Neutral Zone: As talks intensify, signs point to André Tourigny as Coyotes' next coach
Also inside: The importance of Phil Kessel’s signing bonus, Brian Daccord’s next move, Alex Goligoski’s house sale, NHL Awards and notes, and a farewell to an old friend
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As I reported last week, talks between the Coyotes and Ottawa 67's coach André Tourigny have been continuous. Per sources, the two sides spoke while Tourigny was serving as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the recent IIHF World Championship in Riga, Latvia. They spoke again after his return, and Tourigny traveled to Arizona this week to meet with Coyotes leadership face-to-face.
Nothing is official, and the Seattle coaching search taught us that these processes are fluid, but I am getting the strong sense that Tourigny, 47, will be named the Coyotes’ next coach as soon as this week.
UPDATE:
Tourigny has a fascinating résumé that includes 12 years of head coaching experience in the QMJHL, four years of head coaching experience in the OHL, three years of experience as an NHL assistant coach with Colorado and Ottawa, and a wealth of executive experience in different capacities with junior teams and Team Canada, with which he won the gold medal at the aforementioned World Championship.
Talk to executives, scouts and coaches and they are nearly unanimous in their praise for his leadership qualities and his ability to develop the proper culture.
Tourigny is under contract with Hockey Canada as the full-time coach of the national team; the first time that Hockey Canada has hired a full-time coach since 2005. He has been responsible for the direction and the technical content for all national teams. He serves in a support role for the Canadian Olympic team, and he is scheduled to be the head coach at next year’s World Championship, as well as serving as the head coach for the national junior team.
Tourigny has familiarity with several Coyotes. He coached prospect Barrett Hayton at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, as well as the World Junior Championship in 2020.
He also coached forward Michael Bunting and goalies Darcy Kuemper and Adin Hill at this year’s World Championship. Coyotes executive Shane Doan was the assistant GM for Canada at the World Championship. While he declined to discuss the coaching search, here’s what Doan had to say about Tourigny after the tournament.
“I really, really like him. I didn't have any relationship with him before, but he was a big part of everything we did with helping pick the team and the coaching. He’s under contract with Team Canada, and as I got to know him, it was no surprise why he was part of Team Canada because Scottie Salmond and those guys, they pick really good people.”
Here’s what else I have been able to glean from the coaching search.
Despite frequent mentions of their names, neither Providence College coach Nate Leaman nor San Jose Sharks associate coach Rocky Thompson were contacted about the job. As of Tuesday, New York Islanders associate coach Lane Lambert had not been contacted either. New York was eliminated from the playoffs on Friday.
Providence Bruins coach Jay Leach and St. Louis Blues assistant coach Mike Van Ryn were eliminated from contention recently. Dallas Stars assistant coach Todd Nelson appeared to be headed for a third interview, but that has not materialized.
I do not know where things stand with Syracuse Crunch coach Benoit Groulx, whom I have also reported has interviewed for the job. Given Groulx’s friendship with Tourigny, some outlets have speculated that he could join the staff as an assistant coach if Tourigny is hired.
Payday for Kessel
There has been a lot of trade speculation surrounding Coyotes forward Phil Kessel, who is entering the final year of his contract and rebounded from a poor 2019-20 season with a team-high 20 goals in 56 games last season.
Kessel could be an attractive addition for a team looking for scoring depth. He could be even more attractive after July 1. Kessel is due to make $6 million in the final year of his contract, but $5 million of that is due in the form of a signing bonus on Thursday (July 1), leaving his remaining salary at $1 million.
Toronto retained 15 percent of Kessel’s salary in the original deal that sent him from Toronto to Pittsburgh in 2015, so all payments are split with Toronto paying 15 percent and Arizona paying 85 percent, per PuckPedia. For his $5 million bonus, Arizona would pay $4.25 million and Toronto would pay $750,000. For his remaining $1 million salary, Arizona (or a new team) would pay $850,000 and Toronto would pay $150,000.
Scouting addition
The Coyotes are adding former Colorado Avalanche director of amateur scouting Alan Hepple to the scouting staff, GM Bill Armstrong confirmed. Hepple will become the Coyotes director of pro scouting. He will replace Bryan Stewart, whose contract was not renewed.
“Getting somebody with 20 years of experience in amateur scouting and putting him on the pro side is going to be a big advantage,” Armstrong said. “He has all the knowledge of the players across the NHL. He’s a big signing for us.”
Hepple was the Avalanche’s director of amateur scouting for the past six seasons but his contract was not renewed. It expires on Wednesday (today). Before he was named Colorado’s director of amateur scouting, Hepple spent six seasons as the franchise’s assistant director of amateur scouting and seven as a scout. He was also a scout for the Nashville Predators for five seasons (1997-2002).
