Willie Desjardins named the Canucks’ new head coach
Posted June 23, 2014 10:22 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The Vancouver Canucks have hired Willie Desjardins as their new head coach.
It’s the first NHL head coaching job for the native of Climax, Sask., who most recently led the AHL’s Texas Stars to a Calder Cup championship.
News1130 Sports Director Ann Schmaltz says Desjardins’ relationship with president Trevor Linden surely factored the decision.
“Trevor Linden and Willie Desjardin go way back to the Medicine Hat days; [Desjardins] was a coach there with the Medicine Hat Tigers for a number of years in the WHL. He did have a lot of success with that team,” says Schmaltz.
Desjardins coached the Tigers for eight seasons, leading them to two Western Hockey League titles.
Schmaltz adds Desjardins is a coach who can help the club bring through young players as the team looks to freshen up its aging core.
“He is a great teacher and a communicator, which is going to help in the transition of icing a younger roster… I think the organization really wants to go in that direction. So fans can be excited about that.”
Desjardins’ resume also includes stints on Canada’s staff at two world junior tournaments and one world championship, as well as time coaching with the University of Calgary and in Japan.
The 57-year-old Desjardins becomes the 18th Canucks coach in franchise history, succeeding John Tortorella, who was fired after just one year behind the Canucks bench.
Tortorella and former Canucks president and general manager Mike Gillis were casualties of Vancouver’s disappointing season that saw the Canucks miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
A news conference has been set for 12 p.m. to introduce the new bench boss.
