Willie Desjardins recorded his 500th win as a head coach in the WHL on Friday night.

Friday night was special for former Vancouver Canucks coach Willie Desjardins as he recorded his 500th win in the WHL. Desjardins, who currently coaches the Medicine Hat Tigers, became the 12th head coach in league history to hit the milestone when his Tigers defeated the Red Deer Rebels 8-1. Other well know head coaches who have 500 or more wins under their belt include Don Hay, Ken Hodge, Brent Sutter and former Canucks assistant coach Mike Johnston.

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While Desjardins time with Vancouver was short, he did have some success behind the bench. In 2014-15, he led the Canucks to a 48-29-5 record, which remains the sixth most wins in a season. As for his 109 regular season wins, that ranks sixth all-time in franchise history, while his .498 points percentage ranks seventh.

After his time in Vancouver ended, Desjardins coached Team Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics. On November 18, 2018, he would return to the NHL after being named interim head coach of the L.A. Kings. Desjardins led the Kings to a 27-34-8 record before returning to the Tigers the following season. 

As for today, Desjardins is both the head coach and GM of Medicine Hat. His Tigers currently sit first in the Eastern Conference and have put together a record of 24-15-2. As for his team, Medicine Hat is stacked with talent, including Nashville Predators' Tanner Molendyk, Calgary Flames' Andrew Basha and projected 2026 first-overall pick Gavin McKenna. 

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