Paul Wilson: “Eventually, it’s going to get harder for the new management”.

It’s now been almost two and a half years since Marc Bergevin was fired from the Habs. The GM, who had been on the job since 2012, was dismissed just a few months after leading the Habs to the Stanley Cup Final.

It was clear that his days were numbered, as his contract had not been extended. It was an uncomfortable situation for everyone.

That said, Bergevin wasn’t the only one to lose his job that day: Trevor Timmins was also out, as was Paul Wilson. The latter, who was in charge of public relations, didn’t get his NHL job back (unlike the other two), returning to National with Andrew Molson.

And this evening, Wilson took advantage of the buzz surrounding the Presidents’ Cup, a golf tournament to be held in Montreal in September, to go on the JiC show. Naturally, he was asked to comment on the work of the new management team, and on the whole, he likes what he sees from them…

But in his opinion, sooner or later, the honeymoon is going to end and the fans are going to want results.

The former Habs GM is doing well!https://t.co/uJwx2SvSv8

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) April 10, 2024

Wilson insists he likes how Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton are handling the rebuild so far, but says that in Montreal, fans want results. He notes the fans ‘ patience at the moment (and admits he’s a little surprised it’s dragged on like this), but eventually it’s going to get more complex on their side.

In fact, he’s right about one thing: the Habs are in the “easy” part of their process, because it’s easier to lose than to win. Once the club wants to become a contender again, there’s a step to take.

Wilson believes that, as of next year, fans will be looking for a bit more in the way of results. Personally, I think that next season will be the last one that will be laborious, and that it’s in 2025-26 that the club will finally be in a state to aspire to the playoffs (when big contracts will leave the books and the big prospects will probably all have arrived), but perhaps my point of view doesn’t meet with consensus either.

The former Habs employee also had a word to say about his good friend, Marc Bergevin, who is doing well. Wilson says the former club GM has no hard feelings towards anyone in Montreal, and is enjoying his time in Los Angeles, working alongside Rob Blake.

Losing his job wasn’t easy, but with the Kings, he’s been able to bounce back with a good organization, we agree.

I’ll repost the interview HERE if you’d like to hear it in its entirety. And hats off to Wilson for taking the time to talk about the Canadiens, even though he’s no longer with the organization.