After gaining the trust of his employers for the next three years, André Tourigny intends to build a championship team out of the Arizona Coyotes.
In the National Hockey League (NHL), it can be said that the desert team is still in the infancy stage. Not only are the players in the roster young, but the franchise itself seems to have benefited from a makeover.
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The Yotes have only made the playoffs once in the past decade, but their core players are gaining experience and their youth pool is among the most exciting in the league.
“It’s like raising a child. “You don’t get a second chance to set it up properly,” the driver from Quebec introduced himself at a press conference on Wednesday. The values of our team and the values of our leaders are very important to us. We know we’re not a team that’s going to win a league just yet, but we believe that developing these players comes with the right attitude and values […] We will be a champion team.”
As a trainer, Tourigny does not necessarily see himself as a decision-maker, but rather as a conductor who has to ensure that all the musicians play together harmoniously. Success will come from this shared spirit, he believes.
“I’m there to lead, to administrate and to make sure the message is right and the leaders are steering the boat in the right direction. I firmly believe that the best way to train comes from the players and my job is to make sure we have a direction, a plan and are organised. [Nous devons avoir] “An attitude and a culture, but the most important thing is that it comes from the players,” admitted the 49-year-old.
praise
In addition to his two seasons at the helm of the Coyotes, Tourigny has extensive coaching experience in the junior ranks and three years as an NHL assistant. It will be almost 20 years since he got his first job as head trainer with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.
Born in Nicolet, he considers himself lucky. His good relationship with his players even prompted veterans like Nick Bjugstad and Troy Stecher to re-sign with the Coyotes in the offseason. These directly attributed to Tourigny.
“It touches me to receive these kinds of comments and it also shows the character of these people,” he admitted. […] They’re exactly the kind of people the Coyotes want. So I think it’s a blessing to see these veterans accompanying our young players and I’m very happy.
“He did a great job in our first leg and deserves this contract extension,” said General Manager Bill Armstrong. It’s nice to be able to reward him for all this hard work.”