MONTREAL – It is with great sadness that the Montreal Canadiens learned of the passing of George Gillett Jr. on September 22 at the age of 87. The former businessman owned the team from 2001 to 2009.
“On behalf of the entire Canadiens organization, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to George’s family,” said Canadiens owner, president and CEO Geoff Molson. “George immersed himself in the Montreal community and was appreciated by everyone in the organization. We sincerely appreciate his contributions to the Montreal Canadiens during his time as owner.”
Born on October 22, 1938, in Racine, WI, Gillett Jr. became owner of the Canadiens and the Molson Centre on January 31, 2001. The businessman who also founded Brook Creek Management Corp., a portfolio management firm, owned the Canadiens during several pivotal moments in the team’s history, including Saku Koivu’s return to the ice after beating cancer on April 9, 2002, the renaming of the team’s home arena to the Bell Centre on September 1, 2002, and the start of preparations for the team’s centennial season in 2009-10.
On February 6, 2007, Gillett Jr. became the owner of Liverpool FC, an English soccer team playing in the Premier League. Gillett Jr. owned the Canadiens until June 20, 2009, when he sold the team, the Bell Centre, and Groupe Spectacles Gillett to the Molson family.