The rest of the NHL looked the other way when Rene Bourque was placed on waivers, but Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin is not ready to give up on the slumping veteran.

Bergevin clarified Tuesday that Bourque's demotion to Montreal's AHL affiliate was not permanent, saying Bourque can earn another chance with the Canadiens, depending on his performance with the Hamilton Bulldogs.

"I’m not shutting the door on Rene Bourque. If he plays with more consistency in Hamilton, he could come back up. I’m open to that." -MB — Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 11, 2014

Bourque has struggled in Montreal aside from his impressive playoff run last season, recording 21 goals and 39 points in 141 regular-season games for the Canadiens. He is under contract through next season at an average annual value of $3.33 million.