3 Potential Coaching Targets For Canadiens AHL Affiliate

With the news that Jean-Francois Houle accepted a job as Clarkson’s head coach, the Montreal Canadiens now have to find a new head coach for their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket.

The job Houle accepted is likely comes with better pay, and for many coaches an NCAA assignment is more prestigious than being behind the bench in the AHL. However, there’s no doubt it’s a little disappointing for the organization, seeing as they had recently given him a vote of confidence when they signed him to a three-year contract extension three weeks ago, despite some relatively underwhelming results during his tenure with the Rocket.

Such is life when running an AHL club. Laval Rocket general manager John Sedgwick attempted to add some stability to the mix by ensuring the goaltending and coaching situations were taken care of well before the season started, but as if often the case, the recent turn of events was beyond his control.

Potential Laval Rocket Coaching Options

Pascal Vincent

The first person who comes to mind as a potential head coach for the Rocket is Pascal Vincent, the former bench boss of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Vincent spent five years in the league as the coach of the Manitoba Moose, which connotes he understands the difficulties that come with the job. But a quick look at his work as a head coach in the AHL reveals the results between 2016-17 and 2020-21 were far from exciting.

Manitoba did manage to make the playoffs during his second season at the helm, and they did win a playoff series, but were bounced from spring hockey once they reached the second round. We also have to remember he was coaching during the Covid seasons, which means the playoffs weren’t even an option in 2019-20, whereas 2020-21 led to the creation of a temporary Canadian division in which the Moose finished second, but again, there were no playoffs to be had.

Simply put, it’s difficult to get a good read on his time in the AHL. The same can be said about his one year as the Blue Jacket’s head coach. He was under immense pressure to perform while working with a roster that had less talent than most beer league lineups.

Stéphane Julien

Julien is a potential target who seems primed to be given his first head coaching job in the AHL. The former Sherbrooke Phoenix coach was one of the main reasons Habs prospect Joshua Roy started to take things seriously following a rather underwhelming first season in the league. Julien used a straightforward approach with the talented forward, suggesting that he had everything it takes to make it to the NHL, but would have to stop relying purely on his talent if he’s to one day play in the best league in the world. Before anyone gets the wrong impression, Roy was also encouraged to use his god-given talent, which means Julien recognized that with a little more hard work, Roy had the potential to become a great player.

Julien recently made the jump to professional hockey as the Grand Rapid Griffins’ assistant coach, which means he does have some professional experience, but we do have to acknowledge that prior to his first AHL gig, he spent 10 years with the Sherbrooke organization. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially since he gained important experience during that time frame when he coached Canada’s Hlinka-Gretzky Cup roster, not to mention the time he spent with Team Canada’s U-20 coaching staff.

As for his accolades, he was twice named the coach of the year in the QMJHL, won a gold medal at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, as well as a gold medal with Team Canada at the U-20 in 2022-23, the year in which Roy played a starring role alongside phenom Connor Bedard.

BACK TO BACK WORLD JUNIORS GOLD FOR CANADA!

Dylan Guenther (#Yotes) finishes off the 2-on-1 to get 🇨🇦 Canada 🇨🇦 the overtime win over Czechia for gold.

Joshua Roy (#GoHabsGo) and Brandt Clarke (#GoKingsGo) the assists on the play

🎥: @TSN_Sports pic.twitter.com/Nn1qaj8271

— EP Rinkside (@EPRinkside) January 6, 2023

Sylvain Favreau

The youngest name to surface also happens to be the head coach of the current QMJHL champions, the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Sylvain Favreau was also an assistant coach with Team Canada at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup this year, helping them secure a gold medal in the process. In addition, he was the head coach of the Halifax Mooseheads for two seasons, leading them to one of the best regular season records in franchise history in 2022-23 (50-11-0-4). The Mooseheads eventually lost in the QMJHL final, a 4-2 series loss to the juggernaut Quebec Remparts team that would go on to win the Memorial Cup.

He hails from Orleans, Ontario, a French-Canadian community within the city of Ottawa that has become a legitimate hockey hotbed, both when it comes to producing NHL players and top-tier coaches. Favreau may not have as much high-end experience as the aforementioned coaching targets, but he has quickly managed to establish himself as one of the up-and-comers in the coaching landscape, as well as a good target for the Laval Rocket.