Jeff Gorton's Revenge: His enemy is gone

Jeff Gorton, vice president of hockey operations for the Montreal Canadiens, can't hide his relief. His worst enemy, New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury, failed to lead his team to the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Florida Panthers in six games.

The defeat of the Rangers, a team largely built by Gorton himself, symbolized some sort of justice for the former New York leader. Karma often does things well.

The revenge scenario, worthy of the greatest series, highlights the intense rivalry and betrayal dating back to May 2021.

Around this time, Gorton was abruptly fired from his position as the Rangers' president of hockey operations, a decision deemed cruel and unfounded, especially since he had done an extraordinary job of brilliantly leading the accelerated rebuilding process.

But the real betrayal arose from the behavior of Chris Drury, who was a trusted friend and colleague. Rumors spread that Drury worked behind the scenes to curry favor with Rangers owner James Dolan, leading to Gorton's ouster.

Relations between the two men, which were already fragile, deteriorated. Today, Gorton, as vice president of the Montreal Canadiens, flatly refuses to negotiate with Drury, even if it would be profitable for the Montreal Canadiens club.

Gorton's sense of revenge may be understandable, and he must be smiling broadly today. Imagine the nightmare if the team you created won the Stanley Cup without your name on it.

However, this payback could hurt the Montreal Canadiens. Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes may have to step in to prevent Gorton's personal feelings from compromising the team's sporting interests.

Because in the business world, letting emotions take over can be the beginning of the end. We don't want to miss any deal with Rangers out of pride.

So, while Jeff Gorton enjoys defeating his former team, he has to remember that his current team's success cannot be sacrificed by his emotions.

The stakes are too high, and hockey, like any big business, requires a cold, unemotional outlook. Let Gorton enjoy it tonight, but forget his revenge tomorrow morning…