QMJHL teams, as a player
Hull Olympiques (1977-78 to 1979-80)
Trois-Rivières Draveurs (1979-80 to 1980-81)
QMJHL as a coach
Trois-Rivières Draveurs (1986-87)
Hull Olympiques (1987-88 to 1991-92)
Beauport Harfangs (1995-96 to 1996-97)
Montréal/PEI Rocket (2002-03 to 2004-05)
Born in Quebec City, Alain Vigneault has been involved in hockey like few others have had the chance. He has always been able to return to his favourite league, the QMJHL, when the time came to wait for a new job in the professional leagues.
Before becoming a career hockey coach, he played as a defenseman from minor hockey to the National Hockey League.
In the QMJHL, from 1977 to 1981, he played for the Hull Olympiques and the Trois-Rivières Draveurs. He was one of the toughest players in the game, receiving 768 penalty minutes during his junior season. He also filled the score sheet with his offensive production of 47 goals and 243 points in 291 games (season and playoffs combined). Drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the 8th round in 1981, he bounced around between the AHL and the NHL for three seasons, before changing his career path.
Ultimately, it is behind the bench that he will turn to excellence.He was first called by the Trois-Rivières Draveurs in 1986, at the age of 25, to coach at the major junior level.
The following season, in 1987-88, he returned to familiar territory to coach the Hull Olympiques, under the direction of General Manager Charles Henry. Following in Pat Burns footsteps, he quickly took control of the team by rallying the strong leaders of his club, Marc Saumier, Benoit Brunet, Cam Russell, Daniel Shank and Stephane Matteau. His team would go on to win the President’s Cup as the 1988 playoff champions.
During his 5 seasons with the Olympiques, he was demanding with his players, but he was also very honest with each of them. His outstanding work ethic will take him twice, in 1989 and 1991, to the Canadian Junior Team; in his second opportunity as an assistant coach, Canada will come out of the World Championship with a gold medal.
His achievements are impressive enough to get him his first chance in the NHL. From 1992 to 1995, he was an assistant coach with the Ottawa Senators.
He then returned to his roots for a second tour in the QMJHL. He took charge of the Beauport Harfangs mid-season in 1995-96; in the spring, his team lost in the QMJHL final to the would-be Memorial Cup champions, the Granby Prédateurs.
From 1997-98 to 2000-01, Alain Vigneault returned to the NHL; this time it was his first experience as head coach with the Montreal Canadiens.
After a record of 257 points in 266 games, the Canadiens thanked him for his services.
Unemployed, he returned to the QMJHL for the 2002-03 to 2004-05 seasons, this time with the Montreal Rocket; he then followed the team to Prince Edward Island.
The long-awaited call to the professional ranks came at the beginning of the 2005-06 season when he was called to coach the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.
He graduated the following season with the Vancouver Canucks, still as head coach, and the team’s performance in 2006-07 earned him the Jack-Adams Trophy as NHL’s Coach of the Year; overfall, he would be a finalist for this award on 5 occasions during his 18 NHL campaigns.
After coming within one game of winning a Stanley Cup ring in 2011, and having accumulated 7 consecutive winning seasons with Vancouver, he signed a lucrative contract in 2013-14 with the New York Rangers. The latter will not regret it; the men led by Vigneault will reach the final series of the League in June 2014 before being defeated by the Los Angeles Kings. From 2019 to 2022, he spent 3 seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Anyone who has been around Alain Vigneault has undoubtedly had a great time with him. And he knew how to get the best out of everyone he coached.
In 11 seasons in the QMJHL, including 8 winning campaigns of .500 or more as a coach, his record was 385 wins in 767 games. In the National Hockey League, his overall regular season record was 722 wins in 1363 games, including 10 seasons of 40 or more wins. In the playoffs, his teams won 78 of their 155 games.
Alain Vigneault will be inducted as a “Builder” into the QMJHL Hall of Fame in June 2023.
Comme entraîneur-chef / As a head coach
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| CAREER | / CARRIÈRE | 767 | 385 | 334 | 48 | 0.533 |