Pascal Vincent appointed head coach of the Laval Rocket
He becomes the fourth head coach in Rocket history
LAVAL (July 16, 2024) – Laval Rocket general manager John Sedgwick announced today the appointment of Pascal Vincent as head coach of the Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League. With nearly 30 years of experience in junior and professional hockey, Vincent was a head coach in the AHL for five seasons with the Manitoba Moose before acting as an assistant coach and head coach in the NHL with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“The Montreal Canadiens organization is proud to welcome Pascal Vincent as the new head coach of the Laval Rocket. With thirty years of coaching experience, at the QMJHL, AHL and NHL levels, Pascal brings a wealth of knowledge, a passion for the game and proven track record of both winning and player development. His strong values, collaborative mindset and tireless work ethic make a great fit for our organization and the ideal person to work with our talented group of young players. We are thrilled to be able to add a coach of his caliber and excited for what lies ahead”, said Sedgwick.
Vincent, 52, spent the last three seasons (2021-22 to 2023-24) in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization as an assistant coach, for the first two seasons, before being named head coach during the 2023-24 season. During this period, the Blue Jackets maintained a record of 89-129-28. He made the jump to the pros in the NHL as an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets during the 2011-12 season.
Before joining the Blue Jackets organization, Vincent served as head coach for five seasons with the Manitoba Moose in the AHL. In 325 regular season games, he maintained a record of 155-139-31. Vincent received the AHL Coach of the Year award during the 2017-18 season, as his team went 42-26-8. The Laval native served as an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL for five seasons, before becoming a head coach in the AHL.
During the 1999-00 season, Vincent was named head coach of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in the QMJHL. He held this role for nine seasons, before joining the Montreal Junior for three seasons. As a head coach in the QMJHL, Vincent maintained a record of 431-317-58 in 842 games.
His coaching career took off in 1994, when he was named assistant coach of the Saint-Jean Lynx in the QMJHL. He obtained his first head coaching role with the Régents de Laval-Laurentides-Lanaudière in the M18 AAA league during the 1995-96 season.
