Assistant coach Clément Jodoin leaves the Canadiens
The Canadiens and assistant coach Clément Jodoin have parted ways.
General manager Marc Bergevin announced Wednesday that Jodoin notified management Tuesday that he was leaving the team to pursue other opportunities.
“Marc Bergevin and I regretfully accepted the resignation of assistant coach Clément Jodoin, who made the decision to end his longtime association with the Montreal Canadiens,” head coach Claude Julien said in a statement.
“At our post-season meeting, we offered Clément to remain on our coaching staff, but he indicated to us that, at this stage in his career, he would be looking for a change and would like to explore other challenges.
“Clément has been a valuable part of our hockey management team during his 12-year tenure with the organization. His wealth of knowledge and valued experience were important assets for all of us. His positive attitude and optimism were contagious and will be missed.
“I take this opportunity to thank Clément for his remarkable contribution to our hockey club and wish him the very best with his future endeavours.”
There was no immediate word on whether the Canadiens will replace Jodoin.
The team had one of the largest coaching staffs in the NHL last season with associate coach Kirk Muller, assistant coaches Jean-Jacques Daigneault and Dan Lacroix, and goaltending coach Stéphane Waite.
A career coach, the 65-year-old Jodoin re-joined the Canadiens’ organization five years ago as part of the sweeping changes which brought Bergevin and coach Michel Therrien to the helm. He was hired for his experience and technical knowledge.
A Concordia University graduate, Jodoin is recognized as a student of the game and he regularly spent his summers in Europe examining coaching and training methods.
Jodoin filled a number of roles in his previous stint with the Canadiens.
He served as an assistant coach for five seasons (1997 to 2001 and 2002-03) and was also a member of the Canadiens’ recruiting and player development team between 2000 and 2002.
In 2011-12, he served as head coach of the Hamilton Bulldogs, then the Canadiens’ main affiliate team in the AHL.
Jodoin also worked in the NHL with Pittsburgh and the Quebec Nordiques, and was successful at the junior and university level. He completed four seasons as head coach of the QMJHL’s Rimouski Océanic.
He served as an assistant coach for Team Canada at three world junior championships, winning gold in 2006, ’07 and ’08.
In 2007, he won the Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award as the top junior hockey coach in the CHL. That was the year he led the Lewiston Maineiacs to the QMJHL title and a berth in the Memorial Cup.
He was a two-time winner of the Ron Lapointe Trophy as coach of the year in the QMJHL, the first time in 1997 as head coach/GM of the Halifax Mooseheads, and again in 2007 with the Maineiacs.
His first coaching job was with the UQTR Patriotes. He led them to three conference titles and a CIAU championship in 1987.
Also on Wednesday, it was announced that Tomas Plekanec would join the Czech team for the World Championship, probably as the team’s captain.
And defenceman Alexei Emelin underwent arthroscopic surgery to his right knee on Wednesday. His recovery time is expected to be four to six weeks.