Canadiens hire former agent Kent Hughes as general manager

Hiring a player agent to run an NHL team is a novel idea, but the Montreal Canadiens have tried most of the better-traveled paths in general manager hiring and still wound up being the worst team in the league.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this decision is that the Canadiens are now being run by two Boston Guys in new GM Kent Hughes, who was hired Tuesday morning, and executive vice president Jeff Gorton. But a close second is that this is uncharted territory across the board; for an agent to jump directly to the GM’s chair is almost unprecedented in the salary-cap era. Former Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis fits the bill, as did Mike Barnett, who ran the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes until 2014.{