Canucks: Why Willie Desjardins believes Adam Foote doesn't need coaching advice
Yes, you can go home again.
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For former Vancouver Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins, his competitive comfort zone has always been Medicine Hat. And as general manager and bench boss of the WHL champion Tigers, his version of the Stanley Cup playoffs is playing out at the Memorial Cup in Rimouski, Que.
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The Tigers won their wild tournament opener Friday by edging the host Oceanic 5-4 in a first step to bringing a championship back west for the first time since 2014. Desjardins has guided the Tigers to three WHL titles in 14 seasons, but has yet to bring junior hockey supremacy to a city that feels like home.
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'It's special,' Desjardins said in a telephone interview following Friday's win. 'I always kept my house there and people were great to me. I've always liked coaching and it hasn't mattered the level. A good fit for me.'
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Desjardins, 68, has university degrees in education and social work, but the game always drew the Climax, Sask., native back to the rink.
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'No, never thought about it,' he said of hanging up his teaching whiteboard. 'I like the athletes I work with. In lots of jobs, you don't get back right away, but one thing about hockey, you can get back. Nice thing to have.'
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Desjardins had achievement and agony in his first season running an NHL bench in 2014-15. He guided the Canucks to 48 wins and 101 points, but a six-game setback in an opening-round playoff series against the Calgary Flames proved a lasting disappointment.
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The Canucks missed the post-season the following two seasons and Desjardins was replaced by Travis Green. He would coach the Los Angeles Kings in 2018-19 before returning to Medicine Hat.
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As Adam Foote prepares to supplant Rick Tocchet and debut as a rookie NHL head coach next season, Desjardins could probably provide pointers on dealing with pressure to succeed amid scrutiny in a hockey-mad market. After all, the Canucks have now had four bench bosses in the last four years.
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'No advice from me,' chuckled Desjardins. 'He has enough experience on his own and doesn't need any from me. He knows the game and knows the players. He's a smart guy and passionate, too. We've crossed paths a few times. He has come from championship teams and he knows what it takes to win.'
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Desjardins won an AHL title before replacing John Tortorella in Vancouver and was wise to surround himself with experience. He had veteran NHL assistant coaches Perry Pearn and Doug Jarvis on his bench as voices of reason.
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'That won't be as much a key for Adam as it was for me in not being around the NHL that much,' said Desjardins. 'It was key to add experience.'
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Foote could travel the connect-the-dots road to add a pair of assistants. For the Canucks to rebound from a win away from advancing the Western Conference final last spring, to this season of too many injuries and drama to miss the playoffs, the coaching task at hand is considerable.
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