George Gillett Jr. helped turn Canadiens into a billion-dollar team

The Montreal Gazette: About 14 years ago, a little-known American investor rode into town with a novel idea: he wanted to buy a controlling stake in the Canadiens. Beyond the team’s on-ice struggles, records from the period show that the Habs — once the crown jewel of pro hockey franchises — were bleeding tens of millions of dollars each year. The team needed a saviour and, in millionaire George Gillett Jr., it found a rather unconventional one. Read more.