Willie Desjardins named Head Coach

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Strangelove
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Willie Desjardins named Head Coach

Post by Strangelove »

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=455324
Willie Desjardins will be meeting with the Canucks in Vancouver this weekend and according to TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie, the team will introduce him as their new head coach next week assuming all goes as expected in the hiring process.

Desjardins, 58, led the AHL's Texas Stars to Calder Cup victory win over the St. John's IceCaps this past season. He has served as the Stars head coach for the past two seasons, following a three-year stint as an assistant coach with Dallas.

The native of Climax, Sask. also won a WHL championship in 2004 as coach of the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Thoughts?
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Re: Willie Desjardins to be named Head Coach

Post by Strangelove »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Desjardins
Willie Desjardins (born February 11, 1957 in Climax, Saskatchewan) is the head coach of the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League.

Willie began his hockey career playing for the Lethbridge Broncos from 1974 through 1977. He followed his junior hockey career by studying at the University of Saskatchewan and played with the Huskies under then head coach Dave King. Willie began his coaching career at the University of Calgary in 1985 as assistant coach and became head coach in 1989. Willie then coached the Seibu Bears in Japan. He then returned to Canada and became head coach of the Saskatoon Blades midway through the 1997 season. He was then offered a job as an assistant coach for the Canadian National Men's Hockey Team.

Once hired by the Medicine Hat Tigers, Willie was instrumental in the Tigers first playoff appearance in five years in the 2002–2003 season, leading them to a Memorial Cup appearance and their 4th WHL championship in 2003–2004, and a 96 point Eastern Conference regular season champion 2004–2005 season. Desjardins took on the duties of General Manager for the 2005–2006 season.

From 2010 to 2012, Desjardins served as the associate head coach of the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League before being selected as the head coach of their AHL team in Cedar Park, Texas in June 2012. On June 17, 2014, he lead his Texas Stars team to their first Calder Cup Championship.

Desjardins was awarded the Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy for the Coach of the Year in the Western Hockey League and the Canadian Hockey league.
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Re: Willie Desjardins to be named Head Coach

Post by Island Nucklehead »

Seems like he was highly sought after. I don't know how we can be upset about this signing. He's won in Junior, he's won in the AHL, and he appears ready for the show. Should be a good teacher for the youth movement, apparently he holds players to account, and could shake-up the leadership group here in Vancouver to match his strategy.

Says a lot that he apparently turned down Pittsburgh for Vancouver.

“The guy I had is going to go in a different direction,” -Jim Rutherford

Welcome to Vancouver, Willie!
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Re: Willie Desjardins to be named Head Coach

Post by Aaronp18 »

I like the theory behind the hiring! Western Canadian guy, paid his dues, learned at all levels, had success at all levels, great `stache!

Here`s a nice article on him from The Hockey News from a week and a half ago (courtesy BoS for pointing this out to me):
Willie Desjardins looks like a strong fit to coach the Vancouver Canucks

Bring on WillieD!
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Re: Willie Desjardins to be named Head Coach

Post by the Dogsalmon »

what the fuck...lets give it a whirl...
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Re: Willie Desjardins to be named Head Coach

Post by Cousin Strawberry »

He comes from climax?

He he he he he
If you need air...call it in
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Re: Willie Desjardins to be named Head Coach

Post by Strangelove »

Great resume, hopefully he can handle the Vancouver media.

I'm a little worried because folks are saying he's a "very nice guy". :eh:

Oh well, let the Climax Willie era begin!
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Re: Willie Desjardins to be named Head Coach

Post by Strangelove »

Uncle dans leg wrote:He comes from climax?

He he he he he
Yeah and he survived 3 years in God-forsaken Lethbridge. :shock:
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Re: Willie Desjardins to be named Head Coach

Post by Cousin Strawberry »

Strangelove wrote:
Uncle dans leg wrote:He comes from climax?

He he he he he
Yeah and he survived 3 years in God-forsaken Lethbridge. :shock:
Its the BEST!
If you need air...call it in
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Re: Willie Desjardins to be named Head Coach

Post by Aaronp18 »

Uncle dans leg wrote: Its the BEST!
-said the residents of Lethbridge in an attempt to convince themselves to stay.
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Re: Willie Desjardins to be named Head Coach

Post by Cousin Strawberry »

Aaronp18 wrote:
Uncle dans leg wrote: Its the BEST!
-said the residents of Lethbridge in an attempt to convince themselves to stay.
Come on Aaron...don't side with Mr 5 corners...
He doesn't believe in aliens or anything
If you need air...call it in
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Re: Willie Desjardins to be named Head Coach

Post by Aaronp18 »

Uncle dans leg wrote: Come on Aaron...don't side with Mr 5 corners...
He doesn't believe in aliens or anything
*puts on tinfoil hat*

Just siding with everyone but ~90,000 wrong people on the planet.
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Re: Willie Desjardins to be named Head Coach

Post by Cousin Strawberry »

Aaronp18 wrote:
*puts on tinfoil hat*
Good move...
Make sure you don't go cheap...buy the Reynolds heavy duty
If you need air...call it in
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Re: Willie Desjardins to be named Head Coach

Post by Strangelove »

Uncle dans leg wrote: Mr 5 corners...
:lol:

Yeah no, these days alien sightings are attributed to hallucinations caused by radon gasses. :drink:

(lotta radon gasses released by the Earth in Alberta I hear)

(killed the dinosaurs I hear)

BACK ON TOPIC...

Gully and Willie worked together in Dallas as POSTED BY CORNUCK:

Image
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Re: Willie Desjardins to be named Head Coach

Post by Rumsfeld »

No more of Royaldude's shutdown hockey.

I wonder what his shot-blocking philosophy is. :lol:
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