NHL | Andrei Tourigni at the head of the coyotes

Quebec Jump Andre Tourign as head coach in the NHL. The Arizona Coyotes decided to trust him.

Catherine Harvey-Pinard
Tap

The Coyotes, who have been looking for a head coach since Rick Tochet left last May, introduced Andrei Tourigni to the media on Thursday afternoon. The next three-year contract began and became 19^E Head coach of franchise history.

“It’s a long process, it’s a dream come true,” he told a news conference on Thursday afternoon. I can’t wait to talk to the players and build a relationship with them. It will probably be the longest summer of my life, I can not wait to start. ”

On his side, General Manager Bill Armstrong received praise for his new faith. He repeatedly exemplifies the gifts of the interlocutor Andre Tourigni and his great ability to unearth young talent. To Quebecker’s surprise, Armstrong said he especially saw Turigni 17 years ago, when he was coaching a huskies at QMJHL, at a bar in Rumin-Noranda.

“I saw this guy coming in. The whole Ruin-Noranda team was right there,” he said. He was called a big, tough coach. I watched him interact with his players for about two hours and was impressed with his skill in communicating with young players and at the same time brought out the best of them in the snow. He had no idea I was there. ”

By agreeing with the Coyotes, Turigni was one of the rare French-speaking Cubans to break into the National League without going through the Canadian organization. When asked about it, he said it was a matter of great pride.

“Pride is the first word that comes to mind. I would lie if I said it didn’t go over my head and it didn’t bother me. Should be recognized by an organization such as the Coates by Mr. Armstrong, [Xavier] Gutierrez, [Alex] In Meru, it’s amazing. It touches me because I know where I came from, I know where I started and where I went. ”

A long journey

This is the first time for Andre Turigni to head the NHL team. The 47-year-old, nicknamed Bear, has been on a long journey in Canadian hockey circles. He first ran the Ruin-Noranda Huskies from 2002 to 2013 for 11 years.

Nicolette was then appointed by the Ottawa Senators in 2015 for two years as Patrick Roy’s assistant with the Colorado Avalanche. He spent a year there. He later returned to QMJHL for a season at the helm of the Halifax Mooseheads.

For the past four years, he has been head coach and vice president of hockey operations for the Ottawa 67s in the Ontario Junior League (OHL). In 2020, he was named Coach of the Year for the Canadian Hockey League.

“Every day you take a step in that direction,” he said of his journey. When you talk to your friends and family, they are very happy. Talking to my kids and my wife, watching their reactions and understanding all the work behind it. ”

“When I first told our mom about it, she was crying and very passionate,” he continued. She asked me if I remember where I came from. I’m the kind of person who always remembers where she came from. I was really proud when I looked back. When I look ahead, I’m really excited. ”

Turigni describes himself as a learning junkie.

“I like learning and listening to people. I go to every meeting I find in America for the last 20 years. I read books. I believe it is a sponge that I learn from everyone. ”

In 2021, Team Canada won silver at the Turigni World Junior Championships. He also won gold as an assistant in 2020 and silver in 2010 and 2011 in the same tournament.

In March, Quebec signed a one-year contract with Hockey Canada, including four international tournaments. He is due to resume his role as head coach of Team Canada for the next World Junior Championships and will be an assistant to the national team for the Beijing Olympics.

“From now on, [je me concentrerai] 100% on coyotes, he said. I thank Hockey Canada for what they did for me. They helped me a lot, they were awesome with me, but it was time to focus on my next challenge. ”

Read “A reunion that changed the destiny of Andre Tourigni …”

He said he wants a passionate, tough team that plays relentlessly, with responsible players.

“I want players to see my arrival as a new beginning. I do not want to hold them responsible for what happened in the past. At some point in life, when you’re lucky enough to prove yourself to a new beginning, you control your destiny.”

When asked what joined him in this philosophy, General Manager Bill Armstrong was very clear.

“It’s very simple: it’s black and white and I like it,” he replied. It is important to have someone who brings culture into this organization. This is one of the things we love about Andre. He brought his culture and continues to bring it. Culture 24/7, you need to bring every day. That’s what he does. ”

Andre Tourigni did not comment on his aides with the Coyotes, although it is rumored that one of them is Mario Duhamel. He said decisions would be made in the coming weeks.