Pascal Vincent hired as head coach of AHL’s Laval Rocket

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Pascal Vincent is returning home.

Vincent, who grew up 10 minutes away from Place Bell in Laval, was hired Tuesday to replace Jean-François Houle as head coach of the AHL’s Laval Rocket. Houle left the Rocket on June 21 after three seasons behind the bench to become head coach of Clarkson University, his alma mater.

Vincent now has a three-year contract with the Rocket.

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The 52-year-old was head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets last season, posting a 27-43-12 record. The Blue Jackets fired Vincent on June 14 and he started having discussions with the Canadiens about the Laval job shortly after Houle left for Clarkson a week later. Vincent said the timing of the Laval job opening up was perfect for him and it allows him to start a new chapter in his coaching career. It also allows him live in Quebec again for the first time in 13 years.

Vincent spent 11 seasons as a head coach in the QMJHL, including three with the Montreal Juniors, before becoming an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets for the 2011-12 season. He spent five seasons in that position before becoming head coach of the AHL’s Manitoba Moose — the Jets’ top farm club. He then spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Blue Jackets before replacing Mike Babcock when he abruptly resigned as head coach only four days before the start of training camp last season in the aftermath of an investigation by the NHL Players’ Association into his conduct.

Vincent said he was impressed with the clarity from Canadiens management during his interviews for the Laval job. He met with Jeff Gorton, the executive vice-president of hockey operations, general manager Kent Hughes, Rocket GM John Sedgwick, Vincent Lecavalier, a special adviser to hockey operations, former Canadiens assistant coach Alex Burrows and Eric Crawford, the director of pro scouting.

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“The clarity of their vision and what they want to do was crystal clear,” Vincent said during a Zoom interview with Montreal media members Tuesday afternoon. “What the job is — working with the prospects, working with the players in Laval, making sure that they develop properly. I just really liked their vision.

“It was really well done,” Vincent added about the interview process. “I felt, OK, those guys have a plan and they have a vision and they know how to achieve what they want to achieve — or they know the steps that are needed to be taken. So that really impressed me and that was a big reason why — other than coming back home — the vision of the team and where they want to go. They really know what they’re talking about and I really like the vision. So that’s the one piece that really excited me when I spoke to them.”

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Vincent grew up as a Canadiens fan and his favourite player was Guy Lafleur.

“The Montreal Canadiens are the Montreal Canadiens,” Vincent said. “It runs through your blood when you’re from the province of Quebec. It’s quite a prestigious organization and you find that out even more when you’re away from Montreal. When you work for another organization and you come to the Bell Centre and you play against the Habs, you can see the intensity and the passion of the fans, yes, but you can also sense how special it is for opponents to come to Montreal. So I knew it from a guy that grew up in Laval and being a big Habs fan. But when you experience that aspect from an opponent’s side of view, I really realized how prestigious this organization is as of today. I’m really happy to be part of the family now.”

The Canadiens are also happy to have Vincent.

“With nearly 30 years of coaching experience at the QMJHL, AHL and NHL levels, Pascal brings a wealth of knowledge, a passion for the game and a proven track record of both winning and player development,” Sedgwick said in a news release announcing Vincent’s hiring. “His strong values, collaborative mindset and tireless work ethic make him a great fit for our organization and the ideal person to work with our talented group of young players. We are thrilled to be able to add a coach of his calibre and excited for what lies ahead.”

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Vincent said he has spoken with Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis a little bit to get to know each other and added it will be important for the Rocket to have very similar systems to the NHL team to make it an easier adjustment for players getting called up or sent down.

“We want to be able to evaluate our players at the American league level but also when they’re being called up we don’t want them to think too much,” Vincent said. “We want them to play and to showcase themselves. And if they have to learn a new system it doesn’t do them any favours.”

Vincent said he learned a lot last season with the Blue Jackets after getting thrust into the head-coaching position when Babcock left. He was criticized at times for the way he handled the roster, including playing future No. 1 centre Adam Fantilli on the wing.

“What happened in Columbus … you know what I can tell you is I’ve learned a ton,” Vincent said. “Did I make any mistakes? Of course I did, I’ve made some mistakes, but I’m learning. I’m growing. Even though I’ve been coaching for 30 years it’s a never-ending process to learn and to grow and to make mistakes and not to repeat them. So it was a great year in that regard. Was it a tough year? Absolutely. But it was a great year as far as learning and growing and I’m really happy that I’m going to bring those experiences with me in Laval and share it with the staff and the players.”

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Vincent played in the QMJHL as a centre with the St. Jean Castors, St. Jean Lynx, Laval Titan, Verdun Collège Français and the Granby Bisons. He was named an assistant coach with the Lynx in 1994 and his first head-coaching job was with the midget Triple-A Laval-Laurentides-Lanaudière Régents in 1995-96.

scowan@postmedia.com

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