Hockey

Patrice Bergeron: Kent Hughes, the ideal GM for the Habs
Pablo Herrera-Vergara
Patrice Bergeron: Kent Hughes, the ideal GM for the Habs
Credit: Kent Hughes will probably have plenty to say at his press briefing this afternoon.

Patrice Bergeron looks ecstatic in retirement. He's enjoying his days and has even seen his jersey retired by his M18AAA team, the Séminaire Saint-François Blizzard, in recent days. Bergeron appeared on the La Poche Bleue podcast with Maxim Lapierre and Pascal Leclaire, where he discussed a number of topics, but Kent Hughes was a particularly interesting one. The current Habs general manager was Bergeron's agent during his playing career.

“Kent eats hockey. I remember when we'd go out to eat, he'd always talk about hockey. The analytical side too (…) he brought in skills coaches and shots doctors, if it can't hurt, it can just help, let's go on it. It's very smart for a young team like the Habs.”

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Patrice Bergeron

Kent Hughes was very transparent when he arrived in Montreal, he wanted to change the way the Habs worked and, so far, his ideas are paying off. Dr Shot” Glen Tucker, a hockey shooting coach, helped Juraj Slafkovsky in 2024. Adam Nicholas' contract is also quite fascinating. He helps the players with advanced statistics, but he's the one who was around a lot this summer at the players' practices. It's easy to stay with the basics and not change

“Kent, he's a very strong negotiator. I remember talking to general managers who told me he's like ‘A dog on a bone'. He gets what he wants. That's an excellent attribute for a general manager.”

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Patrice Bergeron

It's been pretty clear since he took office that he waits until he gets the offer he wants before making a deal. And he's been very successful. Players like Sean Monahan and Patrik Laine, in particular, have put the Habs in a better position, while the Flames and Blue Jackets still have to regret transactions.

'Overtime'

– They have a similar story.

– Rare defeat for the Jays.

– Far from over.

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