Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes each signed multiyear contracts to remain with the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.
Gorton, 57, who was hired November 28, 2021, was promoted to president of hockey operations; he had been executive vice president. Hughes, 55, who was hired January 18, 2022, will continue in his position as general manager.
“I am very pleased that Jeff and Kent have committed to the Montreal Canadiens for an additional five years,” Canadiens owner Geoff Molson said in a statement. “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.”
Since arriving in Montreal, Hughes and Gorton have helped in the Canadiens rebuild with NHL Draft picks Juraj Slafkovsky (2022 NHL Draft, No. 1), Lane Hutson (2022, No. 62) and Ivan Demidov (2024 NHL Draft, No. 5), while signing Slafkovsky, Hutson, and Cole Caufield (2019 NHL Draft, No. 15) to long-term contracts.
Hutson, who won the Calder Trophy as the NHL rookie of the year last season, signed an eight-year, $70.8 million contract with Montreal on Monday.
Gorton has made key structural changes to the team’s hockey operations department, establishing the first analytics department and hiring members of the organization’s hockey development department, including Adam Nicholas, as director, hockey development. Among his most notable appointments were naming Hughes as GM, Nick Bobrov as co-director of amateur scouting, and Vincent Lecavalier as special adviser to hockey operations.
Hughes has made major roster moves, while changing the identity and culture of the team. One of his first big hires was hiring Martin St. Louis as coach on Feb. 9, 2022.
“Geoff Molson’s support has been essential to the work Jeff and I have done, and I would like to thank him for his trust and support in us. We have big ambitions for this team, and for that reason, we consider the work that was done so far as just the beginning,” Hughes said. “Creating an environment that benefits both individual and collective player development remains our top priority. We’re encouraged by the progress the team’s made, but we’re also committed to staying patient and calculated in our actions, trusting the process of our long-term plan.”
The Canadiens were 40-31-11 last season and qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2021, losing to the Washington Capitals in five games in the first round. St. Louis was also named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year.