Calgary Flames

Calgary Flames Head Coach Candidate Profile: Pascal Vincent

You can add yet another name to the list of Calgary Flames head coach candidates. Long time coach and current Columbus Blue Jackets assistant coach Pascal Vincent has reportedly already interviewed with the team according to Elliotte Friedman.

Vincent certainly wasn’t one of the top names on most people’s lists, however considering he’s interviewed for the role, it’s clear the organization is seriously considering him. Vincent may not be known to most fans, however he has an incredibly long history of coaching at various levels and is looking to land his first head coaching role in the NHL. Here’s everything you need to know about Vincent.

Vincent has an extensive history as a coach

As mentioned, Vincent has an incredibly extensive history of coaching at just about every level of Canadian hockey. Here’s a better look at just how long Vincent has been coaching as well as the various levels he’s coached at.

Season(s)LeagueTeamRole
1994–1995QMJHLSaint-Jean LynxAssistant Coach
1995–1999QMAAALaval-Laurentides-Lanaudière RégentsHead Coach
1999–2001QMJHLCape Breton Screaming EaglesHead Coach
2001–2008QMJHLCape Breton Screaming EaglesHead Coach/General Manager
2008–2011QMJHLMontreal JuniorsHead Coach/General Manager
2011–2016NHLWinnipeg JetsAssistant Coach
2016–2021AHLManitoba MooseHead Coach
2021–presentNHLColumbus Blue JacketsAssociate Coach

Vincent first played in the QMJHL between 1988–1992, and then spent one year in the ECHL in 1992–93 before retiring. He would immediately jump into coaching the following year in 1994 as an assistant coach with the Saint-Jean Lynx of the QMJHL at the young age of 23. After one season in the QMJHL, he would move to the minor-midget AAA level where he would serve as a head coach for four years.

In 1999–2000 Vincent would land his first QMJHL head coaching gig as head coach of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. He would spend nine seasons as head coach of the Eagles while also taking on GM duties for seven years. In 2008 he would become head coach and GM of the Montreal Juniors of the QMJHL where he would work for three years. In 2011 he would land his first NHL job as assistant coach of the newly relocated Winnipeg Jets in their first season.

He’d spend five years in Winnipeg before being named the head coach of the Jet’s AHL affiliate the Manitoba Moose in 2016. Vincent would coach the Moose for five seasons before landing another NHL job in 2021 as the associate coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets which is where he still works today.

Vincent has coached at pretty much every level in Canada from minor midget, to junior, to the AHL and lastly the NHL. It’s incredibly rare for a coach to have 29 years of coaching experience at the age of 51. It’s only a matter of time before he earns his first head coaching job in the NHL.

A history of success

Not only has Vincent coached everywhere for the past 29 years, he’s also experienced some impressive success during that time as well. Vincent would find immediate success in his first head coaching role with the Screaming Eagles starting in 1999–20000. Before he was hired, the Screaming Eagles finished 12th in the QMJHL out of 18 teams. In his first three season’s in Cape Breton Vincent would lead the Eagles to finish 13th of 18 teams, then ninth of 19 teams, and then fourth of 19 teams. Across those three seasons the team would win three playoff series including one trip to the semi-finals.

Overall across his nine seasons with the Screaming Eagles, the team would never finish lower than 14th in the QMJHL and would finish top 10 in seven of his nine seasons including finishing second twice. They would also win a total of eight playoff series and make two trips to the semi-finals. In Cape Breton Vincent would win the QMJHL coach of the year award in 2007–08, and the QMJHL General Manager of the year award in 2006–07. Since Vincent left the team in 2008, they’ve never advanced past the second round again.

With the Montreal Juniors, Vincent would help lead the team to second place in the QMJHL in his third and final season with the team. Across his three seasons in Montreal the Juniors would advance past the first round in two of three years. Overall in the QMJHL he holds a record of 429–313–87 which is good for a .570 win percentage. He’s currently the 11th winningest coach in QMJHL history in both the regular season and playoffs.

In the AHL Vincent wouldn’t achieve sustained success with the Manitoba Moose, however he helped guide the franchise to their best season in franchise history in 2017–18. Vincent would lead the Moose to ninth place in the AHL and followed it up with the team’s first and still only playoff series victory. The season earned Vincent the AHL coach of the year award. With the win, he became the first head coach in history to win both the QMJHL and AHL coach of the year awards.

Internationally Vincent has been an assistant coach for the Canadian U18 team twice, including winning a gold medal in 2002–03.

A veteran option

Unlike some of the other head coaching candidates for the Flames, Vincent has been coaching for nearly three decades and has an incredibly long and impressive resume. It’s not common to find a first time NHL head coach candidate who has as much experience behind a bench as Vincent does. If the Flames do decide to go with Vincent, they’re getting a coach who has paid his dues and has years and years of experience at every level to draw off of.


Calgary Flames 2023 Head Coach Candidate Profiles

June 12, 2023 Update: Ryan Huska has been named head coach of the Calgary Flames! Check out Huska’s coaching profile for more information on him.

Here are past individual profiles on all the potential head coaches the Flames should or shouldn’t have considered for the new job:

Gerard Gallant | Mitch Love | Bruce Boudreau | Marc Savard | Pascal Vincent | Andrew Brunette

Back to top button

Discover more from The Win Column

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading