Veteran Guy Chouinard is in, Yanick Jean is out.
Fifteen games into the 2007-08 Quebec Major Junior League season, the P.E.I. Rocket fired Jean as its head coach on Monday.
His replacement is Chouinard, 51, a 17-year QMJHL coaching veteran who owns league records for games coached (988), wins (515) and championships (four). He will be introduced at a press conference today in Charlottetown.
Jeans dismissal came after P.E.I.s 6-2 win over league-leading Cape Breton in Sydney, N.S., on Sunday.
It was the teams third straight win and gave it nine points in its last five games, following a 4-7-1 start.
I didnt know. It wasnt even a concern for me. Its a shock, Jean, 31, told The Guardian. I dont know if anyone got fired after a five-game (point) streak.
Serge Savard Jr., Rocket president and general manager, axed Jean, who leaves with a record of 68-82 in 135 games, after the team returned to Charlottetown early Monday.
We needed a change, said Savard. I wanted to go with more experience. We hadnt won a (playoff) series the last two years with Yanick, but it was not easy for him. He followed one of the best coaches (Alain Vigneault). I dont feel that the franchise moved up.
Jean joined the club in 2005, agreeing to a three-year contract, but Savard said he told Jean he wouldnt offer the coach a new deal when the season ended.
We had taken a decision at the end of training camp, no matter what happened, that it was Yanicks last year, said Savard. We were not going to renew (his contract).
Obviously weve won a few games lately, but the decision was not taken on the last few games.
For Jeans part, he said he wasnt aware his status was in limbo until Savard told him Monday, but added hes not angry about the timing.
Theres no point in being mad or anything. It happens. When youre the boss, youre the boss. The only thing I knew was that the team had turned around and was on the right track.
In 2005, Jean inherited a Rocket team in disarray after former head coach Alain Vigneault bolted to the AHLs Manitoba Moose (hes now the NHLs Vancouver Canucks head coach) before the Rocket training camp.
Jean, who left his assistant coaching job with Chicoutimi that year, led the squad to a 25-40 record and finished 15th overall, losing in the first round of the playoffs.
Last season, Jean took a more experienced team to an eighth overall finish with 80 points but again lost in the first round.
Chouinard, who has coached Longueuil, Victoriaville, Laval and Quebec teams in the QMJHL and played in the NHL with Atlanta, Calgary and St. Louis, has signed a three-year deal through 2010.
Calls for Jeans job were rampant almost from the beginning on Internet talk boards and grew stronger after P.E.I.s start this season. Complaints of his over-playing the two top lines and rewarding favoured players were the most posted remarks.
While Savard admits Jean might develop into a top QMJHL coach, he doesnt regret his firing or not hiring an older coach in 2005.
I like Yanick very much and I still think hes going to coach in this league. I dont like to look at the past and say Im disappointed I didnt hire somebody else. I dont regret things I do. Its not the way to look at a business. I thought at that time it was a good thing to do. It just didnt turn out the way I expected. For that we have to move on.
The club will pay out the remainder of Jeans contract. Savard didnt disclose the amount.
Jean said he and his wife, Annabelle, and their two children will stay on the Island for awhile as he looks for a new job.
Chouinard will be behind the bench for Wednesdays home game against Cape Breton. Game time is 7 p.m. at the Civic Centre.
******
Yanick Jeans head
coaching record with Chicoutimi and P.E.I.
n Regular Season
2003-04 (with Chicoutimi): Six games, 1-4-1 (tie), four points.
2004-05 (with Chicoutimi): Five games, 3-2, six points.
2005-06 (with P.E.I.): 65 games, 25-40, 57 points.
2006-07 (with P.E.I.): 70 games, 36-34, 80 points
2007-08 (with P.E.I.): 15 games, 7-8, 15 points.
Total: 161 games, 72-88 with one tie, 162 points.
n Playoffs
2005-06 (with P.E.I.): lost best-of-seven first round series 2-4.
2006-07 (with P.E.I.): lost best-of-seven first round series 3-4.
