Canadiens' Kent Hughes responds to former NHLer Georges Laraque's report of a meeting with Gerard Gallant

PUBLICATION

Tom Banks
November 11, 2024 (5:59 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

The Montreal Canadiens may not be at their best right now, but after a recent report revealed a change could be coming, Kent Hughes emphatically shut it down.

Through 16 games this season, the Montreal Canadiens sit at a very disappointing 5-9-2 despite an incredible year from Cole Caufield, and now rumors have emerged that they could be on the verge of making a big change. That speculation only intensified recently when former NHLer Georges Laraque claimed that he was told Kent Hughes and Martin St. Louis were meeting together. This led to reports that he could be coming on as an assistant coach.

However, that has now been confirmed as false, as Hughes claims he has never even talked to Gerard Gallant in his entire life, calling into question how this report from the former enforcer Laraque came to be.

"I have never spoken to Gerard Gallant The last time I saw him was at the awards ceremony in Las Vegas when he won the Jack Adams. This is not true information."

Hughes' comments to La Presse show that this was as far off-base a report as we have seen in recent times, showing to the fans just how hard it can be dealing with the NHL media in hockey-mad Canada, especially in Montreal where the sport has become a way of life. This doesn't mean that no change is coming this season, as the team could continue to struggle and force the front office's hand, but for now, any changes that could be made would not include the former New York Rangers Head Coach.

With Cole Caufield posting 10 goals in 15 games and Nick Suzuki leading the way in scoring, the future remains very bright in Montreal, but as for the present, don't be shocked if the hot seat continues to grow hotter for everyone involved on the Canadiens coaching staff.