Just want to start off by thanking the staff here at HabsWorld for having me back. And now for the big news of the day, Marc Bergevin has been named the new general manager of the Montreal Canadiens beating out runner up Pierre McGuire and former Hab assistant Julien BriseBois.
With his hiring, the all important first step has been taken and we can now officially begin the first off season of a new era for this organization. Bergevin, while still fairly new to the front office of a NHL club, is a bit of a Jack of all trades with what he does bring to the Habs table.
As a Montreal native, he is perfectly bilingual and knows full well what the fans expect of their beloved franchise. He played 20 seasons in the NHL with 8 different teams. During his playing days he was known as a natural leader and would do what it took to help the team win.
Bergevin retired from playing hockey in 2004 following a long and productive career. He joined the Blackhawks in 2005 as a pro scout, a job he held for 3 seasons. In that time Chicago notably drafted Jack Skille, Michael Blunden, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Akim Aliu. In the summer of 2008 he switched gears and became one of Joel Quenneville’s assistant coaches.
After one season as an assistant coach in the NHL, Bergevin became the Director of Player Personnel for the Blackhawks. It was in this capacity that he oversaw the development of many of talented prospects Chicago had in their employ while becoming one of the NHL’s elite and winning the Stanley Cup in 2010.
He got his first taste of front office responsibility when he was named the Blackhawks assistant general manager last summer following Kevin Cheveldayoff’s move to Winnipeg. While his tutelage under GM Stan Bowman only lasted one season it undoubtedly offered him invaluable experience in the day to day workings of an NHL team.
While the pressure will be much greater in Montreal, I have faith that he is the right man for the job ahead of him. He has the experiences of player, coach, scout, and front office employee. He knows what it is like to negotiate a NHL contract. He knows what it is like to be on both sides of the bench. He has sat at draft day tables, and has had a key role in developing young players into winners. He has been a part of both a free agent frenzy and a trade deadline from inside the “war room”. Most importantly, Marc Bergevin is bringing a winning attitude with him. He knows what it takes to win the Stanley Cup and given time he is fully capable of transforming the Montreal Canadiens into the champions we have been waiting 20 long years to see.
Yes, he will have some bumps in the road as he becomes adjusted to life as the general manager of the most storied and pressure driven franchise in the NHL. With the right support staff (including a capologist) and a coach who has a mutual understanding and goal, it will soon be a great time to be a Habs fan again.