A Winning Habit
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Canadiens: 5 Associate Coach Candidates For Next Season

By Patrick Lortie

MONTREAL, QC - FEBRUARY 10: Newly appointed interim head coach, Martin St. Louis of the Montreal Canadiens makes his way towards the bench in his first career NHL game as a coach prior to the game against the Washington Capitals at Centre Bell on February 10, 2022 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - FEBRUARY 10: Newly appointed interim head coach, Martin St. Louis of the Montreal Canadiens makes his way towards the bench in his first career NHL game as a coach prior to the game against the Washington Capitals at Centre Bell on February 10, 2022 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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DALLAS, TX – OCTOBER 23: Head coach Jim Montgomery of the Dallas Stars in the third period at American Airlines Center on October 23, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX – OCTOBER 23: Head coach Jim Montgomery of the Dallas Stars in the third period at American Airlines Center on October 23, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Jim Montgomery is a name that floated around as a potential replacement for Dominique Ducharme. The former Dallas Stars Head Coach also comes with an impressive coaching pedigree and there are many links between him and the Canadiens already.

To begin with, he is a Montreal native and speaks French. Now language for associate/assistant coaches aren’t a criteria like the Head Coach or General Manager has, but it always helps since they have been been called to the media podium more often as time passes.

This is stretch, but Montgomery is technically a Canadiens alumni, having played 5 games for them in the 94-95 season before being released by the team. He was acquired in the summer of 94 from the St. Louis Blues while the Canadiens sent captain and future Hall of Famer Guy Carbonneau to Missouri after the infamous “Golf Course Incident” where he gave the middle finger to a local paparazzi in which the picture made headlines all across the province.

1993-1994: Center Guy Carbonneau of the Montreal Canadiens. Mandatory Credit: Robert Laberge /Allsport
1993-1994: Center Guy Carbonneau of the Montreal Canadiens. Mandatory Credit: Robert Laberge /Allsport /

After some success with the Dallas Stars and leading them to the second round of the playoffs in his first year behind the bench, Montgomery was ultimately fired (or resigned, whatever side of the story you believe) after admitting to alcohol abuse and thus entering rehab. Montgomery also boasts two championships in the USHL in three seasons and gained a highly respectable .603 win percentage in five seasons as Head Coach of the University of Denver in the NCHC.

He is currently an assistant coach on Craig Berube’s staff in St. Louis.

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