Canadiens name player agent Kent Hughes as NHL team’s new general manager

MONTREAL - The Montreal Canadiens have named participant agent Kent Hughes because the staff’s 18th common supervisor.

The Canadiens mentioned in a launch Tuesday the membership has agreed to a five-year cope with the 51-year-old Montreal native.

Hughes, who's bilingual, has been an agent and companion of Quebec-based agency Quartexx Administration since 2016.

Earlier than becoming a member of the Canadiens, he represented greater than 20 gamers beneath NHL contracts. His previous purchasers included Patrice Bergeron, Kristopher Letang, Anthony Beauvillier and Darnell Nurse.

Hughes was beforehand affiliated with MFive Sports activities, which merged with Quartexx in 2016.

He replaces former GM Marc Bergevin, who was fired Nov. 28 as a part of a large shakeup following Montreal’s disastrous begin to the 2021-22 season after a decade in cost.

“We're very excited so as to add Kent Hughes to our group,” Canadiens proprietor Geoff Molson mentioned in a press release. “Kent is highly-respected within the hockey world, having constructed a superb status as an NHL participant agent for over 25 years now.”

Hughes joins govt vice-president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton, who was employed shortly after Bergevin’s dismissal, in Montreal’s entrance workplace.

Molson beforehand mentioned he envisions Gorton and Montreal’s new GM working hockey operations in complementary roles.

“The method of discovering our new common supervisor afforded us the chance to fulfill a lot of extraordinarily certified candidates,” Gorton mentioned within the staff’s assertion. “Kent stood out, and we consider he's the correct particular person to be the overall supervisor of the Canadiens.

“We additionally consider that Kent’s expertise as an agent can be an awesome asset to the group.”

Hughes, Molson and Gorton are scheduled to met with the media Wednesday.

Montreal made a shocking run to final season’s Stanley Cup last, however the Unique Six franchise entered Tuesday night time’s recreation in Dallas in opposition to the Stars occupying final place within the NHL’s total standings with a report of 7-25-5.

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Jan. 18, 2022.