Daccord to BU
Former Coyotes director of goaltending operations and special assistant to the GM Brian Daccord will be the new volunteer goaltending coach for Boston University, a source confirmed.
Daccord’s Stop It Goaltending hockey schools are in the Boston area where he lives, so the job meshes well with the priorities that led Daccord to part ways with the Coyotes after less than a year on the job. The NCAA only permits two paid assistants for college hockey teams (a travesty that I plan to write about later this summer), so there was no paid position available for Daccord. As another example, Arizona State goalie coach and former NHL goaltender Eddie Läck is also a volunteer coach.
Goligoski’s home sale
A recent report from azcentral.com noted the sale of a pair of homes involving Coyotes. Owner Alex Meruelo bought a Paradise Valley home and defenseman Alex Goligoski sold his home.
Some of you have asked me if this is a sign that Goligoski is leaving Arizona. I reported on June 9, per a source, that Goligoski was likely headed to the free agent market on July 28, but the sale of the house is unrelated to that likelihood. This was always in the works, and I asked Goligoski about it previously.
“That was happening no matter what,” said Goligoski, noting the Valley’s spectacular current housing market. “I’m proactive. We were privately showing it and got an amazing offer so it was an easy decision.”
Goligoski is open to returning to the Coyotes, and if that happens he won’t have to worry about his housing situation.
“We have a plan in place,” he said. “Renting a friend’s furnished home in north Scottsdale.”
Farewell to an old friend
I attended the memorial service for Chuck Jared, 67, at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Phoenix on Saturday. Chuck died in March.
I was happy to see AZ Coyotes Insiders founding members and old pals George Fallar and Bea Wyatt there.
Every executive, coach, player and media member who came through Gila River Arena knew Chuck, who operated the media elevator for 15 years.
It’s a sad reality of this business (and probably this world) that few of us got to know him well enough. I learned a lot about Chuck at the service, including his love of animals and baseball, but I was always amazed that Chuck could both craft an anecdote or deliver some news in the 30-second to two-minute ride up from the lower or main level of the arena to the press box, and also finish that story as the doors opened for me to go to work.
Chuck always knew who was in the building, whether it was scouts, celebrities, executives or dignitaries. In that sense, he was a terrific source. He also liked my purple tie. I know this because he told me on multiple occasions. I’d like to think it was his favorite tie in my collection, but it’s also possible that it was the only tie of mine that was worth complimenting.
Before the first period, or whenever the Coyotes were trailing, Chuck would always tell me something akin to this: “Craig, I think we’re gonna get this one.”He was an irrepressibly positive soul and I will miss him. Vaya con dios, Chuckles.
NHL Awards
The NHL announced the rest of its major award winners on Tuesday. Here is each, with the full voting included. The Selke and Lady Byng were awarded earlier.
Hart Trophy (MVP): Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers. McDavid also won the Ted Lindsay Award, presented “to the most outstanding player in the NHL,” as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA. Here is the Hart Trophy voting.
Norris Trophy (best defenseman): Adam Fox, New York Rangers
I was stunned that the Coyotes Jakob Chychrun finished 10th.
Vezina Trophy (best goaltender): Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights
Calder Trophy (rookie of the year): Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild
Selke Trophy (best defensive forward): Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
Lady Byng (sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct): Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
All-rookie team: The top three forwards, top two defenseman and top goalie from the voting below were the selections.
NHL All-Star team
My ballot
HART TROPHY
1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
2. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
3. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
4. Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins
5. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
NORRIS TROPHY
1. Adam Fox, New York Rangers
2. Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
3. Jakob Chychrun, Arizona Coyotes
4. Dougie Hamilton, Carolina Hurricanes
5. Jeff Petry, Montreal Canadiens
CALDER TROPHY
1. Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild
2. Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars
3. Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
4. Ty Smith, New Jersey Devils
5. Josh Norris, Ottawa Senators
LADY BYNG TROPHY
1. Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
2. Nate Schmidt, Vancouver Canucks
3. Jared Spurgeon, Minnesota Wild
4. Josh Bailey, New York Islanders
5. William Karlsson, Vegas Golden Knights
SELKE TROPHY
1. Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
2. Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights
3. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
4. Phillip Danault, Montreal Canadiens
5. Joel Eriksson Ek, Minnesota Wild
NHL All-Star Team
CENTER -- Connor McDavid (Edmonton), Auston Matthews (Toronto), Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado)
RIGHT WING -- Mitchell Marner (Toronto), Mikko Rantanen (Colorado), Mark Stone (Vegas)
LEFT WING -- Brad Marchand (Boston), Jonathan Huberdeau (Florida), Artemi Panarin (New York Rangers)
DEFENSE -- Adam Fox (New York Rangers), Cale Makar (Colorado), Jakob Chychrun, (Arizona), Dougie Hamilton, (Carolina), Jeff Petry, (Montreal), Roman Josi (Nashville)
GOALTENDER -- Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay), Marc-Andre Fleury (Vegas), Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg)
NHL All-Rookie Team
FORWARD -- Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota), Jason Robertson (Dallas), Josh Norris (Ottawa)
DEFENSE -- Ty Smith (New Jersey), Zach Whitecloud (Vegas)
GOALTENDER -- Igor Shesterkin (New York Rangers)
NHL notes
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly addressed media before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday. Among the bullet points from that session:
The league is still in discussion about whether it will send players to the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The league and the NHLPA committed to returning players to the 2022 and 2026 Games as part of the memorandum of understanding that they signed last summer, but a resolution was expected by May and the COVID situation in China has clouded the picture. “It’s reaching the point where we’re getting concerned about the impact on next season because of the uncertainty,” Bettman said.
