Canadiens sign Gorton, Hughes to 5-year extensions

The Montreal Canadiens have locked up their management team, signing president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton and general manager Kent Hughes to five-year extensions, the club announced Tuesday.

Gorton held the title of executive vice president of hockey operations before Tuesday's announcement. Both his and Hughes' contracts were set to expire at the end of the season.

"I am very pleased that Jeff and Kent have committed to the Montreal Canadiens for an additional five years. Their commitment to building a world-class organization has been unrelenting and will only get better as we progress in the years to come," Canadiens owner, president, and CEO Geoff Molson said.

"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 1. I look forward to many more years working with them."

Gorton joined the Canadiens in November 2021. Montreal hired Hughes in January 2022. Together, they've undergone a successful rebuild that culminated with Montreal making a surprising playoff appearance in 2024-25.

The list of players drafted by Gorton and Hughes includes Juraj Slafkovsky, Lane Hutson, and Ivan Demidov. Players they've acquired via trade include Patrik Laine, Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, Zack Bolduc, Noah Dobson, and Alexandre Carrier. They also hired Martin St. Louis as the team's head coach in February 2022.