Long-time NHL coach of Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils relishes role in sharing experience to St. Louis Blues' coaches, players
ST. LOUIS -- Claude Julien has seen, heard, experienced everything possible when it comes to being an NHL head coach.
The resume includes longevity, 18 years' worth with three franchises, including two with Original Six franchises in the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins and a cup of coffee with the New Jersey Devils; Stanley Cup champion coach with the Bruins in 2011 who also took the Boston to the Final in 2013; Jack Adams Award winner (2009), frequent playoff participant (11 seasons), success at the international level with Team Canada. There's also a 15-year playing career, including 14 games in the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques and one season with the Kansas City Blades of the International Hockey League near the end of his career, so he does have some experience with the state of Missouri.
Julien's 667 wins (667-445-152 with 10 ties) rank 16th all-time among NHL coaches.
There's nothing left to prove. But as they say when it comes to players, that it's difficult to take the player out of the person, it's also hard to remove the coach as well.
And when the Blues hired the 64-year-old Julien to join Drew Bannister's staff June 27 to become an assistant coach and join associate coach Steve Ott, assistant coaches Mike Weber, Dave Alexander (goalies) and Michael Babcock (skills), the opportunity was too good to pass up.
Julien, although he wouldn't turn down the opportunity, isn't making being a head coach his top focus.
"Right now, and I'm being very honest, I am just happy where I am," Julien said on Friday. "I accepted this. Being a head coach is not a priority for me. If it was, I wouldn't have accepted this job and I would have probably waited for an opportunity. At the end of the day, a coach is a coach.
"I know when I was a head coach, I really relied on my assistant coaches, their opinions, their observations, everything else. As I've often said, you're as good as the people that surround you. Being in this situation and being an assistant coach, it doesn't mean you don't do as much. It just means Drew is the head coach with the last decision and at the end of the day, I'm really happy just to be part of a coaching group again and go behind a bench."
Julien has been out of the coaching ranks since being let go by the Canadiens 18 games into the 2020-21 season. But he spoke with Bannister, and the two took some time in deciphering if the fit would match. The longer they spoke, the check marks seemed to be frequent.
"I know a lot of people there in St. Louis," Julien said. "I've had the luxury of having Doug Armstrong at Team Canada and Peter Chiarelli, who's an ex-GM of mine (in Boston). At the same time, Drew reached out to me and asked if he could talk to me and see if I would be a good fit for their crew. So having known a lot of people there and feeling comfortable in that surrounding, there was something Drew and I discussed for quite a while and wanted to make sure it was a good fit. At the end of it all, I think it turned out to be a good fit."
Julien hopes to help transform the Blues back to a playoff team. But in doing so, he's also hoping to share the wealth of knowledge, wisdom and experience in not only transforming a roster but helping a coach and a staff evolve as well.
"For me, I guess it's an opportunity to stay in the game as a coach, which I enjoy, but also having the opportunity to help a good, young and upcoming coach in Drew Bannister," Julien said. "What he did last year taking over that team (Dec. 12 for Craig Berube, going 30-19-5), I've walked into those situations a couple of times. It's not easy to get a team back on track and I thought he did a pretty good job of that. As I said to him, I said, 'I've been fortunate enough as a head coach to be surrounded by good assistant coaches.' This is a good opportunity for me right now at this stage of my career to do that for someone else. I'm looking forward to really honestly helping Drew and the coaching staff, which a good, young and exciting coaching staff to be around and help them a little bit with my experience.
"I didn't know Drew at all. Drew had made a list of people that he wanted to talk to. The one thing I felt when we first chatted, we seemed to connect really well right from the get go. As well as for Drew and for myself, I think it was a matter of taking our time and making sure we checked all the boxes of everything. That's not just hockey, it's also family. I'll be leaving my family behind in Ottawa. I had to be willing to do that and I wanted to think about it really well. I think in Drew's case, it was a matter of getting to know me, making sure I run the things that he needed for a coach to bring in. So we had quite a few conversations over the course of, whether it was a month or weeks. It was something that had to be done properly and at the end of the day, we both seemed to agree on what we had talked about and what I could bring and what he needed. It's been a good fit. We had an opportunity to meet the coaching staff there at the development camp in St. Louis. Steve Ott I coached a little bit in Montreal and when he was in the minors and Dallas sharing a farm team with Montreal. And Mike Weber, I've known from coaching against him."
Julien is known as a defensive-minded coach, so having his expertise in that area should help a group looking to keep trending back in an upward trajectory after allowing 298 goals (3.17 per game) just two seasons ago.
"I think it's just a matter of the whole coaching staff," Julien said. "All I can say is I came in there at the meetings and I really liked what they had covered. I am now just looking at a lot of the past games of last year and trying to make notes and all that stuff to add some things to the table. This is going to be Drew's first opportunity to put his stamp on the team from training camp on. He's going to be able to do the things that we think are going to make this team successful.
"The last couple years, I did some consulting for a team in Switzerland two years ago. I've had some calls from other coaches asking me for advice and things like that. I enjoy doing it. When you have an opportunity to help people out and knowing that people are appreciating your experience and your advice, it's something you don't mind doing. It's exactly what this is. I've had a great career as a head coach and now it's an opportunity for me to come in and help somebody have that same experience I got."
