On one side of the press box, there was Bob Gainey and general manager Pierre Gauthier. They barely spoke the entire game.
At the other end sat Montreal Canadiens owner Geoff Molson, all alone.
It was Feb. 26 in Sunrise, Fla., hours before the trade deadline. It was odd.
I was reminded of that scene as Molson introduced Marc Bergevin as the team’s new GM on Wednesday. Before the process began, Molson couldn’t have identified Bergevin in a police lineup. But as he interviewed him once, twice, three times, it became clear: Bergevin was the man he was looking for.
Why? It was Bergevin’s impressive body of work; his experience and leadership; his determination and desire to win; his eye for talent. But the one thing that impressed Molson the most was his ability to engage with others and communicate. That doesn’t mean just talking, but also listening. It means getting the most out of everyone around you. It means empowering them and entrusting them with responsibilities.
Contrary to what many have said, Gauthier is a qualified hockey person. Gainey’s resume speaks for itself. But the Canadiens needed change. They needed a new vision. They needed someone who will inspire the team, staff and fan base.
Marc Bergevin will do all those things. In just a few minutes at his press conference on Wednesday, he had the entire city, province and fan base eating out of his hand.
He’s not perfect. He’ll make mistakes. Remember, he’s a rookie in the position, but as Panthers GM Dale Tallon told me Wednesday, no one will work harder than Bergevin to give the fans what they’ve been longing decades for.
This was the most important hiring decision Molson is likely to make, and there was tremendous pressure on him to get it right. But given that one of the objectives was to shock a moribund culture, he can rightly claim, on one level at least, that he already has.