Even though Dominique Ducharme didn’t even spend 365 days at the Canadian’s helm, it’s easy to think it lasted longer. Eventually he arrived on special terms (on an interim basis following the sacking of Claude Julien during the pandemic), led the club to the final and was sacked a few months later after a difficult start to the season.

The change of director general will have been fatal for him in the end.

Even though Ducharme hasn’t really had time to prove himself and has had a very difficult start to the 2021-22 season, he’s just landed a new opportunity in the NHL, namely the one who will be Bruce Cassidy’s assistant next year with the Golden Knights.

I think it’s a role that could suit him better, especially given that he’s coming into an environment where he already knows Kelly McCrimmon, the club’s CEO.

And the interesting thing is that despite having a rather difficult end to his career in Montreal, he never thought that one day he would not return to the NHL. He said so on radio station 98.5 Sports.

After his sacking, Ducharme was aware that he needed to develop as a coach. He was aware that he had some responsibility at the end of his Montreal adventure, but despite everything, that never stopped him from believing that sooner or later he would return to the NHL.

And in the end he was right.

In Vegas, he finds himself in a much more envious situation as he joins a team that just won the Stanley Cup. And unlike CH, after the team reached the finals in summer 2021, the Golden Knights will have relatively the same club next year and the boys are healthy.

In fact, only Reilly Smith is left (and Phil Kessel, who didn’t make the playoffs though) and only Mark Stone appears to have health issues. But otherwise the club is really not as badly damaged as CH after the summer of 2021.

In short, this is great news for Ducharme, who this season will have the opportunity to relive the NHL experience in what I believe to be favorable conditions. He was right when he believed a second chance was waiting for him, and now it’s up to him to make sure he takes it.

Much

– Case settled with the islanders.

– Don’t miss this this week.

Don’t miss a series of interviews with former QMJHL Commissioner Gilles Courteau this week @anthonymarcotte.

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—BPM Sports (@BPMSportsRadio) July 17, 2023

– I adore.

Kirby, true to himself

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— Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) July 17, 2023

– Effectively.

– We wish him.