Alain Vigneault has been a coach since he was twenty-five years old. He has respectfully gotten teams out of slumps and into the playoffs, or has failed trying his best to win a Stanley Cup. He has also been nominated for the Jack Adams Award twice. Vigneault was first nominated for this award in 2000 with the Montreal Canadiens. His efforts are what got him the nomination despite missing the postseason that year. However, he helped lead the Vancouver Canucks to the playoffs year after year, and one Finals appearance in six of his seven seasons there. For his efforts, Vigneault won the Jack Adams award in 2007 in his first year with the Vancouver Canucks. He took Montreal to the playoffs just once in his three and a half seasons there, but in his first year with the New York Rangers he coached them to the Finals, to where they eventually lost to the Los Angeles Kings. The Rangers did make three more postseason appearances while he coached in Manhattan.
Vigneault coached in the minors a few times, as well. He ended up coaching the two minor league teams he played for. His first coaching job was with Trois-Rivieres Draveurs, and then he coached the Hull Olympiques for their next five seasons. In the minors Vigneault managed to coach to a record of 43-23-4, and a championship. His NHL coaching career started with the Ottawa Senators as an Assistant Coach. Although, the Assistant Coaching staff were let go after three-and-a-half years of him being there. Vigneault went back to the QMJHL to coach the Beauport Harfangs. They made it to the playoffs, making it his second QMJHL playoff appearance. They were eventually knocked out of the playoffs shortly thereafter.
A good coach in Vigneault has proven time and time again that he can turn an NHL team into a Cup contender. With being named the Flyers 21st Head Coach on April 15, 2019, he has proved that he is here to stay in just year one into his tenure in Philly. The way the Flyers have been known to play may have gotten lost in translation these past few seasons, until Vigneault entered the picture, with bad starts, slumps, firing of coaches, and bringing a new General Manager. AV pretty much saved the day for this proud franchise. In his first season with the Flyers, he managed to coach them to a 41-21-7 record, and they finished second in the Metropolitan Division.
While creating franchise records in Vancouver, naming a Goaltender the Captain, making it to the finals twice, making it to the playoffs 11 times in his NHL head coaching career, and having proved that his often misunderstood methods work. Throughout all of this he has gained the respect of players, and fellow coaches around the league. With all his accomplishments in the minors, and the NHL. It is safe to say that AV has created a Cup contending team in Philadelphia for years to come. All we can do is wait in anticipation, and hope that he can do what he does best. Make it to the finals, Let’s go Flyers!
