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Montreal Canadiens: Five Potential Head Coach Replacements For Claude Julien

By Ken MacMillan

MONTREAL, QC - JANUARY 09: Head coach of the Montreal Canadiens Claude Julien looks on from behind the bench against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period at the Bell Centre on January 9, 2020 in Montreal, Canada. The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-2. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - JANUARY 09: Head coach of the Montreal Canadiens Claude Julien looks on from behind the bench against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period at the Bell Centre on January 9, 2020 in Montreal, Canada. The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-2. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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ST CATHARINES, ON – DECEMBER 15: Head Coach Benoit Groulx talks to the players during the Canada National Junior Team practice at the Meridian Centre on December 15, 2014 in St Catharines, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
ST CATHARINES, ON – DECEMBER 15: Head Coach Benoit Groulx talks to the players during the Canada National Junior Team practice at the Meridian Centre on December 15, 2014 in St Catharines, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

1. Benoit Groulx

Benoit Groulx does not have any experience behind an NHL bench. Not as an assistant or as a head coach. However, he is from the province of Quebec and speaks fluent French and is also a heck of a hockey coach.

Groulx was the long time head coach of the Gatineau (previously Hull) Olympiques. His teams quickly grew a reputation around the QMJHL as overachievers every year. Most teams in Junior hockey will go through natural cycles of contending status then quickly back down to bottom feeder and then try to build back up into a contender.

The Olympiques avoided that “rebuilder” or “bottom feeder” part for a very long time while Groulx was their coach. Their last year in Hull and their first year in Gatineau, Groulx led them to QMJHL championships. In the next three years, when they should have been rebuilding, they lost in the first round, second round and the third round of the playoffs. Making a run to the semi-finals when you are right in the middle of two championship runs is pretty much unheard of in the CHL.

After those three years, the Olympiques were champions once again in 2008. This time they had a young Paul Byron scoring 37 goals to help them achieve success. Claude Giroux was pretty good too.

Groulx was then hired to be the head coach of the Rochester Americans of the AHL. After two seasons, one which saw them finish with a 44-33-3 record, Groulx returned to the Olympiques. They didn’t win any more championships, but pulled off a few upsets in the playoffs and made it to the second round for four consecutive years.

Then, Groulx returned to the AHL, this time with the Syracuse Crunch. This is his fourth season with the team and they have a combined record of 160-90-39. Young, skilled players like Yanni Gourde, Mathieu Joseph, Anthony Cirelli, Carter Verhaege and Alex Barre-Boulet all thrived under Groulx.

Next. Potential replacements for Marc Bergevin. dark

It seems everywhere he goes, he wins. He was also the head coach for the Canadian World Junior team in 2015-16 and won a gold medal there. That checks off just about every box except for the NHL. Some team is going to be thrilled when they hire Groulx to be their head coach. If the Habs do decide to move on from Julien, Groulx is the best fit to replace him right now.

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