The Montreal Canadiens must now locate a new head coach for their AHL club, the Laval Rocket, following the announcement that Jean-Francois Houle has taken a position as Clarkson’s head coach.
Houle’s new position probably pays more, and a coaching assignment to an NCAA school carries more prestige than sitting on the bench in the AHL for many. Even though he had signed a three-year contract extension three weeks prior, the Rockets had shown him a vote of confidence despite his somewhat lackluster performance during that time. As such, there’s no doubt that the club feels a little disappointed.
That’s the life of an AHL franchise owner. As is typically the case, Laval Rocket general manager John Sedgwick made an effort to bring some stability to the mix by making sure the coaching and goaltender positions were resolved well in advance of the season. However, the current turn of events was out of his control.
Possible Coaching Options for Laval Rockets
Vincent Pascal
The first guy that immediately springs to mind as a possible Rocket head coach is Pascal Vincent, the former Columbus Blue Jackets bench boss. Vincent coached the Manitoba Moose for five years, indicating that he is aware of the challenges associated with the position.
However, a cursory examination of his performance as an AHL head coach reveals that the outcomes between 2016–17 and 2020–21 were anything than spectacular. Under his second season in charge, Manitoba did make it to the playoffs and even won a playoff series, but they were eliminated from spring hockey as soon as they advanced to the second round. We also need to keep in mind that he was coaching throughout the Covid seasons, thus in 2019–20, the playoffs were not even an option. In 2020–21, a temporary Canadian division was created, and the Moose finished second in it, but once more, there were no playoffs.
Stéphane Julien
Julien is a possible candidate who appears ready to accept his first AHL head coaching position. After a very disappointing debut season in the league, Joshua Roy, a potential for the Habs, began to take things seriously, mostly because to the former Sherbrooke Phoenix coach. Taking a direct approach with the gifted forward, Julien said he had all the necessary skills to succeed in the NHL but that if he wanted to play in the top league in the world, he would need to quit depending solely on his skill. To avoid giving the wrong impression, Roy was also urged to make use of the gift that God had given him.
Sylvain Favreau
The head coach of the Drummondville Voltigeurs, the current QMJHL champions, is the youngest name to arise as well. This year, Sylvain Favreau assisted Team Canada in winning a gold medal at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup as an assistant coach. He also led the Halifax Mooseheads to one of the best regular season records in franchise history in 2022–2023 (50–11-0–4) during his two seasons as head coach. The Mooseheads ultimately fell short against the formidable Quebec Remparts club, who went on to win the Memorial Cup, in the QMJHL final, losing 4-2 in the series.