The other shoe dropped today, with the Montréal Canadiens completely overhauling their front office. Gone are general manager Marc Bergevin, assistant general manager Trevor Timmins, and senior vice-president Paul Wilson.
Statement from Marc Bergevinhttps://t.co/i21TZGf8wo
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 28, 2021
Canadiens Fire Bergevin, Hire Gorton
Recent arrival Jeff Gorton has an official title now. He’s the executive vice-president of hockey operations and is going to be taking a major role in filling the now-open roles. The Canadiens fire Bergevin, Timmins, and Wilson the day after Scott Mellanby resigned from his post as assistant general manager.
Timmins was in his 17th year with the club, promoted in 2017, and was in charge of amateur scouting. He ran the entry draft, oversaw the scouting department, and was responsible for amateur recruitment.
Wilson was less on the hockey side, running communications for the club earlier this year. He oversaw all communications and public affairs for the club.
In an official press release, owner and club president Geoff Molson thanked Bergevin, Timmins, and Wilson for their time with the club.
“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.”
What This Means
This adds three more names to the rolls of unemployed NHL executives. Any teams looking to change their own office staff have even more options now. How appealing any of them are is a different question entirely. Most teams who are looking mid-season are in a difficult position, so the appeal has to go both ways.
Wilson may simply return to the world of corporate communications. The experienced hockey men, on the other hand, have more substantial resumes. Scott Mellanby, the one who walked before he could be pushed, will have the most appeal of all.
