Pascal Vincent: Returning to the AHL was not a priority, except for Laval

In case you didn’t already know, Pascal Vincent was hired as head coach of the Laval Rocket on Tuesday morning. The former head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets returns to his hometown of Laval.

Vincent played two seasons with the Laval Titan between 1990 and 1992, then managed the Laval-Laurentides-Lanaudière Regents in the M18 AAA from 1995 to 1999.

Not to mention that he’s a Laval native!

Perhaps that’s one of the main reasons why he chose the Rocket over another NHL job. At least, that’s what he explained in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

For me, going back to the AHL was not a priority, except in Laval. We’ll have a young team with a great work ethic. We’re going to push our young players. The Habs’ vision suited my values. – Pascal Vincent

The American Hockey League was not a priority for Vincent, who had just spent a full season at the helm of an NHL team. Except that in the case of Laval, things were different for the coach.

He thought the Rocket had an excellent group of young players, and he liked the Canadiens’ vision.

At the same time, you have to remember that the Rocket is a great team, even though it plays in the AHL. It has a huge fan base that attends games in large numbers and makes as much noise as most NHL amphitheaters.

Pascal Vincent didn’t say it explicitly either, but working in the Habs organization is a plus for a Quebecer. Working in your own backyard is a good argument, but we’re also talking about one of the most prestigious organizations in hockey history.

What we also noticed during Pascal Vincent’s press conference was the presence of Vincent Lecavalier. He seems to be playing an increasingly important role in the Habs organization.

Lecavalier was hired as a special hockey operations advisor in 2022, but his duties were never very specific. We don’t see him very often and wonder what he does in the Tricolore organization.

By presenting Pascal Vincent in this way, we can begin to believe that he could have an increased role next season, especially with the Laval Rocket players.

I don’t think Pascal Vincent would mind a little help from someone like Vincent Lecavalier.