Habs owner Molson seeking a ‘fresh start’

Addresses reporters after a front-office shakeup on weekend

Geoff Molson felt the time was right for the Montreal Canadiens to emphatically turn the page.

And with his decision to engineer a clean break from general manager Marc Bergevin’s regime over the weekend, the scuffling team’s owner came to another realization.

Running the Canadiens’ hockey department under the glaring spotlight in a media-saturated, bilingual market — one unlike any other in the NHL — will be a two-person job moving forward.

“I strongly believe that this organization needs a fresh start,” Molson told reporters Monday during a news conference at the club’s practice facility in Brossard, Que. “At this stage, a fresh start is not so much at the team level, but rather at the management level.”

One of the roles — the newly formed executive vice-president of hockey operations — was filled less than 24 hours earlier when Molson announced Bergevin’s dismissal and the hiring of former New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton.

The other — Montreal’s now-vacant GM position — will eventually be occupied by a bilingual candidate following what Molson said would be an “exhaustive” search, but also one completed with a caveat of “the sooner, the better.”

“(Gorton and the GM) are going to assess the situation,” Molson said. “They’re going to develop an identity they want.”

Bergevin was in his 10th season in charge when he was fired after a miserable 6-15-2 start to the 202122 campaign that came on the heels of last season’s stunning run to the Stanley Cup final.

Molson said Bergevin, who was in the final year of his contract, did a good job over his tenure, but change was required following an “unacceptable” start.

The owner also acknowledged his former GM, whose managerial career in Montreal was often marked by bold and sometimes controversial moves, could have used help in the front office.

“It’s a lot for one person,” Molson said. “If I could back up a few years and know what I know today, I would have complemented (Bergevin) with another person.

“It’s that big a job in this market.” Molson said Gorton and the GM to-be-named-later are expected to work in tandem, but the latter will have final say on hockey decisions.

“To have two people thinking about making a smart decision is way better than having one person,” Molson said.

Gorton was fired by the Rangers last spring after they missed the playoffs, but much of the talent accumulated over his six seasons in charge has New York competing for top spot in the Metropolitan Division.

“Nobody’s perfect in the hockey world,” Molson said. “But I look at that team ... it seems to be performing pretty well.

“He has a reputation for being a great evaluator of talent, but I think somebody who lasts all those years as a general manager must be doing something right.”

The 53-year-old from the Boston area was also briefly interim GM of the Bruins in 2006, and ran a draft that helped set the stage for the franchise’s Cup victory in 2011.

Molson said Gorton, who signed what he called a “long-term” contract, will be in Montreal later this week and plans to move his family to Quebec for the start of the next school year.

“We’re all going to really like to have him here,” Molson added. “It’ll be a breath of fresh air.”

Having also fired assistant GM Trevor Timmins and PR executive Paul Wilson on Sunday, and after assistant GM Scott Mellanby abruptly resigned Saturday as the Gorton rumours started to swirl, Molson said it’s on his two-headed management monster to hammer out how the organization goes about achieving its goals.

“I shared some of the high-level things (to Gorton) about vision — better scouting, better player development, a medical performance team and more diversity (in hockey ops),” Molson said. “It’s going to be up to them to figure out how we’re going to do that.”

I strongly believe that this organization needs a fresh start.

GEOFF MOLSON MONTREAL CANADIENS OWNER