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New head coach of Laval Rocket had house constructed close to Habs’ apply facility in Brossard in 2011 earlier than touchdown job with the Winnipeg Jets.
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Pascal Vincent had no drawback discovering his solution to the CN Sports activities Advanced in Brossard when the Canadiens’ rookie camp opened Wednesday morning.
Vincent is the brand new head coach of the AHL’s Laval Rocket and is operating the camp, which began with medical and bodily testing for the 23 invited gamers. The gamers might be on the ice at 9:45 a.m. Thursday and Friday and the camp will wrap up with two Prospect Showdown video games towards Toronto Maple Leafs rookies on Saturday and Sunday on the Bell Centre. Each video games begin at 1 p.m.
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13 years in the past, when he was head coach of the QMJHL’s Montreal Juniors, Vincent had a home constructed a couple of five-minute drive from the Canadiens’ apply facility in Brossard.
“After they put the final brick I bought a name from Winnipeg and I bought the job in Winnipeg,” Vincent recalled. “We needed to promote it, so I’m acquainted with the realm.”
Vincent has had fairly a training journey since promoting that home.
The 52-year-old Laval native spent 5 seasons as an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets, adopted by 5 seasons as head coach of the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. He then spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets earlier than turning into head coach final season. The Blue Jackets fired Vincent after ending with a 27-43-12 report. The Canadiens employed Vincent in July to take over the Rocket after Jean-François Houle left Laval to develop into head coach at Clarkson College, his alma mater.
Highway to the Cup
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When Vincent met with the media Wednesday, he was carrying a blue zip-up sweater with the Canadiens brand on his chest for the primary time.
“To find a way at this time to put on that brand on my coronary heart, that’s a dream come true,” he stated.
Vincent is now renting a house in Montreal together with his spouse and daughter and is worked up about this new chapter in his teaching profession.
Vincent stated his first goal with the Rocket might be to assist the Canadiens by creating gamers in a constructive atmosphere the place it’s aggressive and enjoyable to return to the rink, whereas additionally creating good habits. He added that the Rocket will need to win video games, however that the No. 1 focus might be having younger gamers progress in order that they ultimately might be able to play within the NHL.
When the sport begins, the objective might be for the Rocket to win — however that typically will include a worth Vincent received’t be keen to pay as an AHL coach. He famous that if an NHL crew is up 2-1 late in a recreation the coach is extra prone to go along with an skilled centre to take a defensive-zone faceoff. With the Rocket, Vincent will extra prone to go along with a younger participant, which could find yourself costing the sport however each the participant and the Canadiens group will develop from that have.
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One participant Vincent received’t be teaching this season is Patrik Laine, who the Canadiens acquired from the Blue Jackets final month. Vincent is aware of Laine very effectively after teaching him in Columbus the final three seasons. As head coach final season, Vincent benched Laine for the ultimate 9:53 of a 3-2 loss to the Arizona Coyotes in November after which two video games later made him a wholesome scratch for a 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.
“In a hockey season there are highs and lows,” Vincent stated when requested about his dealing with of Laine. “Our job as coaches is to push the gamers to be one of the best they are often. My relation with Patrik was at all times good.”
Vincent added that Laine might be probably the most gifted participant he has ever coached and that he expects him to shine below the intense Montreal highlight.
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“I feel he’s bought this in him that in a market the place he’s below strain a bit of bit, I feel he can thrive,” Vincent stated. “When you have a look at his previous — and I’m speaking when he was youthful (with Winnipeg) — there’s a component to him the place he was the important thing man at key moments. That is the important thing to develop into an elite participant. When you don’t have that swagger, that mindset that you simply’re going to be the man at key instances, when it issues you’re going to be participant. However you’re not going to be an elite participant, a game-changer, and Patrik has that in him. So I feel if there’s one factor that could possibly be factor that he’s below the highlight a bit of bit extra.”
Vincent might be within the highlight in Laval this season, however on Saturday and Sunday he’ll be standing behind the Canadiens bench on the Bell Centre for the primary time towards the Maple Leafs rookies.
“That’s going to be superior … that’s going to be nice,” Vincent stated.
“I’m excited for myself — don’t get me fallacious — however I’m super-excited for the gamers to dwell that have as a result of I feel there’s going to be a giant crowd,” he added. “So it’s going to be superior.”
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