Mellanby resigns as Canadiens assistant GM, raising eyebrows about next domino

Scott Mellanby resigned from his post as assistant general manager of the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, the team confirmed.

The Canadiens said they would have no further comment, though many are wondering what will be the next shoe to drop with Mellanby’s boss, Marc Bergevin, sitting as a lame duck in the final year of his contract.

Mellanby’s news was first reported by The Athletic’s Michael Russo.

Montreal is buried near the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings just months after advancing to the Stanley Cup Final.

Mellanby, 55, was one of Bergevin’s most trusted advisors. The two men were former teammates in St. Louis. Mellanby had been mentioned as a candidate for other GM post openings and withdrew his name from consideration as recently as February in Pittsburgh for a job that ultimately went to Ron Hextall.
Mellanby was reportedly supported by Bergevin as a candidate to be his replacement, but Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday that Mellanby was recently informed he would not be a candidate moving forward, leading to his resignation.

Friedman reported earlier on Saturday that the Canadiens had received permission from the New York Rangers to interview former GM Jeff Gorton for a high-ranking front office position