Marc Bergevin is introduced as Montreal Canadiens' new general manager Wednesday, May 2, 2012 in Brossard, Que.The Canadian Press
Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin has a clearly stated goal: increase the number of Francophones occupying key roles in his hometown hockey club.
And on Wednesday he added three more.
Colorado Avalanche assistant coach - and former Hab - Sylvain Lefebvre has been lured away to take over the club's farm team in Hamilton, former Detroit Red Wing Martin Lapointe and former Hab Patrice Brisebois have been handed player development roles with the organization.
The highly-regarded Lefebvre had been in the mix to be the head coach of the QMJHL's Sherbrooke Phoenix, but withdrew his name from consideration earlier this year. In coming back to the Habs, he will be reunited with Michel Therrien, his former coach in junior.
The current coach of the Bulldogs, Clement Jodoin, will meet with Therrien to discuss the possibility of joining his staff.
The 38-year-old Lapointe, who is a former teammate of Bergevin's and also worked with him in the Chicago Blackhawks' front office, will be the team's new director of player development. Brisebois, a 41-year-old member of Montreal's last Stanley Cup winner in 1993, will be the player development coach, a newly-created role.