The Montreal Canadiens hired Daniel Jacob as their American Hockey League coach as Pascal Vincent’s successor.
In the 2024 offseason, the Laval Rocket went for the big name in their head coaching search, hiring Pascal Vincent. They needed someone to change the culture, someone with an NHL background who could win and develop the Montreal Canadiens prospects.
In two seasons behind the bench, the Rocket owned the best record in the North Division and helped add plenty of young talent to the Canadiens, who are now one of the up-and-coming teams in the NHL. Vincent’s tenure with the Rocket was nothing short of a success.
His time in the NHL helped him become one of the top coaches in the American Hockey League. “I’m way more patient understanding the process,” Vincent noted early on in the 2025-26 season, adding, “It gives me a good sense of what it takes to get there. Sometimes you just need to find a door that will get you in.”
It goes without saying that the follow-up act behind the Rocket bench had big shoes to fill, with Vincent heading to the Seattle Kraken as an assistant. That successor is Daniel Jacob, a name that surprises most hockey fans but not those in Laval, Quebec, or in the AHL circles.
Jacob Isn’t The Big-Name Hire Like Vincent
When the Rocket hired Vincent, they needed someone with experience. He was 52 years old and coming off a season as the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Rocket missed the playoffs the season before, and Vincent brought the team back to respectability in the AHL.
Considering how successful the Vincent tenure was, it’s a surprise the Rocket didn’t look for another experienced coach with an NHL background. Kris Knoblauch would check that box, although it’s questionable whether he wants to return to the AHL and whether the Rocket are looking for him in particular. Instead, they hired Jacob, who will be a first-time head coach.
Jacob was the assistant under Vincent and was an assistant at the AHL level for the San Diego Gulls and the Syracuse Crunch. He’s an under-the-radar hire but like many coaches in the AHL, the 45-year-old has been preparing for the promotion and is in a good position to take the job.
Jacob’s Time As An Assistant Sets Him Up For Success
He’s an internal hire and, in some ways, the safe bet for the front office since they know him and his coaching style. However, Jacob wasn’t just an assistant in the Rocket organization, and that helped his cause.
His two seasons with the Crunch and the Gulls give him a different perspective on the league and how other teams operate. He will come into the Rocket job with new ideas and with an understanding of what works and what doesn’t. Along with his time in the AHL, the eight years he spent in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League helped shape him into a head coach.
Like many coaches in the AHL, Jacob is young and getting his first opportunity. Similarly, he’s built up a reputation around the league and is ready for that next step, one that he hopes will prove that he can coach at any level.
Why This Hire Works For Laval
The big key for the Rocket is building on the foundation that Vincent laid down. Jacob has learned a lot from him in the last two seasons and will pick up where he left off. While many are skeptical about the assistant turned head coach, who must adjust from being the “good cop” to the “bad cop,” Jacob understands the room and the team better than most.
It also helps that he coached the defense and the penalty kill, two positions of strength for the Rockets in recent years. Last season, the Rocket allowed only 2.7 goals per game, and in 2024-25, they allowed only 2.4 goals per game, which was the best in the league. He’ll have the team playing a structured and defensively sound game, similar to how Vincent coached.
The Rocket have a high standard in the AHL, where the standard is to compete for the Calder Cup. Jacob will go through some growing pains and adjustments behind the bench but this hire, along with a strong free agency class, puts the Rocket in that position.
