Gorton, Hughes sign multiyear contracts to remain with Canadiens

Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes each signed a multiyear contract to remain with the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.

Gorton, 57, who was hired on Nov. 28, 2021, was promoted to president of hockey operations after having served as the executive vice president. Hughes, 55, who was hired on Jan. 18, 2022, will continue in his position as general manager.

"I am very pleased that Jeff and Kent have committed to the Montreal Canadiens for an additional five years," Canadiens owner Geoff Molson said in a statement. "I would like to thank Jeff and Kent for taking this team and organization to where it is today, full of talent, size and speed with a support structure that is second to none, an objective from Day 1. I look forward to many more years working with them."

Since arriving in Montreal, Hughes and Gorton have helped the Canadiens rebuild through the NHL Draft, selecting forward Juraj Slafkovsky (2022 NHL Draft, No. 1), defenseman Lane Hutson (2022, No. 62) and forward Ivan Demidov (2024 NHL Draft, No. 5). They have also signed Slafkovsky, Hutson, and forward Cole Caufield (2019 NHL Draft, No. 15) to long-term contracts.

Hutson, who won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year last season, signed an eight-year, $70.8 million contract ($8.85 million average annual value) with Montreal on Monday.

Gorton has made key structural changes to the team's hockey operations department, establishing the first analytics department and hiring members of the organization's hockey development department, including Adam Nicholas as director, hockey development. Among his most notable appointments were naming Hughes as GM, Nick Bobrov as co-director of amateur scouting, and Vincent Lecavalier as special adviser to hockey operations.

Hughes has made major roster moves while changing the identity and culture of the team. One of his first big decisions was hiring Martin St. Louis as interim coach on Feb. 9, 2022, before signing the Hockey Hall of Famer to a three-year contract on June 1 of that year.

"Geoff Molson's support has been essential to the work Jeff and I have done, and I would like to thank him for his trust and support in us. We have big ambitions for this team, and for that reason, we consider the work that was done so far as just the beginning," Hughes said. "Creating an environment that benefits both individual and collective player development remains our top priority. We're encouraged by the progress the team's made, but we're also committed to staying patient and calculated in our actions, trusting the process of our long-term plan."

The Canadiens went 40-31-11 last season and qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2021, losing to the Washington Capitals in five games in the Eastern Conference First Round. St. Louis finished third in voting for the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's coach of the year.