André Tourigny, head coach of the Arizona Coyotes, is originally from Sainte-Monique de Nicolet.
His parents, Maurice and Denise, instilled in him several values, including that the word “impossible” should not be part of his life or that of his sisters Chantal and Johanne. His mentor, René Charron, was the technical director of ice hockey in Mauricie. René always believed in himself and was able to realize his dream of becoming the head coach of an ice hockey team.
By the way, André’s dream was to become the head coach of the Bantam AA team and not an NHL team.
Life is like climbing Mount Everest.
If you explore my childhood journey, you will find that there are several stops to get to the summit of Mount Everest.
Explain these stations to me in a few words.
My wife, my family and my friends, who have always supported me so much in the good times, but especially in the most difficult times.
Positions as a trainer.
I was a young Nordiques fan and it’s fitting that my mentor in the NHL was Michel Bergeron, followed by Pat Burns.
There were several stops before reaching the summit.
Trainer at the AAA Pee-Wee, Bantam and Midget levels as an assistant. In the QMJHL, I was an assistant coach at Shawinigan before becoming head coach of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. Assistant to Patrick Roy in Colorado, head of the Canadian U18 team, a stint with Hockey Canada and finally reaching the summit of Everest with the Arizona Coyotes. Now I have to work even harder to stay at the top.
They lived on the family farm.
People thought I worked on the farm, but that wasn’t the case. The reality is that I was born on a farm and loved working on the farm.
Your father was a farmer.
My father had a farming, farming, chicken and later pig farm on my grandfather’s land. Dad made me realize how important it is to wake up early in the morning for work and be prepared.
At what age did you start driving a tractor?
When I was about 6 years old, I wasn’t tall enough or heavy enough because I had to stand up and put both feet on the clutch to start the tractor.
Your father influenced you a lot.
I got up at 6am to work on the farm, but to my surprise he was already at work. After finishing the train in the evening, I returned home. However, he returned to work after dinner. He taught me not to count the hours if you want to be successful in life and that loyalty is important.
Her mother is in the Midget AAA Hall of Fame.
She is a great volunteer who has never been afraid to strive for success and is always willing to help others. She worked in minor hockey for many years. In fact, she was inducted into the Midget AAA Hockey Hall of Fame.
You loved going fishing with your dad.
Even today I still go to my parents’ farm with my children. Without forgetting the beautiful, peaceful moments on a lake while fishing with my father.
Were you part of a choir at school?
Uh! Uh! Uh! No, and I will never be a part of it. I loved playing hockey, fastball and soccer. In addition, we won the Provincial Fastpitch Championship with the outstanding Jean-Yves Doucet as our team’s head coach.
You worked in a bar.
I was a bartender and DJ at Bar Paradise because I had no other choice. As an assistant coach to Denis Francoeur at the Shawinigan Cataractes, I earned $250 a week. Thanks to my wife Mélanie, who was a nurse, I was able to continue my career.
The arrival of the twins.
Mélanie gave birth to our beautiful twins. A new direction because with my salary of $250 a week I had to find something else. I bought a poultry farm with 14,500 chickens.
A change in schedule.
I got up at 5 a.m., fed the chickens and did various farm chores. Then I was in the coaches’ office in Shawinigan at 9 a.m.
“Impossible” doesn’t exist.
My parents always made it clear to me that there is no such thing as “impossible”, but that a solution must be found. A few years later, this philosophy of life allowed me to take on a challenge that I thought was impossible.
Explain yourself.
I am the head coach of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the QMJHL. There are English speakers on the team who would like to help me. Let’s face it: Shakespearean language is prevalent in a hockey locker room.
You took English lessons.
The next day I started English lessons sentence by sentence. Before my team meetings, I practiced my speech for an hour. Fortunately, after the meeting, my assistant Mario Duhamel asked the players if they had understood my message. Two years later I was head coach of the Canadian U18 team. There is no such thing as “IMPOSSIBLE” in my life.
You have three beautiful children.
My twin sons Jean-Philippe from medicine and Félix-Antoine from animal care are currently completing their university studies. While my daughter Marie-Léa, who has just completed her studies, is a big heart on two legs. She didn’t mind working three jobs in the summer.
Your wife Mélanie is an exemplary woman.
Mélanie is a professional nurse who, like all other nurses, has done incredible work during COVID-19. She always wants to stay in the shadows. However, it is she who, thanks to her competitive aspect, encourages the three children and me to excel in our fields.
