Geoff Molson Addresses Media About Canadiens Changes and Future

Owner and President of the Montreal Canadiens, Geoff Molson met with the media on Monday to talk about the changes made in the front office. Marc Bergevin and the entire management staff were released, while head coach Dominique Ducharme has been retained and Jeff Gorton hired as President of Hockey Operations.

Related: Canadiens Fire GM Marc Bergevin, Hire Jeff Gorton as EVP Hockey Ops

Molson started out by saying, “I strongly believe that this organization needs a fresh start.” Suggesting those changes wouldn’t necessarily come from at the player or coaching levels, he believes this current team is better than their record shows.

Molson also confirmed that he alone made the decision to make massive changes and added that he has signed Jeff Gorton to a long-term deal. He said that Marc Bergevin did a commendable job but noted the job itself was likely too big for one person. He noted, “If I could go back a couple of years, and know what I know today, I would have complimented [Bergevin] with another person.”

Molson didn’t shut the door on the potential this team undergoes a rebuild. He noted that Gorton and the new GM will decide if a rebuild is necessary and if so, he’ll be supportive of it if it made sense for the betterment of Montreal. “I’m not afraid of that word and I think it’s something our fans are not afraid of,” he noted. He added that he has not asked for or received permission to speak to any teams about hiring a new GM.

When asked why he thinks Gorton is the right man for the job, he said he looks at the New York Rangers today and says he likes the team Gorton built there. He notes that Gorton also has a great reputation around the NHL and noted that he was extremely impressed by what Gorton said. Agreeing that has a strong reputation for evaluating talent, he says Gorton must be doing something right if he’s got the glowing rep he does as an NHL GM.

He also noted the Canadiens are making a critical change by building a medical team dedicated to the mental health of players.

Bergevin himself released a statement about his release thanked everyone for giving him an opportunity to run the Canadiens. He noted he would publicly say his goal was to make the playoffs, but in relaity, he always approached the season with the desire to “bring the Cup to Montreal.”

Potential Canadiens GM Candidates

Chris Johnston names Mathieu Darche as the top candidate to replace Marc Bergevin as GM of the team. Darche is currently Director of Hockey Ops for the Lightning. There have been other names mentioned, including Daniel Briere, Martin Madden Jr., Martin Brodeur, and Roberto Luongo.

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