How Pascal Vincent is helping the Canadiens' team-building process from below in Laval
LAVAL, Que. — A few minutes after Pascal Vincent left his final press conference of an extraordinary first season behind the Laval Rocket bench early Thursday morning, the Boston Bruins announced the hiring of Marco Sturm as their new head coach.
For a brief time, it marked the closing of the NHL head coaching carousel, and with it, appeared to ensure Vincent would be back in his native Laval next season, helping to support the ongoing team-building exercise of the Montreal Canadiens. Vincent led the young Rocket on an AHL playoff run that was so long, it left him out of contention for what had once been eight openings at the NHL level. The Dallas Stars opened another one Friday when they fired Pete DeBoer, but it would appear Vincent, the AHL coach of the year, will be sticking around because he didn't sound all that enthused by the possibility of being an assistant coach in the NHL. So, barring the Stars hiring him, there isn't a chair for Vincent in the NHL right now.
Advertisement
When pointing out the various things Vincent likes about his current job, he noted the ability to go out for breakfast with his parents on the weekends and how you can't necessarily put a price on that.
'For me to be part of the Laval Rocket, it's more than NHL or AHL. This is home,' he said. 'Right now, I'm a Rocket, and I'm preparing to be back next season.'
That is excellent news for the Canadiens, because this season, for perhaps the first time, we saw a real synergy between what is happening in Montreal and Laval and how the two are intricately linked. They were two of the younger teams in their respective leagues; they each made the playoffs, and the young players learned invaluable lessons about the different nature of playoff hockey and what it takes to win when the game becomes more physical and more difficult.
'I believe we drafted well over the years. You see it, young team here, young team in Montreal — it's hard to make the playoffs, in our league and in the NHL. It's so hard,' Vincent said. 'And both teams made it.'
But there is a real question the Canadiens organization needs to ask itself right now, and that is how you take a young team in the AHL and properly use it to feed a young team in the NHL that doesn't want to be too young while also giving those young players in the AHL the sense that there is a clear path to the NHL open for them? The years of the Detroit Red Wings allowing prospects to overcook in the AHL are in the past. Young players today need to see that NHL path, and that is something Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes is cognizant of, saying at his end of season news conference, 'If we go sign a bunch of guys to four-year deals, there's a bunch of guys in Laval saying, 'What the hell just happened? My spot's gone.' And then it becomes much harder to show up at the rink the next day or the next season in Laval. These are things we need to be mindful of in how we do things.'
Advertisement
Vincent is a big part of that process running smoothly, of making sure that belief is still there for his young players, that the path remains clear and realistic, that it's not hard to show up at the rink in Laval.
But Vincent also understands how difficult that can be. He worked for a long time in the Winnipeg Jets organization as an NHL assistant and the head coach of the Moose, and Vincent helped several members of the current Jets core during his time in the AHL. They had a draft-and-develop philosophy in Winnipeg, and it took several years to come to fruition. Vincent also mentioned the Tampa Bay Lightning, who had a young core in the AHL that won a championship at that level and moved up to the NHL together to complement the young core already in place, a model that is probably most similar to what the Canadiens are trying to do in Laval, but a model that is also a bit of an outlier because it is exceedingly rare to see a team as young as the 2012 Norfolk Admirals or the 2025 Laval Rocket win a Calder Cup.
'I don't know if there's a magic formula,' Vincent concluded.
Maybe not, but the Canadiens need to find a formula, magic or not, that translates the young talent in Laval to talent in Montreal, whether that's through players graduating to the NHL or simply gaining enough value to make them valuable trade commodities.
Despite being swept in the playoffs, the Laval Rocket season was an unmitigated success because the Canadiens see players they can realistically incorporate on the NHL roster soon, and because they have other players who could entice other teams.
And Vincent was central to that success.
When the Rocket season began, Vincent wasn't sure they would be keeping Florian Xhekaj. He was eligible to play an overage season in junior, they could have sent him to the ECHL, there were options.
But Xhekaj stayed in Laval and wound up scoring 24 goals as a rookie, two behind the team lead and tied with Jared Davidson for the seventh-most in franchise history.
Advertisement
At the beginning of the season, just after Luke Tuch had his first career fight, Vincent talked about him as a player who could translate that rare blend of skill and toughness into an NHL role one day.
'That's the type of player you like to have in the playoffs, and I think he's a player we can develop,' Vincent said on Oct. 16. 'I think he really has a chance to have an impact with the organization, both here and maybe eventually with the Canadiens. When you talk about having a unique chair and a role that's different from the others, I think he's establishing himself very quickly as a unique player.
'He brings something not a lot of players bring.'