Firing shocks former Rocket head coach
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- Published on October 23, 2007
- Published on June 15, 2010
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Charles Reid
Veteran QMJHL coach Guy Chouinard to replace Yanick Jean behind the bench
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Comments
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- Barry
- - June 21, 2010 at 20:28:21
surprised it took as long as it did.Jean should have had his head in the chopping block last year.Why did savard give u 15 games this season before kicking your a butt outta here.Good Riddens Yanick!
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- BritDami
- - June 21, 2010 at 20:26:38
Bre... You're telling me I should follow my own advise. I find that hilarious coming from someone who still can't clean up their posts to look half intelligent.
Next tip... Grammar check, aside from spelling.
As far as Jean, don't you think that management should have known better then to hand a contract to someone who just walked out of training camp with no previous legit coaching skills. Sounds like poor judgement to me. -
- Old
- - June 21, 2010 at 20:21:35
Now that that's taken care of, lets get a couple good scrappers and put a little entertainment on the ice. Look at the way Anaheim won the cup last year (most fights in the NHL). The Rocket should make other teams scared to play in the Civic Centre... instead of making fans scared to watch the horrible display of hockey that has been stinking up the rink for the past couple seasons.
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- Up Easter
- - June 21, 2010 at 20:18:06
Hopefully this change will help put more butts in the seats at the CCC.
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- Frankie
- - June 21, 2010 at 20:15:11
Hopefully, the Rocket can now go about developing a team. Under this coach, all of the new talent coming in was being squandered, ignored and discouraged. This process would have resulted in big problems in the yrs to come(Lack of depth) and if this coach had continued on this course and been allowed to stay on, the more talented players(Rookies) would have avoided the Island regardless of where the Rocket were picking come draft time.
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- Fire yes... but eviserate
- - June 21, 2010 at 20:05:04
Give me a break....
This guy was hired immediately before a training camp when all the other experienced coaches were long gone. to his credit he came and he coached and did the best he could.
He didn't do a great job; but he answered the bell. Serge Savard fairly informed him that he would not be back after this year. And when an experienced coach came along Yannick was replaced. That is all fair and above board.....
But some of you posters.... stink up the joint? good riddance? got what was coming? whacked out coaching skills?
Those comments are offside, and you should give your heads a shake. Just because someone who answered the bell; was inexperienced and tried his best but failed and was given their walking papers by the Owners of a sports team; certainly doesn't give Joe PEI'lander the right to pelt him with tomatoes and cabbage from the cheap seats.....
I agree with management's move on the coaching front; but I strongly disagree with you monday morning quarterbacks and the cheap shots. -
- BritDami
- - June 21, 2010 at 20:03:18
Yea, nice poster #1. You should find a better past time and leave the comment section to people who can use spell check before posting.
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- Grumpy
- - June 21, 2010 at 20:01:46
Maybe the owner needs to look in the mirror too. Owner/GM brings in the players and while I agree with the change maybe if this owner/gm cannot do the player part of the job he may want to leave that to the pros too. Lots of coaches but how many times past the second round ???
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- BritDami
- - June 21, 2010 at 19:57:41
Sorry that you had to lose your job Yannick. I hope this does not ruin your holidays coming up, it's always tough to lose a great job before the holiday season. Wish you well and hope you can move on and be successful in your future endeavors.
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- over the line
- - June 21, 2010 at 19:55:59
Best of luck in the future, sure will miss looking at you behind the bench!
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- bre
- - June 21, 2010 at 19:54:51
Finally.... Wish you the best Jean but yo should take up painting or something and leave hockey to the pros!
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- Eldon
- - June 21, 2010 at 19:48:55
Come on Old School, tell me you don't believe fighting had anything to do with Anaheim winning the Cup. I love a good fight but Anaheim (don't take my word for it, go look yourself) may have led the NHL in fighting majors for the season but they had none, that's right, not one, fighting major from the last few games of the regular season through the playoffs.
Perhaps teams were scared of playing the Ducks at times but it wasn't because of their tough guys. Talent, man, that's what did it.
New coach or not, the Rocket won't go very far very far if the team isn't that good. My opinion? The Rocket are a middle-of-the-pack team that has the potential to win a playoff round or two. -
- Bre
- - June 21, 2010 at 19:48:14
Yea ??????? what .... maybe you should follow your own advise BritDami... Didnt realise I might insult someone and hope you werent fond of Jean cause that means you are as wacked as his coaching skills/
