The Montreal-based organization announced Tuesday that it has hired Lauri Korpikoski as a coach in charge of player development. The latter will be based in Europe, Jeff Gorton, the Canadian’s executive vice president of hockey operations, said in a press release.
Gorton also announced that Alexandre Burrows, who was part of Martin St-Louis’ coaching staff last season, will now serve as player development consultant.
Korpikoski played 609 games in nine seasons in the NHL for the New York Rangers, Phoenix (then Arizona) Coyotes, Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars and Columbus Blue Jackets. In total, the Finn scored 86 goals and received 115 assists in the Bettman Circuit.
Korpikoski, now 37, was selected in the first round, 19th overall, by the Rangers in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. The former forward won the bronze medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and won with the Zurich Lions in 2017-2018.
For his part, Burrows, who has been an assistant coach with the Canadiens since February 24, 2021, also served as an assistant coach with the Laval Rocket in the American League from 2018 to 2021. The former striker played 913 games in the NHL before retiring in 2018. The Quebec native scored 409 points (205-204) with the Vancouver Canucks and the Ottawa Senators in the NHL.
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