LEVI’S | When Alain Vigneault arrived at the Lévis golf club for the Celebrity Open, his gait was relaxed, his smile easy, his complexion tanned and he looked relaxed, just like a retiree. And that is exactly the plan of the ex-coach for the next few years: to refine his golf while enjoying life.
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At the end of the NHL season, there were six openings for head coaching positions. At the end of the previous season, there were even 10 positions to fill, including his, in Philadelphia, after just over two seasons at the helm of the Flyers.
Since he was fired on December 6, 2021, Vigneault has been keeping a low profile. Despite the incessant game of musical chairs in the brotherhood of coaches, he assures today that the desire to return behind a bench does not torment him in the least.
“When I signed my contract with the Flyers, I told those around me that it was my last. There is nothing that made me change my mind,” he said.
Time to take the time
It must be said that Vigneault led his first game, with the Draveurs de Trois-Rivières in the QMJHL, in 1986. He has since led three other major junior teams, one in the American League and four in the NHL, in addition to have been an assistant in Ottawa.
His rich track record indicates that he is 15th in coaching history with 1,363 games coached in 19 seasons in the Bettman circuit. In February 2021, he also became only the ninth coach to have crossed the 700-win plateau, having also led two teams, the Canucks and the Rangers, in the Stanley Cup final.
Next season, veterans like Rick Bowness (68), John Tortorella (65) and Lindy Ruff (63) will still be in the thick of the action, but Vigneault says he doesn’t envy them.
“I just turned 62 and when my contract ends I will be 63. I think it’s time to enjoy life. I had a great career. Hockey has been good for me and my family. At some point, you have to have a little fun and I’m there in my life. I try to work on my golf, even if it doesn’t work!” he joked, laughing heartily.
Photos: René Baillargeon / QMI Agency
Proud of Gagne and the Remparts
To say how much Vigneault has stalled, there is no way to get him to comment on the latest moves at the Flyers, including the acquisition of Russian Matvei Michkov, in the draft.
“I’m not that anymore. Anyone would have a better opinion than me,” he said.
What has interested him above all in the last few months is rather the long journey of the Remparts to the supremacy of Canadian junior hockey.
After all, Vigneault was the team’s head coach from 1995 to 1997, when it played as the Harfangs de Beauport. In his second campaign, he also managed a certain Simon Gagné, who has recently become the team’s new general manager.
“I followed the playoffs, especially during the QMJHL final and the Memorial Cup. It’s super hockey, it’s super fun. I exchanged messages with Jacques Tanguay and Patrick Roy. I am very happy for the people of Quebec.
“I knew Simon when he was 16 and coming out of bantam. What I remember is that the more I demanded of him, the better he performed. Already, he loved hockey and he had a very good career. I am convinced that the Remparts made an excellent choice.
2023-07-05 23:24:13
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