When told he has two such players on his team, Vincent asked if we were referring to Xhekaj.
'Xhekaj is a little bit younger, though, so we still have to develop him in that regard,' Vincent said then. 'But yes, we should have two of them.'
Fast forward to Thursday, and Vincent saw Xhekaj in a different light.
In a nutshell, this difference is what Laval is all about, and what Vincent's job is all about.
'He scored a lot of goals, his shot is amazing, he's got a quick release, accurate too,' Vincent said Thursday. 'But I didn't know about his brain, and to me, that's the thing that intrigues me the most. How they manage expectations, how can they apply info that we give them and then do it right away on the ice, or how long does it take for you to gather the info and execute on the ice at a very high speed.
'For me, to see Flo gathering that information and teachings, and then do it on the ice and execute at the speed he did in his first year, with his last name — because the other team on the other side, they know — this kid has this confidence. He's walking the line. He's not cocky, but he's confident that he can be the man, and he's still physically not there yet. So, I was quite impressed with him.'
Advertisement
Xhekaj, in the span of seven or eight months, has gone from a player the Canadiens hoped would be a part of their NHL future to one they expect to be a part of their NHL future. There may be no magic formula, but this comes pretty close.
On another part of the spectrum is Owen Beck, whom the Canadiens have always seen as a part of their future success. He was drafted as a two-way centre, the type of player a team wins with, cerebral, competitive, responsible. With Laurent Dauphin filling the role of top-line centre, with the emergence of Xhekaj in the middle, and with the last arrivals of Brandon Gignac from injury and Oliver Kapanen from the NHL, Beck finished the season as a winger. This could be seen as a step back, but only if you don't have the perspective of Vincent on the path to the NHL that these young players need to see. Vincent said Beck moving to the wing was circumstantial, but there was more to it than that.
'For Owen, we know he can play centre, but we're going to continue giving him minutes and reps on the wing,' Vincent said. 'Because it's also about knowing who's your competition to make the Montreal Canadiens? So he can compete not only against the centres, but also the wingers.
'I was impressed with him as a winger.'
Understanding what his players need to graduate to the next level is definitely part of the formula.
Another part of the formula, magic or not, is preparing and nurturing a player such as David Reinbacher, a no-doubt NHL player. Reinbacher's season was nearly ruined by a serious knee injury in training camp, but he made the most of what looked to be a lost season. While he recovered from his injury, he spent a lot of time in meetings with the Canadiens coaching staff, observing what they look for on video, learning about the tiny margins that exist in the NHL, how every little action can be consequential.
One thing Reinbacher says he learned was about stick positioning, and even hands positioning, making sure you're cutting off the right passing lanes and understanding the spatial aspects of defending.
Advertisement
'Just getting into how detailed this league really is,' he said.
Once he arrived with the Rocket, still recovering from his injury and dealing with periodic swelling in his knee, Vincent witnessed firsthand why he was a No. 5 overall draft pick.
'I don't know how to answer that question,' Vincent said when asked how close Reinbacher is to making the jump to the NHL. 'What I know is he's a young man with a great mindset and a great computer that reads the game really well. His hockey sense is really good. His feet, the mechanics of his feet, the way he skates, is really good. Agility for a big guy like him still getting used to his body, really good. Coachable, great teammate. A little bit more grit than I expected on the ice facing a team that forechecks hard. I didn't see him refuse hits to make plays, that's a big indicator for me, for defencemen anyway. So, a lot of good things.
'Now, for him, physically, he's still a very young man. He needs to grow into a bigger person and a stronger, faster body so we can see how good his brain is once he's strong physically.'
There's the brain again. It is something the Canadiens value in players, and having a coach in the AHL who values it as much as Vincent does creates continuity within the organization.
The other side of this coin is building value in players who may not have a future in Montreal but could still contribute to the team-building process. It is a fluid list, but the reality is there are a limited number of spots in Montreal, and the players that graduate to fill those spots need to fit the specific role that's available.
The Rocket has far more players with NHL potential than the Canadiens have spots on the NHL roster.
William Trudeau, for instance, is 22 and has made great strides in Laval, but it's hard to see how he could carve out space among the crowded group of young defencemen the Canadiens are cultivating both in Montreal and Laval.
Advertisement
'I think there's a chair for William Trudeau,' Vincent said.
Surely there is, somewhere.
There is a long list of players like Trudeau, who could have an NHL chair but not necessarily in Montreal.
