The Montreal Canadiens will have a coach with NHL experience running the bench for their AHL affiliate.
The Canadiens announced on Tuesday that former Columbus Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent has been hired to coach the Laval Rocket.
Vincent was promoted to head coach of the Blue Jackets before the 2023-24 season after the club dismissed Mike Babcock. Vincent was previously an assistant coach for two years with Columbus.
The Blue Jackets fired Vincent in June after he went 27-43-12.
The native of Laval, Que., was head coach of the AHL’s Manitoba Moose from 2016-21 after five years as an assistant with the parent Winnipeg Jets. He was named the AHL’s top coach for the 2017-18 season.
Vincent also has 11 years of head-coaching experience in the QMJHL.
“The Montreal Canadiens organization is proud to welcome Pascal Vincent as the new head coach of the Laval Rocket. With nearly 30 years of coaching experience at the QMJHL, AHL and NHL levels, Pascal brings a wealth of knowledge, a passion for the game and a proven track record of both winning and player development,” Rocket GM John Sedgwick said in a statement released by the organization.