head coach Martin St. Louis, who was a finalist for the Jack Adams award last season. Other additions include Lane Hutson, Ivan Demidov and Juraj Slafkovsky in the draft and Noah Dobson in a trade.

“I would like to thank Geoff Molson for his continued trust in Kent and I. We are excited for the opportunity to continue the work we began four years ago,” said Gorton. “We believe our team has made significant progress and we look forward to building on the foundation in place and competing at a high level for years to come.” I would also like to acknowledge that this announcement is a reflection on the tireless work and efforts our entire staff has put in. Lastly, thank you to our loyal fans. Your tremendous passion and energy drive us and inspire us every day.”