Jean proud to break QMJHL wins record with Sagueneens
Here are some clues that Yanick Jean has been in the QMJHL for a very, very long time.
His first game as head coach was on Nov. 14, 2003, in an 8-2 loss for the Chicoutimi Saguenéens against the Moncton Wildcats. David Desharnais was in his first season in the QMJHL and the Wildcats’ goalie was Corey Crawford. His fourth game ended in a 1-1 tie against the Quebec Remparts.
And only his 20-year-old players on this year’s Sags – Alexis Morin, Craig Armstrong, and Jonathan Desrosiers – were born.
More than 20 years later, Jean is still there. And now, he has the most wins as head coach in the QMJHL with 590 thanks to a 5-0 win on Friday against the Victoriaville Tigres.
Obviously, hockey has changed tremendously since November 2003. How did he manage to last, and especially win for so long to reach 590 victories? For him, there is no secret: he had to adapt to the evolution of players.
“Thirty, 40, or 50 years ago, head coaches always said that if you were a player, you had to adapt to him,” Jean explained during a virtual conference with journalists on Monday. “Now, with the arrival of players born in the 2000s, things are changing.
“The coach’s role is to adapt to the young, to be able to communicate with a group of young people aged 16-20. And it changes from week to week, from month to month.”
All of this is good. But what does adapting, concretely, mean? Jean mainly thinks about working on the mental aspect with his players.
“Previously, when we had a system, we had to focus on training the players,” he said. “Now, you have to be at the forefront, you have to be a role model, you have to ensure that everyone plays in winning conditions. You have to focus on mental health and how young people go about their daily lives. It’s a big workload.
“That’s why more and more teams have specialists, like educational councillors or mental and physical helpers. We have a range of people involved to ensure that our players are in optimal conditions. We need to make sure they are in good spirits to perform on the ice, but also in the classroom.”
On the ice, the Sags head coach also notes a much greater speed of play among the points that have changed.
The Players, His Pride
Jean could have spent much more time talking about his major achievements in his career. From an important victory, a funny moment, or a significant playoff feat.
But he mostly talked about the development of his players. Some of them have reached the NHL, such as Phillip Danault, Yanni Gourde (both players with the Victoriaville Tigres), Dawson Mercer and Nicolas Roy.
But he especially mentions the development of individuals, for society in general.
“The fact that some of my former players come to see me to talk about the impact I may have had on them is one of my greatest rewards,” he said. “And as many of those who played with me for a few games as those who ended up with me two, three, or five years. Yes, we all want to win titles, but when you do this job, it’s mainly for the young people.”
“Sags” Tattooed
Another pride for the 48-year-old man is to beat Richard Martel’s record, for whom he was an assistant coach during the 2003-2004 seasons (after his six-game stint as interim as head coach) and 2004-2005, in Chicoutimi.
As a native of Alma, in Lac-Saint-Jean, he grew up dreaming of wearing the Sags uniform.
“It’s a privilege to achieve this feat with this organization,” he said. “It’s the team of my childhood, I played for them. Whether near or far, I spent my whole life with this team. I have incredible pride to achieve this feat in my region, surrounded by my family and friends.
“Since I was knee-high, I’ve had the Sags logo tattooed on my heart. It’s very special to me.”
Several hundred people have written or called Jean to congratulate him. Among them was notably the general manager of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, Julien BriseBois.