Vincent's competitive environment in Laval helps build value for those players. Someone like Sean Farrell, for instance, who played on his top line and had the production to justify it over the second half of the season, but is an undersized forward trying to crack a top-six in Montreal that has already filled its quota of undersized forwards. Or someone like Adam Engström, who looked tremendous over the second half and in the playoffs but, as a left-shot defenceman, has major roadblocks in Montreal in the form of Kaiden Guhle and Lane Hutson, through no fault of his own. Logan Mailloux faces a similar logjam in front of him on the right side of the defence with Reinbacher seemingly ahead of him and a reluctance to overload the blue line with youth in Montreal.
Then there's someone such as Joshua Roy. He is 21 and scored 20 goals in 47 regular-season games in Laval, an appealing profile for any team looking for offence. But he entered training camp with a real chance to stick with the Canadiens and didn't seize the opportunity, and a late-season call-up to Montreal wasn't any more convincing. When Vincent was asked a very open-ended question about who improved the most in getting them closer to Montreal, he listed nine players, even mentioning Filip Mešár, who only played the final playoff game and was a healthy scratch for the rest of them.
When he was done, Vincent noted he might have forgotten some players.
He did. He forgot Roy.
'We talk about pace with Josh,' Vincent said later when asked about Roy. 'It's known.'
Players like this are almost as important to the Canadiens' build as the players who have futures in Montreal, because it's difficult to fill every hole in a future lineup simply through the draft, where you are looking for talent above and beyond anything else. Either that talent benefits you directly, or it benefits you indirectly in the form of trades that help fill holes that arise during the process.
And the Canadiens are at that point in their process.
When Hughes arrived as general manager of the Canadiens, he spoke of wanting to integrate multiple aspects of the organization and eliminate the silos that might isolate them. The coaching staff should be able to work with management, the development staff, the analytics group and, ultimately, the AHL coaching staff so there is a cohesive vision of what the organization wants to become and everyone is working on the same page to achieve that.
Advertisement
After one year of Vincent in Laval, it seems clear he is holding up his end of the bargain. And the fact that he appears to be sticking around, and is happy to do so, is a good way for the Canadiens to start what looks to be a pivotal offseason.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Alford's 99-yard kickoff return for TD lifts Riders to wild 39-32 win over Argos
TORONTO — As Corey Mace prepared for overtime, Mario Alford took matters into his own hands. Alford's 99-yard kickoff return touchdown with nine seconds remaining in regulation time rallied the Saskatchewan Roughriders to a stirring 39-32 CFL win over the ailing Toronto Argonauts on Friday night. Advertisement Alford's heroics came after Toronto's Nick Arbuckle capped a 70-yard, nine-play drive with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Mital. Arbuckle then found Dejon Brissett for the two-point convert to make it 32-32. And that had Mace, the Riders head coach, looking ahead to overtime. "Honestly, I was looking at my overtime sheet," Mace said. "I did think we had a chance … depending on how far we get the return whether we're going to play for overtime or be able to go kick (the game-winning field goal). "Special teams did the rest … to have a walk-off like that was incredible." Advertisement Arbuckle was 26-of-33 passing for 259 yards with two TDs and an interception. Mital had seven catches for 98 yards and the touchdown. Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwiddie cited two factors that worked against his club on Alford's return. First, he said game officials missed an illegal block that Dinwiddie couldn't challenge. Secondly, Toronto's kickoff team only had 11 men on the field. "Special teams, I thought, was pretty bad for a third week in a row," Dinwiddie said. "We've got to get that fixed." Ironically, it was Saskatchewan's special teams that allowed Toronto (0-3) an opportunity to force overtime. Arbuckle's heroics came after Brett Lauther missed a 33-yard field goal at 12:58 to put the Riders (3-0) ahead 32-24. Advertisement Lauther missed three field goals and a convert in last week's 28-23 road win over Hamilton. "We would've been happy to get a decent return and play for a game-winner off Number 12 (Lauther)," Mace said. "We still would've put the trust in him. That's our guy and he'll continue to be our guy." Tommy Stevens' two-yard scoring run at 4:38 put Saskatchewan ahead 31-21. Lirim Hajrullahu's 25-yard field goal at 8:02 pulled Toronto to within 31-24. Saskatchewan's wins have all come against East Division teams. Trevor Harris completed 13-of-17 passes for 234 yards with two TDs and an interception while Dohnte Meyers had four catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Advertisement "It seems like every game there's something going on that surprises us and brings some wild circumstances and tonight was no different," Harris said. "I'm just super happy for Mario, he's just an explosive returner." A.J. Ouellette