Alain Vigneault retires from coaching
Alain Vigneault is calling it quits on his coaching career. Starting in 1997, the Quebec native will retire with the 10th-most wins as a head coach in NHL history. As someone who has lived and breathed hockey for decades, it is unfortunate to see him miss out on the Stanley Cup despite an excellent career.
He is part of an unfortunate list of nine coaches to have won at least 700 games behind the bench but never capture the Cup. Most recently, “AV” was in charge of the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2021-2022 season before being fired after the 22nd game.
He was out of the league for a couple of years after four poor seasons in Montreal from 1997-2001. However, he won the Jack Adams award in his return during 2006-2007 after taking the Vancouver Canucks to the playoffs in his first season in charge. Vigneault is most well-known for his stints in Vancouver and the New York Rangers.
Close But No Cigar
He won back-to-back President’s Trophies in 2011 and 2012 with the Canucks and a third at MSG in 2014-2015. He made it to the Stanley Cup Final with each of those teams but lost in heartbreaking fashion both times.
In 2011, the Bruins strangled them to death in a Game 7. In 2014, the Los Angeles Kings sent the Rangers home with nothing after an overtime loss in Game 5. Careers like AV’s are a cruel reminder that hockey cannot always reward everyone. A mind like his would likely be welcome across almost every front office in the league.
His last appearance in the playoffs came during the 2020 bubble. The Flyers advanced past Montreal in the first round but fell in seven games to the Islanders in the second round.
Alain Vigneault has carried out one of the great coaching careers the NHL has seen in recent memory. He was able to revive franchises nearly everywhere he went, but not enough to climb all of hockey’s mountains.
