When general manager Mark Bergevin said that during the off-season there would be changes in the Canadiens, he probably did not think that they would attract his friend and mentor Rick Dudley. But 69-year-old Dudley resigned as senior vice president of the hockey team to take a similar position with the Carolina hurricanes on Tuesday.
The reports that Dudley was talking to the Hurricanes appeared last week. Bergewin was asked about Dudley on Saturday night, when the Canadiens provided the overall choice of No. 3 in a draft in New York next month. Bergevin said that he hopes that Dudley will remain with the team.
Hurricanes had a deadline to complete the deal, because the Canadiens holds meetings this week to discuss its plans for the project and clearly did not want to give anything to the opposition, although it should be noted that Carolina chooses ahead of the Canadiens in the first round.
Dudley joined Canadiens as assistant general manager on May 9, 2012, a week after Bergewin became general manager. Two years later he was appointed Senior Vice President. Bergewyn and Dudley worked together in Chicago, and Bergewyn often described Dudley as a mentor. Bergevin said that it was not planned to fill Dudley's position. It is difficult to assess the impact of Dudley's departure, because, despite the fact that Canada's recent promise was more transparent, Berjvin's thoughts were summed up in a statement that read:
"I would like to thank Rick Dudley for his contribution to the Canadiens organization over the past six years. His extensive knowledge of hockey and extensive experience were key assets for our team. On a more personal level, since I became an amateur scout in 2005, Rick was not only a valuable advisor and confidant, but also an excellent friend whom I could always rely on. On behalf of myself and the Montreal Canadiens, I wish Rick success in his new role with the Caroline hurricanes. "
Dudley said that he is ready for a new challenge, and he will find him in Carolina, where the hurricanes have not made the playoffs since they lost at the Eastern Conference final in 2009.
Canadiens may face serious restructuring, but they are ahead of the hurricanes, which are looking for a general manager and head coach.
Tom Dundon, a billionaire from Texas who bought the team in January, appeared as a practical owner, despite the fact that he has no experience in sports. In March, he freed Ron Francis from the duties of his general manager, and on Monday he fired the Hall of Fame from everything he did.
Head coach Bill Peters decided that in four years he had enough for a bench in Carolina, and he left last month to become the head coach of Calgary-Flame.
Although Dudley and Bergerwin have a story dating back to 2005, Dudley has an even longer story with Don Waddell, president of the parent company Hurricanes, Gale Force Sports and Entertainment. Waddell, who serves as the temporary general manager of the hurricanes, worked with Dudley with Flint and the ghosts of San Diego in the International Hockey League and Atlanta Thrashers.
Dudley said that joining Hurricanes was like going home, because his first coaching job was with Carolina Thunderbirds, a team of the Atlantic Coast hockey league in Winston-Salem. He won three ACHL titles in four seasons.
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