On Tuesday, John Sedgwick, the general manager of the Laval Rocket, revealed that Pascal Vincent will be assuming the role of head coach for the team in the American Hockey League. With almost thirty years of coaching experience, Vincent is poised to contribute his expertise to the Canadiens’ minor-league affiliate.

Sedgwick expressed the Montreal Canadiens organization’s pride in welcoming Pascal Vincent as the new head coach of the Laval Rocket. With almost three decades of coaching experience across various levels of hockey, including the QMJHL, AHL, and NHL, Pascal brings extensive knowledge, a profound love for the game, and a proven track record of success in both winning games and developing players. Sedgwick further stated that Pascal’s strong principles, collaborative mindset, and unwavering work ethic make him an excellent fit for the organization and the perfect person to guide their talented group of young players. The organization is delighted to have a coach of Pascal’s caliber and eagerly anticipates the future under his leadership.

Vincent, aged 52, started his coaching career as an assistant with the Columbus Blue Jackets in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. His outstanding performance earned him the promotion to head coach for the 2023-24 season. Throughout his tenure, the Blue Jackets achieved a record of 89 wins, 129 losses, and 28 ties. Originally from Laval, QC, Vincent began his journey in the NHL coaching world as an assistant coach for the Winnipeg Jets from 2011-12 to 2015-16.

Vincent previously worked as the head coach of the AHL’s Manitoba Moose for five seasons before joining the Blue Jackets organization. During his tenure, he guided the team to a 155-139-31 record in 325 regular season games. In recognition of his exceptional coaching abilities, Vincent was honored with the prestigious Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award for the 2017-18 season.

Vincent took on the role of head coach for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in the QMJHL for the 1999-00 campaign. He successfully held this position for a span of nine seasons before moving on to the Montreal Juniors for three seasons. Throughout his time in the junior circuit, Vincent led his teams to an impressive cumulative record of 431 wins, 317 losses, and 58 ties in a total of 842 games.

In 1994, his coaching journey began to soar as he was appointed as the assistant coach of the Saint-Jean Lynx in the QMJHL. The following season, in 1995-96, he secured his initial head coaching position with the Régents de Laval-Laurentides-Lanaudière in the M18 AAA league.