Canadiens sign GM Marc Bergevin to multi-year extension

The Montreal Canadiens will be in good hands for years to come.

General manager Marc Bergevin has signed a multi-year contract extension that will keep him with the organization until the end of the 2021-22 season, president Geoff Molson announced Wednesday.

"This new agreement brings added stability for our organization and particularly for our hockey operations," Molson said. "It enables us to continue our efforts in giving our fans a winning team.

"Marc is an excellent general manager who quickly made an impact in the league with his leadership skills and his ability to identify the needs and find the personnel to assemble a championship team. I am very pleased with his work and the results he has achieved since his appointment as general manager."

Bergevin took over GM duties on May 2, 2012 after a season in which Montreal failed to qualify for the playoffs. Under his watch, the club has posted a record of 141-68-25 - tied for third in the NHL for the number of wins over that span.

The Canadiens have also advanced to the postseason in each of the past three years, going all the way to the Eastern Conference finals in 2014.

Heading into Wednesday's tilt with the New York Rangers, Bergevin's Canadiens sit in a three-way tie atop the NHL standings, and are in a dead heat with the team from the Big Apple with a league-high plus-28 goal differential.

Next season would have been Bergevin's last under his original contract, reports Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports.