Former Canadiens, Liverpool Owner Gillett Dies at 87

George Gillett Jr. died Sept. 22, 2026, at age 87 at a Denver memory care facility after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. Born Oct. 22, 1938, in Racine, Wisconsin, he bought the Montreal Canadiens and Bell Centre for $275 million on Jan. 31, 2001, with $140 million in loans, and agreed to sell them to the Molson family on June 20, 2009. He and Geoff Molson announced the sale at a news conference in Laval, Quebec, on Sept. 10, 2009; NHL governors approved it that December. Molson said Gillett immersed himself in the Montreal community and was appreciated by the organisation. Bettman said Gillett guided the franchise through centennial preparations. Gillett and Tom Hicks co-owned Liverpool from 2007 until a High Court showdown with lenders forced a 2010 sale amid protests by groups including Spirit of Shankly. In a March 2008 radio interview Gillett said the partnership had been unworkable for some time, they gave Hicks time to buy them out, and Hicks threatened to block a sale to Dubai International Capital. Bill Jensen said Gillett always thought big but more importantly did big. Gillett acquired Vail Associates in 1985, helped bring the 1989 World Ski Championships there, founded Booth Creek after a 1991 bankruptcy, and entered the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame in 2005.