Three weeks after confirming their head coach for the upcoming season, the Canadiens are searching for a bench boss for their AHL affiliate.
The Laval Rocket made a stunning announcement on Friday that the club and coach Jean-Francois Houle mutually agreed to part ways to allow him to accept the coaching position for the NCAA's Clarkson Golden Knights.
“We would like to thank Jean-François for his contribution to the development of the culture of our organization and our players. During his three years at the helm of the team, his dedication and experience allowed the Rocket to be highly competitive, while preparing many players to make the jump to the NHL. We wish him the best of luck for this next chapter of his career,” Rocket general manager John Sedgwick said via statement.
The news dropped three weeks after Houle signed a three-year extension to remain behind the bench, after working the entire season on an expiring contract. In his three year tenure with the Canadiens AHL affiliate, the team had 105-86-25 record and made two playoff appearances with an Eastern Conference final loss and a defeat in the qualifying round.
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Houle is a familiar face for the Clarkson Golden Knights as he played for four seasons for the university between 1993 and 1997 and then returning as an assistant coach from 2003 and 2010.
"I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to return and coach at my Alma Mater. I am excited about the future of Clarkson Hockey and eager to continue the rich history of the program." said Houle in the press release. "I am looking forward to becoming a mentor and instilling the Clarkson University values to the next generation of student-athletes. My family and I have forged some deep friendships within the community and we are happy to make Potsdam home again."
The job at Clarkson became available on June 13th when Casey Jones left the program after 13 seasons to accept a job at Cornell University.
"We are thrilled to have Jean-François Houle, a Golden Knight alumnus well known around the hockey world, to be our next Leonard S. Ceglarski Head Men's Hockey Coach," said President Mark P. Christensen. "His exceptional record in developing talent at both the professional level, combined with his deep connection to our University as a former player and assistant coach, makes him the ideal leader to drive our Men's Hockey program to a national championship."
"People who have been following Golden Knights hockey since we moved into Cheel Arena know J-F was among the all-time fan favorites, who played every shift as if it was an overtime in the national championship. With work ethic, passion, loyalty and love for Clarkson hockey and the Potsdam Community, JF is the proven leader we need. He has a deep understanding of our program's values and a strong commitment to student athlete excellence both on and off the ice," added Athletic Director Laurel Kane.
The Canadiens will be searching to name the fourth coach of their AHL affiliate since it moved to Laval prior to the start of the season. Assistant coach Martin Laperriere, goaltending coach Marco Marciano and video coach Charles Juneau all signed multi-year extensions simultaneously with Houle on May 29th, while Kelly Buchberger left the organization earlier in the month for an opportunity closer to home.
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