Friday morning, at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard, was held the first press briefing of the Montreal Canadiens' new Vice-President of Hockey Operations, Jeff Gorton.
The former Rangers manitou first made several friends by beginning his press briefing in the language of Molière, before imploring the patience of fans on this side and assuring that he would "learn French" soon.
When asked why he chose Montreal, Gorton admitted that the history of the franchise and the city played a big part in his decision. He also explained that he was used to working for either of the original six teams, having worked with the Rangers and Bruins in the past.
Predictably, Gorton's priority will be to improve the Habs' development department, which is why he wants to try to give the team an identity, including working with advanced statistics.
When asked about his potential interest in Patrick Roy, Gorton said that he was "not afraid of anything" and that he had a lot of respect for Roy, but that he would evaluate all the possibilities before choosing who would be his general manager.
Finally, Mr. Gorton also said that he understands that Montreal is a unique market, and that he will do everything he can to get his hands on French-speaking players, especially if it will help him improve his team.
