What should the Utah organization do to help support Andre Tourigny?
If we know anything about the National Hockey League, it's that coaches have a very short leash.
It's not unusual to see coaches hired, then fired in quick succession if they can't get the job done.
Just look at Barry Trotz resigning after winning the Stanley Cup in Washington over a contract dispute, then hiring Todd Reirden as head coach — he was fired after two seasons after failing to get past the first round.
Another name that comes to mind is Jay Woodcroft, the former Edmonton Oilers coach who was booted after a 3-9-1 start to 2023-24, just two years after he took Edmonton to the Western Conference Final.
Craig Berube and Rick Bowness, both leaders of miraculous Cup runs in back-to-back years — one successful, one falling short — each also fell victim to the chopping block.
Why hasn't Andre Tourigny yet suffered the same fate?
Put it this way: He's had three years in Arizona, missing the playoffs all three times, and never finishing better than 7th in the Central Division.
But is it really his fault?
Not really.
That can be blamed on lack of support from the ownership group (or lack thereof) in Arizona, and an overall unwillingness for big-name players to come to the Desert because of the uncertain situation surrounding where they would play (i.e., a 4,600-seat college hockey arena).
Thankfully, though, Tourigny signed an extension with Arizona before they moved to Utah in August 2023, so his future is all but certain.
Now the question is how Ryan Smith, new alternate governor Chris Armstrong, and GM Bill Armstrong will help support him in building the team that will finally get Utah out of purgatory.
How will they do it? What will they do to do so?
Only time will tell.
Note: This article has been corrected and updated to reflect Tourigny signing an extension last off-season.