There will be a change behind the bench in Laval next season. On Thursday, the Seattle Kraken announced that Pascal Vincent, previously the head coach of the Rocket, has joined the Kraken as an assistant coach.
Vincent spent the last two seasons at the helm with the Rocket, taking over from J-F Houle, who departed the franchise soon after signing an extension to join Clarkson University as their head coach.
Canadiens President of Hockey Operations Jeff Gorton released the following statement:
We would like to sincerely thank Pascal for his work and contribution to the Rocket and wish him all the best in his next professional chapter in Seattle. He was highly committed to our success and made valuable contributions over the past several years. A native of Laval, Pascal was greatly appreciated and respected by the players, his staff members, and the fans. We are grateful for his dedication, leadership, and hard work during his time with the Rocket.
Vincent helped lead Laval to a pair of playoff appearances during his tenure. In 2024-25, his team posted the best record in the AHL, earning him the Louis AR Pieri Memorial Award as Coach of the Year for the second time of his career. The Rocket also won the North Division this season but were ousted by Toronto in the second round of the playoffs.
With Vincent gone, the search will now begin for a new AHL head coach. It’s typically ideal to have that coach in place by the start of free agency so players know who they’re playing for but it’s not as time-sensitive as, say, an NHL coaching hire. Regardless of the timeline, the Habs will have some more off-ice work to do in the coming weeks to fill this vacancy.