Little is said about it, but the Canadiens’ new vice-president of hockey operations, Jeff Gorton, played a crucial role in winning the Stanley Cup from the Boston Bruins in 2011, even though he wasn’t. no longer with the team for four years.
Gorton’s stint with the Rangers as GM has been documented a lot. From its reconstruction announced with great fanfare to supporters to the signing of Artemi Panarin, through the transaction that brought Mika Zibanejad to New York in return for Derick Brassard.
• Read also: Change in the office, but not on the ice
• Read also: A CEO who speaks French: the PM’s priority
• Read also: Dominique Ducharme shaken
His stay in Boston was more discreet. Hired in 1992 as an intern, he was appointed Director of Amateur Recruitment, then he became Deputy CEO Harry Sinden.
In 2006, when GM Mike O’Connell was fired, he was put in charge of the interim Bruins.
In 109 days, from March 25 to July 11, when the new GM Peter Chiarelli took office, Gorton made some good moves, some of which, even today, allow the Bruins to aspire to the top honors of the year. after year.
The first dice were thrown in the draft.
By then, Boston had found O’Connell’s successor, but Chiarelli could not take office until July. Gorton was therefore given the mandate to lead the troops during this auction.
After finishing 29-37-16, the Bruins had the fifth draft overall and used it to claim American Phil Kessel. The latter did not participate in the 2011 conquest, but he will have allowed the club to trade him to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2009, in return for two first-round picks, which would become Tyler Seguin and Dougie Hamilton.
Then the Bruins got their hands on Milan Lucic in the 50e rang.
In the third round, several recruiters of the team, including Daniel Doré, stamped their feet so that Gorton could get their hands on a pick, them who had none in this round. Scouts had a name in mind and they didn’t want to miss their chance.
Gorton then sent the 98e and 126e selections to New York Islanders in return for 71e, which they used to claim a certain Brad Marchand.
In that same draft, Gorton also traded goaltender Andrew Raycroft to the Maple Leafs for a young Finnish goalkeeper named Tuukka Rask.
If he mainly followed the recommendations of his recruiters in 2006, Gorton still completed a productive summer by making two big catches in the free agent market.
First, he offered forward Marc Savard a four-year contract at a cost of $ 5 million per season, on 1is July. The next day he struck another big blow: defenseman Zdeno Chara agreed to leave Ottawa to sign a five-year, $ 37.5 million pact in Boston.
In his third campaign with the Bruins, Chara won the Norris Trophy and, two years later, he was lifting the Stanley Cup.
In Savard’s case, he had seasons of 96, 78 and 88 points in Massachusetts before concussion issues put an end to his career.
Gorton, however, was fired at the end of the 2006-2007 season, but was immediately hired by the Rangers as a professional recruiter. He remained with this organization until last season.
Four years after his departure, the Bruins got their hands on the cup with Chara, Lucic, Marchand and Rask in their lineup.
1992
Hired by the Bruins as an intern
1994 to 1999
Bruins Recruiting Director
1999 to 2007 *
Deputy General Manager of the Bruins
2007
Fired by the Bruins and hired as a professional recruiter with the Rangers
2007 to 2011
Assistant to the Rangers Player Staff
2011 to 2015
Deputy Director General of Rangers
2015 to 2021
General Manager of Rangers
2021 to today
Executive Vice-President, Hockey Operations for the Canadiens
* Acting CEO from March 25 to July 11, 2006
June 24, 2006
Acquires Tuukka Rask from the Maple Leafs in return for Andrew Raycroft
July 18, 2016
He gets Mika Zibanejad and a Senators second-round pick over Derick Brassard and a seventh-round pick
June 23, 2017
Trade Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta to the Coyotes for Tony DeAngelo and a first-round pick (Lias Andersson)
November 16, 2018
He trades Ryan Spooner at the Oilers for Ryan Strome
30 avril 2019
Acquires Hurricanes’ Adam Fox signing rights for two second-round picks
– .
