Bob Gainey Steps Down In Montreal

((HT: RDS))

Bob Gainey has stepped down as general manager of the Montreal Canadiens this afternoon and the team has promoted Pierre Gauthier as Executive Vice President and General Manager. Gainey will stay with the front office in an advisory role.

The Canadiens are 28-26-6 this season and are sixth in the Eastern Conference standings. He was hired in 2003 as the 15th general manager of the franchise.

Gainey saw the writing on the wall after the new ownership took over, and decided to plan for what he called "his own future." He took a bit of a gamble during the centennial year with wholesale changes that haven't necessarily panned out.

Here's the beginning of his presser...
Thanks again to our friends at RDS- some of it is in French...


The questions will come in waves as to the timing of the move with Gainey stepping down just before the Olympic break and trade deadline, but Gainey looks like he knew he was a "dead man walking" and just decided to go now instead of later...

Here's another section of the presser involving Gauthier and Canadiens team president Pierre Boivin- who were left to answer more questions than Gainey...