Head coach: Pascal Vincent to be interviewed in Calgary

Currently, there are a few NHL clubs in the midst of a process to find their next head coach. The Capitals (Spencer Carbery) and Predators (Andrew Brunette) have already found their man, but the Ducks, Blue Jackets, Rangers and Flames have not.

The Blue Jackets may have an agreement with Patrick Roy (to be announced after the Memorial Cup Final) and John Hynes is the favorite in New York, but nothing is official yet.

That said, there’s another name floating around the NHL: Pascal Vincent. The Quebecer is currently an assistant in Columbus, but his name is coming up as a candidate for the head coaching position there.

If Roy were to inherit the position, another door seems to be opening for Vincent: according to Elliotte Friedman, he will be interviewing with the Flames.

Remember that the Flames fired Darryl Sutter at the end of last season, a year that was difficult for Calgary. Could Vincent be the man the organization trusts to revive a team that failed to meet expectations last year?

Clearly, if we interview him, we’ll believe it’s possible.

Friedman points out, however, that Vincent is awaiting the Blue Jackets’ decision. He therefore confirms that Vincent is a serious candidate there, but that doesn’t prevent him from looking elsewhere either.

At the same time, if he’s going to interview with the Flames before the Blue Jackets confirm him, it’s perhaps a sign that he doesn’t have high expectations of his current club (potentially because he knows the club already has an agreement with another coach, in this case Roy).

We know very little about the current race in Calgary, but we do know that Kirk Muller is among the candidates, as are Ryan Huska and Mitch Love. All three candidates are currently in-house.

Let’s also remember that Vincent spent a good ten years in the Jets organization before landing in Columbus in 2021. We’re talking about a guy who’s made his mark.

I’ve been thinking for a while that Mitch Love, who has been doing very well at the helm of the Flames’ training club for the past few years, is destined to become the big club’s coach. That said, a good interview with Vincent could potentially shake things up.

We wish him the best of luck.

In bursts

– Indeed.

Pezz loves Montreal, Montreal loves Pezz #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/qOBKdQAYVS

– Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) June 2, 2023

– A real bombshell in the QMJHL. It’s not looking quiet in Gatineau.

– We suspected as much.

– Great read.

– This would be great news for the Mets.