Habs: Jeff Gorton ever wondered if he ran a day camp

It’s been a few years since Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes took the helm of the Canadiens. Since then, the club hasn’t enjoyed a ton of success on the ice… but it’s building for the future.

There’s still (a lot of) work to be done, but the club already has a certain foundation.

When Gorton signed Hughes, he knew he was signing a former agent. Inevitably, then, we knew he was capable of building good relationships with his players, but it remained to be seen how that would translate into his new role.

And in a chat with Marc de Foy (TVA Sports), Hughes made it clear that he wants to remain very close to his players. This created a certain atmosphere to which Gorton was not necessarily accustomed.

As a result, he’s already asked Hughes if the two of them run a day camp.

When he became GM of the Habs, Kent Hughes made the decision to get close to his players… which didn’t always please Jeff Gorton

A 40-minute tête-à-tête with the Habs’ architect https://t.co/z0N5RNf KbT

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) October 5, 2024

Of course, it’s mostly a way of saying that there’s an atmosphere of closeness and camaraderie between management and players, which isn’t always the case across the league. In the interview, Hughes explains that he’s not afraid to give his players the straight goods, especially when it comes to the rumours of a deal surrounding them.

Gorton, on the other hand, didn’t come up through the ranks as an agent, having climbed the ladder by learning from managers at a time when such proximity was unthinkable. This created a certain clash of mentalities.

But obviously, this doesn’t prevent the two men from working together. We know they work together to make decisions in the hockey department, and we’ll see if those decisions pay off in the next few years.

And above all, we’ll see if this “day camp” atmosphere will endure over time when expectations are placed on the club. Sometimes, it’s a factor that can change things.

Overtime

– He’s as popular as ever.

Carey Price at an autograph signing in Montreal today with a young Habs fan pic.twitter.com/EKM78UZSch

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 5, 2024

– Today’s ballottés. Note that John Ludvig, who belonged to the Penguins and was placed in the waivers yesterday, has been claimed by the Avalanche.

Today:

Dansk (ANA)
Tynan, Wagner (COL)
Capobianco, Hellberg, Hughes, Lind, Petrovic, Pettersson (DAL)
Kiersted (FLA)
Jones (MIN)
Mackey (NYR)
Hayden, Mahura (SEA)

– Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 5, 2024