Canadiens extend GM Kent Hughes, executive VP of hockey ops Jeff Gorton

The Montreal Canadiens signed GM Kent Hughes and Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Jeff Gorton to multi-year contract extensions, the team announced Tuesday in a press release.

“Their commitment to building a world class organization has been unrelenting and will only get better as we progress in the years to come,” said Canadiens’ CEO Geoff Molson. “I would like to thank Jeff and Kent for taking this team and organization to where it is today, full of talent, size and speed with a support structure that is second to none, an objective from day one. I look forward to many more years working with them.”

The first to report the news was Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, and was later confirmed by TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.

Last month, TVA reporter Renaud Lavoie reported the team was talking with Hughes and Gorton regarding contract extensions.

The Canadiens are 2-1-0 with four points through the first three games of the 2025-26 regular season.

Hughes, 55, was hired as general manager in January 2022. After a brief career playing college hockey in the ’80s and early ’90s, Hughes became an NHL player agent and represented dozens of players, including Vincent Lecavalier, Kris Letang, Patrice Bergeron and Darnell Nurse.

Gorton, 57, was hired by the Canadiens in November 2021 as an executive vice president of hockey operations. Before then, he worked numerous jobs with the New York Rangers, starting as a pro scout and working his way up to general manager. He was fired in May 2021.

Gorton also worked for the Boston Bruins, including as an assistant general manager and as interim GM during the 2005-06 season.

The Canadiens finished the 2024-25 season with a 40-31-11 record and 91 points, fifth in the Atlantic Division and enough to clinch the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, their first playoff birth since their 2021 Stanley Cup Final run.

In the first round, they were eliminated by the Washington Capitals in five games.