Michel Therrien said he'll know the expectations and the media responsibilities having already served as Montreal coach. (Graham Hughes/Canadian Press)
What is old is new again in Montreal.
Michel Therrien has returned for a second stint as head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, the team he coached from 2000 to 2003.
Newly installed rookie general manager Marc Bergevin confirmed the appointment in a statement released Tuesday morning.
"My intention is to bring back intensity, pride and discipline," Therrien said at a press conference. "To the fans, when they come back to the Bell Centre, they're going to cheer for a team that works really hard."
The 48-year-old Montreal native reportedly won out over coach-turned-broadcaster Marc Crawford.
Former Canadiens goaltender Patrick Roy, heavily involved with the Quebec Remparts, was rumoured to be an early favourite for the job, while Bob Hartley was considered a candidate until accepting the identical post with the Calgary Flames last Friday.
Therrien takes the reins from interim head coach Randy Cunneyworth, whose failure to speak fluent French became the focus of such intense public protest that team owner and president Geoff Molson pledged to hire a bilingual head coach.
It will be left to Therrien to decide whether Cunneyworth is retained as an assistant coach.
Montreal endured a disastrous season, missing the playoffs for the first time in five seasons under Jacques Martin and then Cunneyworth.
But Therrien said the Habs have a solid foundation to move forward with, namely, a top line that is better than on many NHL clubs, as well as an elite goaltender in Carey Price.
Therrien spent seven seasons in his first stint with the Canadiens, initially as head coach of its AHL affiliates in Fredericton and Quebec City and later as head coach in Montreal, replacing the fired Alain Vigneault as the 25th head coach of the franchise on Nov. 20, 2000.
Therrien posted a record of 77-77-14 with 22 ties in 190 NHL games with Montreal before being fired in favour of Claude Julien on Jan. 17, 2003.
Montreal had a 18-19-5-4 mark at the time, but had lost 10 of 12 games and fallen out of playoff contention.
Therrien resurfaced as head coach of Pittsburgh's affiliate team in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton from 2003 to 2005 before returning to the NHL level and leading the Penguins to consecutive 100-plus point seasons and a Stanley Cup final berth in 2007-08 — their first appearance in the championship round since 1991-92.
Therrien said Tuesday his experience working with a Pittsburgh organization that was full of young players will be an asset.
Prior to joining Montreal, Therrien impressed as head coach with Laval and Granby of the QMJHL, posting a .712 winning percentage and hoisting the Memorial Cup with the Predateurs in 1996.
Bergevin, who hired Rick Dudley and Scott Mellanby to bolster the team's front office, was comfortable with the process of his first NHL coaching hire.
"It was my decision at the end of the day," Bergevin said. "I've been through the same process last year in Chicago, at the minor league level."
"I like to ask people questions and make a lot of phone calls," he added. "I like to keep my assistants with me, they gave their input, but in the end it was my decision."
He is the sixth man given a second shot as Canadiens head coach, joining Newsy Lalonde, Leo Danderand, Cecil Hart, Claude Ruel and, to a lesser extent, Bob Gainey, who, as GM, held the fort after firing Julien in 2004-05 and Guy Carbonneau in 2008-09.
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