We have some huge news to report.
The Montreal Canadiens have announced the termination of general manager Marc Bergevin and several key members of his staff. The news comes after a weekend of blockbuster rumors involving the Canadiens, rumors that have been confirmed today by the Habs themselves.
First, let's get to team owner Geoff Molson's official statement:
"On behalf of myself and the organization, I wish to thank Marc Bergevin, Trevor Timmins, and Paul Wilson for their passion and engagement towards our Club over the last years. Their relentless work allowed our fans to experience many memorable moments, including last summer's playoff run that culminated with the Stanley Cup Final. We wish them all the success they deserve in the pursuit of their careers. I think, however, that the time has come for a leadership change within our hockey operations department that will bring a new vision and should allow our fans and partners to continue cheering for a championship team," said Geoff Molson as per the team's official website.
Over the weekend there have been rumors that former New York Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton would be taking on a major role within the Habs organization, and Molson confirmed Gorton's appointment today. According to the official press release, Gorton will now serve as Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations.
Today's news comes as no surprise to those who have been following the developments around this team over the weekend, developments that suggest things may have turned ugly at the very end. There have been reports that former Montreal Canadiens assistant general manager Scott Mellanby had been promised the job of general manager following the departure of Bergevin, only to have ownership pull the rug out from under him at the very last moment. Mellanby has long been the right hand of Bergevin and he was reportedly personally recommended by Bergevin to ownership as his potential successor.
Following the rescinding of the offer, Mellanby resigned and reports suggest yesterday that Bergevin, who reportedly learned of all this through the media, was not happy with how things had been handled by Canadiens ownership.
This truly marks the end of an era in Montreal.
