After the NHL’s 3 p.m. trade deadline had passed, Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes spent more than 20 minutes in Brossard fielding questions from the media.
He responded in a way that, in my opinion, demonstrated why he is the best person to be assembling this team during its rebuild. It had nothing to do with his choice to retain veteran defenseman David Savard or sell goalie Jake Allen to the New Jersey Devils.
Hughes told me, “Listen, I look forward to the day that we’re buying, not selling,” in response to my question concerning his level of patience since taking over the position two years ago. Like everyone else, I’m very competitive. I want to experience the highs and lows that come with competing for a Stanley Cup—winning and losing. Therefore, the quicker it can occur, the better. I hope to be present when it occurs. However, I don’t want to do it at the expense of doing it correctly, and I believe that as a management group and as an organization, we all feel that way.
“I’d like to be around for it” was the first thing that immediately stood out to me.
As the supporters of the Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, and Edmonton Oilers will attest, rebuilding a franchise in the 32-team, salary-capped NHL is no small feat. Hughes is aware that his plan for rebuilding could not be successful. But he and executive vice-president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton have a good strategy in place, and he thinks it will work.
Hughes will be let go eventually if it doesn’t work. However, he is unafraid of that and will not act frantically in an attempt to keep his work.
This is not a position that Hughes needs. He made a great living as a player agent and is not in need of the money. But as general manager of the Canadiens, he has accepted the challenge.
In a one-on-one interview a few months after Gorton appointed him general manager, Hughes—who was raised on Montreal’s West Island—told me, “Why not take the ultimate challenge here, and it’s coming home.”
In that one-on-one conversation, Hughes shared another fascinating statement regarding his time spent teaching young hockey players with the Boston Junior Eagles program, including his kids Riley and Jack.
