Music: {allcanada} Bergevin selected as new Montreal GM

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

{allcanada} Bergevin selected as new Montreal GM

After an exhaustive search for a new general manager that had owner Geoff Molson and his advisor Serge Savard scouring the hockey world for candidates during the past few weeks, the Montreal Canadiens hired a man who worked his way from being a veteran defenseman to becoming an astute scout to finally building a solid reputation in the Chicago Blackhawks front office.

Marc Bergevin, 46, was announced Wednesday morning as the 17th general manager in Canadiens history, leaving his post as general manager Stan Bowman's assistant in Chicago to take what is arguably one of the most prestigious front office positions in all of sports.

He will be formally introduced to the Montreal media at a press conference at 2 p.m. ET Wednesday afternoon at the team's suburban practice facility.

Bergevin replaces Pierre Gauthier, who was relieved of his duties as Canadiens GM on March 29 after a two-year run that culminated in Montreal finishing last in the Eastern Conference and No. 28 in the overall standings with a 31-35-16 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2007.

Bergevin beat out Tampa Bay Lightning assistant GM Julien BriseBois -- who previously held the same position in Montreal -- and also NBC Sports analyst and Montreal native Pierre McGuire.

McGuire said on Ottawa radio station Wednesday morning that he had received a call from Molson early that morning informing him that Bergevin got the job.

Bergevin is held in high regard as a talent evaluator, with legendary coach Scotty Bowman once saying that he "has got a really good eye" for spotting hockey talent. Rick Dudley, the Toronto Maple Leafs director of player personnel and a former colleague of Bergevin's in the Blackhawks front office, told a Montreal radio station last month that he considers Bergevin to be among "the top one percent" in terms of talent evaluators in the NHL.

After being drafted No. 59 by Chicago in the 1983 NHL Draft, Bergevin played 1,191 games on defense across 20 seasons with the Blackhawks, Islanders, Whalers, Lightning, Red Wings, Blues, Penguins and Canucks. He joined the Blackhawks scouting staff in 2005 and was named director of pro scouting in 2007 before becoming the team's director of player personnel, and finally being named assistant GM after Kevin Cheveldayoff vacated that position to become GM of the Winnipeg Jets in the summer of 2011.

Bergevin will be under some pressure to perform in Montreal, with a fan base upset about the difficulties of this past season and eager for a return to the gloried history of the franchise. And it's not only the fans who long for that lofty standard of past excellence.

"We need to remember that our fans want us to win. Period," Molson said when announcing Gauthier's firing. "Our organizational culture needs to support and adopt this passion for victory. Nothing else matters. Many fans have asked what our strategy is. It's one thing, and it's one thing only -- to have a winning organization. Just qualifying for the playoffs cannot be our goal or our standard. Not for this team, not for this organization. This organization going forward must set its sights on competing for the game's ultimate prize every season, and no lesser standard should be accepted."

Bergevin will have several hot-button issues to address immediately.

First off, he will need to determine the fate of Canadiens interim head coach Randy Cunneyworth, one that appears practically sealed after he finished the season with an 18-23-9 record and failed to right the ship after his predecessor Jacques Martin was fired by Gauthier on Dec. 17. The firestorm that surrounded Cunneyworth's hiring over his inability to speak French led Molson to issue a statement saying that hiring a bilingual head coach will be a priority for the 2012-13 season, a responsibility that now falls on Bergevin's shoulders.

Bergevin also has two cornerstone talents in goaltender Carey Price and defenseman P.K. Subban heading toward restricted free agency on July 1, while the contract of the under-performing Scott Gomez will also need to be addressed.