Kings Hire Marc Bergevin As Senior Advisor To The General Manager

The Los Angeles Kings have hired former Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin as a senior advisor to general manager Rob Blake.

“Marc brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our hockey operations staff and will be a valuable addition to our group,” Vice President and General Manager Rob Blake said in a press release late Sunday afternoon. “We look forward to his contributions.”

After the worst start in the 112-year history of the franchise, Bergevin, assistant GM Trevor Timmins, and senior VP of press relations and communications Paul Wilson were all fired by the Montreal Canadiens on November 28. That same day, the Habs announced that they had hired former New York Rangers GM, Jeff Gorton, as their new executive vice-president of hockey operations. Gorton is currently in the process of hiring a new Montreal Canadiens GM.

“Even if I always said that the goal was to make the playoffs and that everything was possible once there, the real objective was always to bring the Cup to Montreal,” Bergevin said after he was let go by the Habs.

“I know you would have liked to hear me say that at each golf tournament at the start of the season, but this thought was behind every decision I made since my first day at the head of this organization. Last year allowed us to get closer to the ultimate objective but we fell short of hoisting the Holy Grail. Despite this, I am proud of what we achieved as an organization. I sincerely hope this objective will be achieved sooner than later.”

It was clear then that Bergevin needed at least a little time away from a job that for just over nine seasons, he poured his heart and soul into but it appears he’s ready to at least get back into the game in a reduced capacity.

“I’ve enjoyed my time away, but I’m excited to join the LA Kings and become an active part of helping the team reach its objectives,” Bergevin said in the same Kings press release Sunday. “I have a great amount of respect for Luc (Robitaille), Rob, and the staff they have in place and it’s an honor to provide my input to this highly-regarded group.”

Bergevin compiled a record of 344-265-81 as the Habs GM since the 2013 season. The Montreal Canadiens made six playoff appearances and won three division titles during his tenure, making it to Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals last year. Bergevin also spent seven seasons as an executive in the Chicago Blackhawks organization and was their Assistant General Manager in 2011-12.