Vincent Lecavalier Should be the Canadiens Next Assistant Coach
During his press conference on Wednesday, the newly hired head coach of the Laval Rocket Pascal Vincent mentioned an interesting detail when discussing the meeting he had with the Montreal Canadiens front office and coaching staff before signing on.
Vincent stated that the coaching personnel is comprised of a big pool of people and that it feels less like two staffs between the AHL and NHL teams, rather that it feels like a whole cohesive unit. When speaking about who was in the meeting, the bench boss mentioned that “Vinny (Vincent) Lecavalier” was present.
This isn’t unorthodox, given that Lecavalier is currently employed as a special advisor of hockey operations for the club. With Alex Burrows stepping down to take on the role of player development consultant to spend more time with his family, an opening for the assistant coach job became available. The intimacy between Lecavalier and the inner workings would make the transition seamless, but this is not the only valid reason why the Tampa Bay Lightning legend should fill the position…
An Impressive Resume
As previously mentioned, Lecavalier has a superb resume from his playing career. A former first-overall pick by Tampa Bay in 1998, the centreman went on to play in 1,212 NHL games, scoring 421 goals and racking up 949 points.
In 2004 he won a Stanley Cup. By the time he retired in 2016, he was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, the Rocket Richard Trophy and an NHL Foundation Player Award. Lecavalier scored at least 20 goals in 12 different seasons and captained the Lightning for the 2000-2001 season and then again, from 2008 to 2013. His number 4 was retired by the Florida-based franchise in 2018.
The expectation of being the gifted player who will lead a once-missable franchise into a successful stint of championship glory is not easy. The immense pressure that comes with being the face of the franchise is an aspect Lecavalier knows far too well. His knowledge and experience would match perfectly with the numerous young prospects in the Canadiens system still adjusting to the bright lights of the Bell Centre.
Lecavalier’s playing career was amazing, despite never fully living up to the label of “The Michael Jordan of Hockey.” He did, however, have an aura about him. This aura and professional approach to the craft rubbed off on one teammate in particular…
Martin, have you met Vincent?
When St. Louis was signed by the Lightning in 2000, he was on a different trajectory compared to Lecavalier. The smaller forward had spent the past few seasons playing in the International Hockey League. In his first NHL game, he played just under two minutes while Lecavalier—touted as the golden boy who would lead the Lightning to fame—played 24 minutes.
Through hard work determination, and many hours spent after practice working drills, St Louis earned a spot on the top line, and the chemistry between him and Lecavalier meshed well enough to garner them a Stanley Cup four years later.
Two decades later, the two former teammates now work closely in their respective roles for the Canadiens. The two have similar approaches to the game and developed their craft alongside one another for lengthy careers. If Lecavalier decided to take the next step, the late nights would involve individuals who are proven to work together successfully. While St Louis has shown the impact he can make with smaller players such as Cole Caufield, Lecavalier will lend his knowledge to physically built players in Juraj Slafkovský and Ivan Demidov when he arrives in Montreal.
Born and Raised
A reminder that his name is Vincent Lecavalier, not pronounced Vin-Sent. He was born and raised in île-Bizard, Que., a suburb just off the island of Montreal but still within the city. He spent his teenage years attending John Rennie High School in Pointe-Claire before transferring to Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Saskatchewan. He spent his junior years in the QMJHL playing for the Rimouski Océanic, where he recorded 207 points in 122 games.
Lecavalier is bilingual, obviously, meaning that not only can he respond to Montreal media questions but can also coach young Quebecois prospects in their mother tongue. He could also replace St. Louis in media opportunities at times, giving the head coach a well deserved break.
Not to mention how ecstatic the fan base would be in receiving the news of Lecavalier’s promotion. If the news ever did come out that he would take over as the assistant coach, the prayers of fans pining for an official position behind the bench would send online forums into a frenzy.