Stick around
Canadiens give Vigneault one-year contract extension
Posted: Thursday October 29, 1998 12:57 AM
MONTREAL (AP) -- Coach Alain Vigneault was given a one-year contract
extension by the Montreal
Canadiens on Wednesday, tying him to the NHL club through the 2000-2001
season.
Vigneault, 37, was also given a substantial pay raise, said general
manager Rejean Houle.
Only hours after the new deal was announced, the Canadiens were
clobbered 9-2 by the Boston
Bruins.
"This has to be very difficult for him," said winger Mark Recchi. "He
got a new contract and we embarrassed him."
But Recchi lavished praise on his boss.
"He's a tremendous coach and he'll be a good coach in this league a
long time."
Financial terms of the deal were not released. Vigneault was to earn
about $240,000 this season.
"I got an extension last year and now Alain will be on the same years
as me," said Houle, who is also signed until 2001. "I won't reveal numbers,
but he will be very well paid.
"He'll be in the middle of the pack in terms of coaches around the
league. We wanted to show that we're satisfied with the job he's done."
Vigneault posted a 37-32-13 record last season, his first as an NHL
head coach, after he was hired away from the Beauport Harfangs of the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
The former St. Louis
Blues defenseman was an assistant coach under Rick Bowness with the Ottawa Senators from 1993
to 1995.
Houle said he planned to give Vigneault an extension during the summer,
but waited until he had his 10 free agents signed.
Vigneault's assistant coaches, Dave King, Roland Melanson and Clement
Jodoin, are signed through next season.
"What I appreciate about Alain is that he understands what goes on in
the front office and what we have to deal with," said Houle. "For the good
of the organization, he lives with the decisions that are made."
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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