Jeff Gorton Bids Farewell as Pascal Vincent Joins Kraken

jeff gorton said the Canadiens wished Pascal Vincent all the best after the Seattle Kraken hired him as an assistant coach on Thursday. The move ends Vincent’s two-season run with the Laval Rocket and sends him back to the NHL after two years in the AHL.

Vincent Leaves Laval Rocket

Vincent had spent the previous two seasons as head coach of the Laval Rocket, and the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate now has a vacancy to fill. Laval made the playoffs in both seasons with him behind the bench and reached the Eastern Conference final in his first year.

The Rocket had hired him two summers ago to replace Jean-François Houle, and the club let him out of the last year of his three-year contract so he could return to Seattle. That leaves Montreal’s top farm club to reset before the next season begins.

Seattle Adds Experience

Lane Lambert said Vincent will replace Jessica Campbell, who left the Kraken at the end of April. Campbell was the first female assistant coach in the NHL, and her departure created the opening Vincent now fills.

Lambert described Vincent as a coach who has worked everywhere, saying, “Pascal’s worn every hat you can” and “He’s been a head coach at every level. He’s been an assistant coach at every level. He’s been coaching for 26 years and at the pro level for the last 15 years.” He also said, “For me, Pascal was the favourite right from the beginning based on his experience and what I was hearing about him.”

Vincent’s path to Seattle includes two seasons as an assistant coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets, one season as their head coach, 11 seasons as a QMJHL head coach, five seasons as an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets and a later run as head coach of the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. “We would like to sincerely thank Pascal for his work and contribution to the Rocket and wish him all the best in his next professional chapter in Seattle,” Gorton said. “He was highly committed to our success and made valuable contributions over the past several years.”

Seattle Fit

Vincent said, “The city of Seattle is great, the arena is amazing, and the fans are loud.” He added, “It feels like I’m coming home somehow.” For Seattle, the hire adds a coach with NHL and AHL head-coaching experience; for Laval, it starts a search for a replacement after a run that included two playoff trips and one conference-final appearance.