ran for 91 yards and a TD on 17 carries. But the teams combined for 29 penalties for 307 yards (Saskatchewan had 18 for 178 yards, Toronto had 11 for 129 yards) before a BMO Field gathering of 12,025. Saskatchewan had eight penalties for 125 yards combined over its first contests. "That goes to show you in this league you make it really tough to win when you're giving away free yards," Mace said. "We obviously have to get better at that … but to walk out of here with a win on a short week, we'll feel good about that." Advertisement Dinwiddie didn't hide his disdain for Toronto's lack of on-field discipline. "I'm pretty embarrassed by it," he said. "They (Riders) were chirping all game … we got involved in the chirping game and it cost us. "We had selfish penalties, that's the one thing I hate. It isn't about you, it's about the team. We aren't even close to being there. We don't know how to not lose games. It's not about winning games, (it's) not losing games." Toronto — 0-3 for the first time since 2019 — came into the contest short-handed. Quarterback Chad Kelly (leg) and receiver/returner Janarion Grant both missed their third straight game for Toronto. Joining them among the Argos walking wounded were linebackers Wynton McManis (knee) and Jack Cassar (adductor), running back Deonta McMahon (ankle), receiver DaVaris Daniels (hip), defensive lineman Demarcus Christmas (Achilles) and offensive linemen Sage Doxtater (knee), Dylan Giffen (back) and Darius Ciraco (foot). Advertisement Then in the first half, Toronto lost linebacker Kenneth George Jr. (leg) and defensive lineman Derek Parish (foot). Brissett and Jarret Doege also scored touchdowns for Toronto. Jake Herslow added a two-point convert while Hajrullahu booted a convert and three field goals. Lauther kicked five converts and a field goal. Hajrullahu's 24-yard field goal at 8:42 of the third pulled Toronto to within 24-13. Doege scored on a one-yard run at 12:59 before Arbuckle hit Herslow for the two-point convert to cut Saskatchewan's lead to 24-21. Harris threw a 70-yard TD strike to Meyers at 1:16, giving the Riders a 24-10 advantage. Advertisement Hajrullahu's 56-yard field goal to end the second quarter cut Saskatchewan's halftime lead to 17-10. It followed the Riders' goal-line stand with 56 seconds left as Kevin Brown was stopped at the one-yard line to end a 17-play, 97-yard drive. Lauther gave Saskatchewan a 17-7 advantage with a 16-yard boot at 1:25. Harris put Saskatchewan ahead 14-7 with a 32-yard TD pass to Meyers at 11:54 of the first. It was set up by Alford's 35-yard punt return. Ouellette had a 25-yard TD run at 8:26. Arbuckle opened the scoring with a five-yard TD pass to Brissett at 4:50. UP NEXT Roughriders: Host the B.C. Lions on Saturday, June 28. Argonauts: Visit the Ottawa Redblacks on Sunday, June 29. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025. Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hurricanes Re-Sign Eric Robinson to a Four Year Deal
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 12: Eric Robinson #50 of the Carolina Hurricanes hits Tom Wilson #43 of the Washington Capitals during the second period of Game Four of the Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center on May 12, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina. | Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images The Carolina Hurricanes brought back a flexible player for them from last year, Eric Robinson. Robinson played up and down the lineup and contributed 32 points in 82 games last season, a career high. He also chipped in with 123 hits. Advertisement His new deal lasts four years and will pay him an average of $1.7 million per year. Does this make the team better than last season? The answer is no, so I would anticipate more moves ahead.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Report: Ex-Lightning Tough Guy Expected To Become Free Agent
During this past off-season, the Tampa Bay Lightning traded forward Tanner Jeannot to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick. The move was understandable, as the Lightning needed to free up cap space, and Jeannot struggled to find his fit in Tampa Bay. In 55 games with the Lightning during the 2023-24 season, Jeannot recorded seven goals, 14 points, 211 hits, and a minus-10 rating. The 6-foot-2 winger also did not have the bounce-back season he was looking for with the Kings this campaign, as he had just seven goals and six assists in 67 games this year. Advertisement Now, Jeannot is expected to be on the move again. According to Hockey Royalty's Russell Morgan, the former Lightning forward is expected to hit the free-agent market on July 1. While Jeannot has had some struggles in recent seasons, he certainly has the potential to generate interest if he does, in fact, become a free agent this summer. His gritty style of play and size could make him an appealing target for clubs looking to add more toughness to their roster. The 28-year-old also had 24 goals and 41 points in 81 games in 2021-22 with the Nashville Predators. Nevertheless, it will be intriguing to see where Jeannot ends up landing this off-season, but it appears that his time as a King is coming to a close. Advertisement In 75 games over two seasons with the Lightning, Jeannot posted eight goals, 18 points, 97 penalty minutes, 288 hits, and a minus-16 rating/ Photo Credit: © Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
