The Sporting News:

Executive of the year

Bob Gainey, Executive VP-general manager, Canadiens

Gainey maintained his faith in veteran right winger Alexei Kovalev, resisted the free-agent urge and refused to trade the talented core of young players he calls “our assets.” His loyalty and unwavering belief in his team’s draft picks and farm system paid huge dividends when the youthful Canadiens won their first division title in 16 years and posted an Eastern Conference-best 104 points. Gainey received 12 of the 28 votes cast by fellow executives.