The Canadiens are mourning former owner George N. Gillett Jr., who died at 87. Gillett owned Montreal from 2001 until 2009, a stretch that included Saku Koivu’s return from cancer, the Bell Centre name change and the launch of preparations for the club’s centennial season.
- No current Canadiens lineup changes, scratches or injury updates were part of Wednesday’s announcement.
- Gillett bought an 80.1-percent stake in the Canadiens and full control of the arena on Jan. 31, 2001, paying Molson Inc. C$275 million.
- He sold the club, the Bell Centre and Groupe Spectacles Gillett to Geoff Molson’s investor group on June 20, 2009.
- Montreal posted a 254-198-52 record, plus 18 ties before shootouts replaced them, during Gillett’s ownership. The Canadiens reached the playoffs five times in his six-and-a-half seasons.
Gillett, born Oct. 22, 1938, in Racine, Wisconsin, arrived in Montreal after building a wide business portfolio through Brook Creek Management Corp. The Canadiens were approximately his 150th acquisition, following a career that began with a 1948 job pulling weeds in an onion field owned by his great-uncle.
His purchase initially faced skepticism in Montreal, including criticism tied to a 1992 bankruptcy from which he had recovered. He later said he wanted the public to evaluate his family by its work with the Canadiens rather than by his past mistakes. By the time he received Sports Media Canada’s executive of the year honour in 2008, he was able to joke with the room about the harsh early coverage.
Geoff Molson said Gillett embraced Montreal and was valued throughout the organization. Molson offered condolences to Gillett’s family and thanked him for what he brought to the franchise during his time in charge.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Gillett’s commitment to both the Canadiens and the city was clear throughout his ownership. Bettman noted Gillett helped steer the club through a major historical period, including work toward the 2009-10 centennial celebration, and called him a friend with wise counsel and infectious energy.
Gillett’s Canadiens tenure included several landmark nights. Koivu returned to the lineup on April 9, 2002, after his cancer battle. The club’s building became Bell Centre on Sept. 1, 2002. He also took part in alumni celebrations, including the 2005 announcement that Bernie Geoffrion, Dickie Moore and Yvan Cournoyer would have their jerseys retired.
For all of the business attached to the team, Gillett treated the Canadiens as more than an asset. He valued the franchise’s connection to its alumni, supporters and Quebec hockey culture. He returned to Montreal in December 2014 after Jean Beliveau’s death and was deeply affected by the loss of the Canadiens captain and adviser.
He once said the greatest part of owning the Canadiens was feeling the weight of the organization’s history and the passion surrounding it. The toughest part, he said, was the inability to directly change a game’s outcome in the same way a business owner can solve a production or customer problem.
Gillett also brought a sense of humour to the rink. After Doug Gilmour shattered penalty-box glass during a 2002 playoff game against Carolina, the forward later stuffed pieces of the broken pane into Gillett’s jacket pockets at a team dinner. The owner nearly injured his shoulder trying to put the heavy jacket on.
Outside hockey, Gillett owned the Harlem Globetrotters, held a 50-percent share of Liverpool with Tom Hicks in 2007 and controlled a multi-car NASCAR operation. He enjoyed retelling the 1971 night when the Globetrotters’ 2,495-game winning streak ended with a 100-99 overtime loss to the New Jersey Reds. Rather than treat it as a disaster, he saw the publicity around the upset as an opportunity.
That approach carried into his Canadiens years: an energetic owner, comfortable around the club’s history, and determined to leave Montreal’s most decorated hockey franchise stronger for the next chapter.
