Big revelation about the Canadiens' and Kent Hughes' priorities
After the departure of Jean-François Houle a few weeks ago, the top management of the Montreal Canadiens began a thorough analysis of various interesting candidates to replace the former coach of the Laval Rocket.
The choice eventually fell on Pascal Vincent. The Quebec native cut his teeth in the minor leagues before getting his chance with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Arriving in a hostile environment with numerous problems, Pascal Vincent had a brief stint in Columbus, but now he has the opportunity to work with talented young prospects and a very promising team.
Although the specific criteria set by management have not been disclosed, it can be inferred that they sought a local candidate who speaks French and has significant experience in the minor leagues and/or the NHL. They likely wanted a more educational approach to help the young players progress. Considering these factors, a number of quality candidates come to mind.
According to Anthony Marcotte, the play-by-play announcer for the Laval Rocket on BPM Sports radio, there were many quality candidates to fill the position vacated by Houle. Guy Boucher, Sylvain Favreau, Benoit Groulx, and probably other names will be mentioned in the coming days.
The process was comparable to a walk in the desert. Some candidates who were ultimately not selected met with the team's management three times before being turned down. Imagine being called in for three interviews, only to be thanked for your time and wished the best for the future. It's hard to swallow, but it's part of the dynamics.
Why is the head coach role of the Laval Rocket so important?
In Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes' vision, building a championship team involves developing young players in the minor leagues before integrating them into the main team. The technique used by the Detroit Red Wings in the early 2000s proved effective. Rarely did 19 or 20-year-old players make it into the lineup. Players arrived at 22 or 23 years old when they were mature and ready to take on the NHL challenge.
The crop of young talent in Laval is promising for Pascal Vincent. David Reinbacher, Oliver Kapanen, Owen Beck, Logan Mailloux (if he doesn't make the team on day one of the season), and several other promising talents will need to develop the tools to become better players and thus help the Canadiens when the team is ready to return to the playoff picture.
For a decade, the Canadiens' prospects weren't always supported in their development, as evidenced by the 2009 to 2019 era under Trevor Timmins. The number of failures during this period was staggering. It's safe to say that the future is much more promising than the past to date.
Time will tell what Pascal Vincent will be able to achieve with the farm team of the Habs.
| POLL | ||
Which coach did you prefer for the role of Rocket head coach? | ||
| Guy Boucher | 67 | 31.5 % |
| Benoit Groulx | 19 | 8.9 % |
| Pascal Vincent | 115 | 54 % |
| Sylvain Favreau | 12 | 5.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
