Kent Hughes may have played a part in Brad Treliving's firing and it involves the Matthew Knies trade
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
The failed Matthew Knies trade keeps getting wilder for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
David Pagnotta confirmed what Kent Hughes had been hinting at for months. The Montreal Canadiens and Leafs had a deal in place at the March trade deadline to send Knies to Montreal for Alexander Zharovsky, another prospect, and two first-round picks.
The deal was reportedly submitted one minute past the 3 p.m. deadline, killing it on the spot.
"If you're not fired by the summer, you need to honor this trade."
- Kent Hughes to Brad Treliving
- Kent Hughes to Brad Treliving
But one detail from that war room has barely been touched. According to YYZ Sports Media, Hughes allegedly gave Treliving a fierce verbal dressing-down over bungling the deal, telling him that if he wasn't fired by summer, he needed to honor the trade.
MLSE president Keith Pelley reportedly heard the whole thing.
The war room was already a problem
This wasn't an isolated moment. The Athletic's James Mirtle reported that Pelley was "very present" during the deadline and didn't like what he saw from Treliving's decision-making process.
Separate reporting revealed Pelley had arrived with AI-generated trade notes, a move that underscored how little faith ownership had in the hockey operations department.
Now add a rival GM openly questioning Treliving's competence in that same room, with Pelley standing right there.
That's not just an embarrassing moment. That's a CEO watching another organization's leader treat his general manager like a lame duck in real time.
Treliving was fired on March 30, barely three weeks later.
Hughes is still circling
The Canadiens GM told media this week he still plans to revisit the deal this summer. The complication is obvious.
John Chayka replaced Treliving on May 3 and has shown zero interest in honoring the previous regime's agreements.
He's reshaping the entire front office and scouting Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick.
Hughes got aggressive with Treliving because he sensed weakness. Whether Chayka gives him the same opening is a completely different question.
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