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I love a good redemption arc. Whether it’s Anakin Skywalker sacrificing himself to destroy the Emperor in Return of the Jedi, or Severus Snape being revealed as an ally to Dumbledore and Harry Potter after years playing a loathsome villain. 

While those examples are fictional, redemption is sweeter when it occurs in the real world. In sports, a good redemption story can be as dramatic and captivating as on screen. Drew Brees won a Super Bowl for the Saints after being let go by the Chargers following a shoulder injury. Rick Ankiel forgot how to throw strikes in St. Louis, but made an MLB comeback and had a successful career as an outfielder. Bill Belichick was fired as the Cleveland Browns coach before becoming one of the greatest coaches in NFL history. 

Laval Rocket Head Coach Pascal Vincent is in the midst of his own road to redemption following a tumultuous year behind an NHL bench. 

A rough tenure in Columbus

Vincent spent two seasons as an assistant coach under Brad Larsen for the Columbus Blue Jackets, starting in 2021. After a dismal 62-86-16 record, Columbus fired Larsen at the conclusion of the 2022-2023 season. Now, one might think that Pascal Vincent would be a logical choice for successor. Columbus was still in the midst of a rebuild, and Vincent has a track record of coaching young talent. He had already achieved considerable success in the QMJHL and the AHL. 

However, the Blue Jackets decided to go a different, and much more controversial direction with their next coaching hire. They brought in Mike Babcock. 

To be fair, the move was not met with great enthusiasm from Blue Jackets fans or the hockey community in general. As it turned out, they were right to be skeptical, and it proved to be an utter disaster for the Columbus organization. Babcock was only employed for three months and would not coach a single Blue Jackets game before resigning following allegations of misconduct towards young players. Babcock asked numerous players to allow him to go through their phones, and AirPlayed private photos on his office TV. 

It seems the Blue Jackets were not privy to the near-universal trepidation surrounding the decision to bring Babcock into another NHL organization. Following his resignation in mid-September 2023, the team was left scrambling to find a new coach before the start of the regular season. It was only then that Pascal Vincent was promoted to Head Coach. Not exactly an ideal start for a coach getting their first NHL head coaching opportunity. Vincent was left scrambling to get his young team ready for the upcoming season. Unfortunately for both the coach and the players, the season would be a disaster. Columbus finished dead last in the Eastern Conference, going 27-43-12 for just 66 points. 

Even more humiliating for Vincent, he was left out to dry and became the de facto scapegoat for the Blue Jackets’ struggles. Notably, he was involved in a situation that ultimately led to Patrik Laine’s departure from Columbus. After struggling throughout the early weeks of the season, Laine was a healthy scratch for a November game against the Philadelphia Flyers. The move seemed to blind side the sharp-shooting winger, who described the decision as “a complete shock,” and “the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to me.” Not long after, Laine would enter the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. He would not take the ice again in a Blue Jackets uniform and was traded to Montreal on August 19, 2024. 

The season was so disastrous for Columbus, it would lead to major changes for the franchise. Long-time GM Jarmo Kekalainen was fired and eventually replaced by former Carolina Hurricanes GM Don Waddell. Waddell was charged not only with improving the team’s on-ice roster but also with overseeing a shift in the organization’s “country club” culture. Pascal Vincent was an unfortunate casualty of changes made by Waddell prior to the 2024-2025 season.

Fairly or unfairly, Vincent was held partially accountable for the team’s record and culture, ultimately leading to his termination. His first NHL head coaching role was short-lived and unsuccessful. In all fairness, he was thrust into an impossible situation following the ill-advised hiring of Babcock. The silver lining for Vincent is that he has found success post-Columbus.

Vincent deserves another shot at the NHL

It was great to see Pascal Vincent have such a successful 2024-2025 campaign, especially considering how the previous hockey season treated him. He led the Laval Rocket to the AHL Conference Finals in his first year behind the bench for his hometown squad. He did a stellar job coaching his young team from the start. Laval began the year with seven straight wins (a franchise record), en route to the team’s best record in franchise history: 48-19-3. As a result, the team won the MacGregor Kilpatrick Trophy for the league’s best regular season record. Additionally, Vincent was named the winner of the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award for outstanding AHL coach. 

Vincent’s redemption arc will not be complete until he is given another opportunity to coach at the NHL level. He was mentioned as a potential NHL head coaching candidate for the open positions this spring, although only one remains in Dallas. Though it seems he won’t be on the move for the current coaching carousel, it is likely just a matter of time before he gets another shot. Hopefully, it will be under better circumstances. For now, as a Habs fan, I think it is a benefit to the organization to have a strong leader at the helm of its AHL affiliate.