Hawks’ Bergevin new GM for Canadiens

After finishing last in the Eastern Conference, the Montreal Canadiens have raided the front office of the Chicago Blackhawks and hired Marc Bergevin as club’s new general manager.

Bergevin has seven years of front-office experience, most recently as assistant GM for the Blackhawks under Stan Bowman. The 46-year-old Montreal native replaces Pierre Gauthier, who was fired before the Canadiens closed the year with a 31-35-16 record (75 points), finishing last in the Northeast Division and last in the Eastern Conference.

Just two years ago, Montreal lost to Philadelphia in the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals, the same year the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup.

In his 20-year NHL career as a defenseman, Bergevin played for the Blackhawks, the New York Islanders, Hartford, Tampa Bay, Detroit, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Vancouver before retiring in 2004.

Montreal owner and president Geoff Molson will introduce Bergevin at an afternoon news conference.

“While it is never easy to lose someone of Marc Bergevin’s caliber, both professionally and personally, it is a tremendous opportunity for him and his family,” Blackhawks vice-president/general manager Stan Bowman said in a statement released Wednesday. “He has played a significant role in our success over the last several years as a member of the front office and coaching staff, and his roots in Chicago stretch to 1983 when he was drafted by the Blackhawks. I want to personally thank him for his dedication to our organization and certainly wish him all the best in Montreal.”