It almost appeared as though it was destiny for the Montreal Canadiens to reach the Stanley Cup Final after they won not one but two straight Game 7 matchups in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – both of them on the road.
However, their magic ran out against the defensively stingy Carolina Hurricanes, who limited them to 18 shots or less in three straight games during their Eastern Conference Final matchup, the first and only time that’s happened to the Canadiens in their playoff history in over a century.
Meanwhile, the rival Toronto Maple Leafs missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in a decade, and made several leadership changes, including replacing general manager Brad Treliving (fired on March 30) with John Chayka, along with the dismissal of head coach Craig Berube.
In the spirit of the storied rivalry, current Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes couldn’t resist throwing a few barbs toward the Maple Leafs during his recent season-ending media availability session.
Canadiens GM Kent Hughes Throws Jabs At Toronto Maple Leafs During Season-Ending Presser
During his season-ending press conference, Canadiens GM Kent Hughes couldn’t resist throwing a few jabs at the Toronto Maple Leafs, specifically with regard to former star Mitch Marner.
“Being here in Canada it’s going to be a little bit a narrative going into the Cup Final, there was that belief that certain players in Toronto underperformed in the playoffs,” said Hughes. “One season, one playoff doesn’t necessarily reflect another and I think Mitch Marner is sitting atop the playoff scoring race and it’s not just what he’s doing offensively it’s how he is contributing to their team being where they are.”
It wasn’t long before the reactions began pouring in to what Hughes had to say.
This fan told Hughes to worry about his own team, saying, “10 shots on goal a game for the last 4 losses of the series but you bring up the Leafs 🤣 maybe worry about getting thr fckn puck on net”
The same fan followed that comment up with, “Could you imagine the outpouring of hate thr leafs would get if they ended their season like this? Even if we did make it to the ECF.”
Another fan exclaimed, “I didn’t think Montreal as a franchise could get any more embarrassing than the performance they put up in the ECF yet here we are…”
But not every comment was against Hughes, as this fan wrote, “Leafs fans are so desperate to deflect away from being the laughing stock of the league 🤣🤣🤣🤣”
Keeping in that vein, this fan said, “lol leafs fans can’t handle the fact that their the top example of a loser franchise 😭”
The Maple Leafs Have Major Work To Do
The Maple Leafs have plenty of work ahead of them, which includes making sure that the new-look management team is on the same page as star captain Auston Matthews.
Additionally, the Leafs have the advantage of having won the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery and the right to select first overall later this month. Coincidentally, it’s the first time since 2016 that they won the NHL Draft Lottery, which they used to select Matthews.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Canadiens GM Takes Shot At Maple Leafs During Season-Ending Presser appeared first on HEAVY.