Former Canadiens owner George Gillett Jr. dies at 87
Montreal confirmed the death of its former owner, who led the club from 2001 to 2009.
George Gillett Jr., who owned the Montreal Canadiens from 2001 to 2009, died Sept. 22 at age 87, the club announced. The Canadiens did not disclose a cause of death.
Gillett acquired the Canadiens and their arena, then called the Molson Centre, on Jan. 31, 2001. The building was renamed Bell Centre in 2002. His tenure included Saku Koivu's return to the ice after cancer treatment and preparations for the team's centennial season.
Gillett sold the team, the Bell Centre and Groupe Spectacles Gillett to the Molson family on June 20, 2009. Canadiens owner, president and CEO Geoff Molson extended condolences to Gillett's family and thanked him for his contributions to the club and Montreal community.
Born Oct. 22, 1938, in Racine, Wisconsin, Gillett founded Brook Creek Management Corp. He also became an owner of Liverpool FC in 2007.
