Fresh off extending defenseman Lane Hutson to a multi-year extension to near-unanimous approval, Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes signed one himself on Tuesday. So too did now-president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton, whose promotion was also announced by the Habs. The extensions project to keep both men in the organization for five more years, each being in the final years of their current deals, right now.
Gorton, Hughes Lead Canadiens Out of NHL Basement
Now entering his fourth presumably full season on the job, Hughes had been hired in the middle of the team’s last-place 2021-22 season by Gorton, who was brought on months earlier as then-executive vice president of hockey operations in November 2021. Gorton’s hiring coincided with the firing of ex-GM Marc Bergevin. Hughes was brought on to replace Bergevin in January 2022.
The Canadiens have agreed to terms on multi-year contract extensions with Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 14, 2025
News release ↓ #GoHabsGo https://t.co/ewSEnlwVac
In each season since, the Canadiens have shown marked improvement in the standings. In 2022-23 and 2023-24, the Habs finished fifth from last in the standings with 68 and 76 points respectively. Up to this point, their efforts to guide the franchise through a rebuild has culminated in a largely unexpected playoff finish in 2024-25, when the Habs earned 91 points to secure a berth in Game 82, as, according to some reports, the youngest team in NHL history to accomplish the feat.
As GM, Hughes has overseen the team’s selections of key players like Hutson and first-overall-pick Juraj Slafkovsky, at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, his first such event in the role. He’s also drafted highly regarded pieces like forward Ivan Demidov (2024) and goalie Jacob Fowler (2023), who are each widely regarded as potential franchise cornerstones for the future. He’s meanwhile acquired players like forward Zachary Bolduc and defenseman Noah Dobson via trade, both just this past summer, to further shape the Habs based on his vision for an offensively dynamic team upon being hired.
In terms of signings, on top of Hutson ($70.8 million, eight years), the Canadiens have inked additional core components like Slafkovsky ($60.8 million, eight years) and Cole Caufield ($62.8 million, eight years) to long-term extensions, under Hughes’ watch. The team’s current core is projected to stay together until at least 2030, at which point Nick Suzuki is slated to become an unrestricted free agent under a deal signed by Bergevin ($63 million, eight years).
The Canadiens are currently 2-1 so far and are set to face the Seattle Kraken at home for their first game at the Bell Centre this season on Tuesday night.
