“You’re the most hated man in Montreal”: Kent Hughes has had his ups and downs

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
“You’re the most hated man in Montreal”: Kent Hughes has had his ups and downs
Credit: Capture d'écran / X

Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton are household names in Montreal.

Why? Because the two men are building a team that has the potential to dominate the National Hockey League for years to come.

Making the playoffs in 2025… finishing sixth overall in 2026… things are going well, for now.

But even though Canadiens fans have accepted the rebuilding process, there have still been ups and downs along the way.

For example?

Kent Hughes, in an interview with TSN yesterday, reported that in 2023, after the draft, he felt he wasn't exactly the favorite among Habs fans.

That was obviously when he passed over Matvei Michkov to draft David Reinbacher. Ironically, he said that during a game between the two men, even though the Russian looked quite a bit better than the Austrian yesterday in Pennsylvania.

The GM even recounted that one evening, after the draft, he was walking back from a restaurant with Jeff Gorton. The Canadiens' VP even let him walk alone while he was on the phone.

Why? Because he had become the most hated man in Montreal and didn't want to be seen with him, so as not to become “collateral damage” down the line.

Obviously, that's a joke—we all know that. Everyone knows that not drafting Michkov was a group decision… but it shows that the executives are aware of what's being said about the club—and who the criticism is directed at.

But today, that's no longer an issue. Kent Hughes knows the job comes with its ups and downs. And right now, we're experiencing more of the ups than anything else.


In a nutshell

– Well done.

– Note.

– Read this.

– Good question.

– Interesting.

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