The 2021 NHL Expansion Draft will be broadcast on July 21 at 5 p.m. Arizona time on ESPN2 in the U.S., and on Sportsnet and SN NOW in Canada.
The first round of the 2021 NHL Draft will be broadcast on July 23 at 5 p.m. Arizona time on ESPN2 in the U.S., and on Sportsnet and SN NOW in Canada. NHL Network will provide exclusive coverage of Rounds 2-7 in the U.S. on July 24, beginning at 8 a.m. Arizona time.
The 2022 NHL Winter Classic will feature the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild at Target Field in Minneapolis on Jan. 1.
The 2022 NHL All-Star Weekend will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and will be scheduled during its traditional midway point of the NHL regular season. Confirmed dates for the 2022 All-Star Weekend will be announced when available.
The 2022 NHL Stadium Series will feature the Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Feb. 26.
The league will invest $5 million over the next 18 months to strengthen its diversity and inclusion efforts.
In addressing the impact of COVID-19 on the league, the NHL released a series of statistics.
Total number of COVID tests administered to players and staff: 350,000-plus
Total number of team shutdowns: 12
Total number of games postponed: 55
Total number of games rescheduled: 132
Total number of players on COVID list: 217
Total number of players with confirmed positives: 119
Highest single-day total on COVID list: 59 (Feb. 12)
Lowest single-day total on COVID list: 0 (first achieved on May 24 – 132 days after the start of the season)
COVID Protocols: 12 COVID Protocols adopted for 2020-21 season with more than two dozen updates/enhancements since Jan. 13
Follow Craig Morgan on Twitter: @CraigSMorgan
Anyone who is interested in what Tourigny is all about should listen to this fantastic interview. Very in-depth:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hockey-masterclass/id1533693349?i=1000518191609
Tourigny: “There is no team in the world I can coach, without it being a hardworking team. Because when I’m the coach and they don’t work it will drive me crazy. I won’t play you. I don’t care how good you are. You cheat yourself and your team. That is who The Bear is.” (Note: His nickname is Big Bear due to his size and disposition).
This is a excellent article on Tourigny with some fantastic quotes:
https://theathletic.com/2194727/2020/12/22/andre-tourigny-canada-world-juniors/
“A day off for Andre is like a regular workday for most people,” said 67’s general manager James Boyd. “That’s just the way he’s wired. He’s a workhorse.”
“You’d go early in the next morning and he would be there,” said Desbiens, a former NHLer who now coaches at St. Louis Park HS in Minnesota. “And we’d ask, ‘Did you actually sleep in your office?’ He was very, very committed. The amount of hours he would put in at the office was incredible.”
Another interesting note in the above article is that he didn’t learn to speak English even conversationally until 2006. Very impressive.
Some things I’ve dug up from Google:
Interesting tidbits on Tourigny:
Has been QMJHL coach of the year twice and OHL coach of the year twice and CHL coach of the year once. In 14 years as a CHL head coach, he’s missed the playoffs only once. In his last 130 games coaching the Ottawa 67s he’s won 100 of those games. 100 wins, 30 losses. The last time his team was in the playoffs they set a record with 14 straight wins to begin the playoffs.
Team Canada noticed his success.
He’s been the head coach for Team Canada at the U18s, an associate coach at the U20s, has been named head coach for the next U20s, has been an associate coach at the Men’s World Championships and has been named an associate coach for the next Olympic Games.
He has three seasons as an NHL assistant coach under his belt, as well. Coached guys like Iginla, Stone, Karlsson, O’Reilly, MacKinnon, Zibanejad, Barrie, Ryan, Duchene, Landeskog, Stastny, etc.
He’s only 47 years old.
Tourigny sounds like a solid choice for the challenges of the next five years or so for the Coyotes.
Great description of Chuck as an irrepressibly positive soul is on the money, too. He was one of the people who managed to make the Coyotes experience feel like family, and we'll miss him.