Canadiens Ink John Sedgwick To Extension, Named Rocket GM

The Montreal Canadiens have signed assistant general manager, John Sedgwick, to an extension, while adding some new responsibilities moving forward.

Named as an AGM two years ago by general manager Kent Hughes, Sedgwick has been the salary cap guru that the Montreal Canadiens have leaned on to navigate the waters of Long-Term Injury Reserve (LTIR).

From 2017 to 2021, it was Marc Bergevin who looked to Sedgwick to help him maintain a cap-compliant roster during the first instances of the “Flat Cap” era, but he further endeared himself to the organization under Hughes and EVP Jeff Gorton, as they worked through the realities of Carey Price and Shea Weber’s contracts.

Due to his invaluable insight, he was promoted to AGM on February 23rd, 2022; where he was primarily tasked with the legal understanding of the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement; as well as the maintenance of the club’s day-to-day salary cap. His expertise was also very valuable on the trade front, as the club looked to weaponize their cap space to add additional assets over the last few years.

Having been heavily involved with the restructuring of the Canadiens affiliate teams, the Laval Rocket and the Trois-Rivières Lions, it’s also fitting that, along with the contract extension, Sedgwick is now officially the general manager of the Laval Rocket on a permanent basis; allowing him to manage the roster daily and seek out free agents to fill out the club during the offseason.

It will free up Hughes and Gorton to take more of their focus on the main roster and scouting. With NHL betting odds pegging the Montreal Canadiens to finish in the basement of the NHL once again, and the Laval Rocket seemingly looking like they’ll also be missing the playoffs this year, it was imperative that the organization set up parameters for excellence at all levels.

With the Montreal Canadiens’ development team firmly entrenched and set up, establishing coherent and layered managerial levels is yet another step in trying to help the Canadiens build a winner; and who better than the man who helped set up the current affiliate structure to oversee it all.

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