Daniel Brière relieved not to have gotten the GM job with the Canadiens

In 2021, Marc Bergevin was replaced as head of hockey operations by Jeff Gorton. Gorton, along with Geoff Molson, went in search of a GM.

In 2022, Kent Hughes left his agency to become GM of the Canadiens.

It was always felt that Hughes was very high on the list of Gorton, who today forms a formidable duo at the head of hockey operations with the former agent.

We know that around ten names were interviewed. But among the finalists for the job were Hughes, Mathieu Darche, and Daniel Brière.

Today, all three are ironically GMs in the NHL.

Brière was interviewed by Hugo Girard (on the podcast Hugo Girard sans limite) and asked about the GM process in Montreal.

And Brière said something surprising: he was relieved not to have gotten the job.

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He didn't say that because he didn't want the position. In fact, he said that because he didn't necessarily feel ready to take that job at that point in his life.

He didn't feel he was ready because he didn't have a ton of experience in NHL offices, but he obviously said yes to an interview.

I realize I'm probably not ready for this, but you can't say no to an opportunity like this. – Daniel Brière

He was expecting to have just one interview, but he was called back for a second round and a few more questions. And there he felt he was a candidate who could go far in the process, something he doubted before the first interview.

But in the end, he didn't get the job.

Although he was relieved (because he hadn't gotten that far in his apprenticeship, in his opinion), it's worth mentioning that he was also obviously disappointed. By then, he would have liked to have been GM of the Canadiens, but he understood that it was probably better for him.

It's an interesting perspective.

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Remember that he became GM (interim) of the Flyers in March 2023. So it was only over a year before he got his chance following the process with the Canadiens.

Seeing him in Philly, where he spent many years as a player, is a natural.