Since taking over as head coach of the Arizona Coyotes back in 2021, André Tourigny has changed both the culture and the direction the organization is heading into.
When the Arizona Coyotes hired André Tourigny to be head coach back in 2021, it was unknown what he truly brought to the table.
Now over two years later, it’s clear that general manager Bill Armstrong made the right choice in bringing on Tourigny.
While Tourigny has not had a ton of success generating wins over the past two seasons due to the rebuilding team he inherited, he continues to impact the organization in a variety of other ways.
The 49-year-old coach has a demanding presence but is fair with his players, garnering the respect he deserves.
“The one thing about him was that he was firm with his players, he motivated his players, but didn’t leave a scar,” Armstrong said via Arizona Sports. “I felt like we needed that type of coach because we were in the process of gutting everything, keeping what we liked then added in young players. You need to bring them in properly and I felt like he could do that.”
Prior to Tourigny’s arrival to the Valley, Arizona was not really a destination that free agents would consider going to. That image however is starting to shift as Tourigny continues to transform the culture around the organization.
This summer, a number of free agents chose to come to Arizona including Jason Zucker, Matt Dumba and Alexander Kerfoot. Even Nick Bjugstad and Troy Stetcher, two players who played for the Coyotes last season and were traded from the organization, decided to make a return largely because of this new-found culture and what Tourigny brings as a head coach.
“He knows how to manage the room and he’s very good at engaging personalities and kind of where we’re at,” Bjugstad said. “And he knows when to pedal down and kind of expect more from his players.”
Tourigny had no NHL head coaching experience before being hired by the Coyotes so the fact he has been able to guide this young team through some tough rebuilding years is impressive to say the least.
Tourigny was rewarded for his achievements earning a new three-year contract extension this offseason.
The Coyotes are currently not in a bad position. The team’s young pieces are starting to come together and with the help of all these new veteran acquisitions on top of Tourigny’s coaching, Arizona has a better chance to compete than in years past.
“The moves they made in the summer allowed us to be more competitive,” Tourigny said. “So I think they kept their word and so far that every step Billy has planned, we’re on par with where we want to be.”