Michel Therrien facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michel Therrien
Therrien in 2008
Born	(1963-11-04) November 4, 1963 (age 61) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Other names	Bulldog
Occupation	Former NHL scout Ice hockey coach
Predecessor	Alain Vigneault (2000–01) Eddie Olczyk (2005–06) Randy Cunneyworth (2011–12)
Successor	Dan Bylsma (2008–09) Claude Julien (2016–17)

Michel Therrien (born November 4, 1963) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach. He has coached famous teams like the Montreal Canadiens, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Philadelphia Flyers in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Before becoming a coach, Michel Therrien played hockey himself. He was a defenceman in the American Hockey League (AHL) for three years. He scored 86 points in 206 games. In 1985, he won the Calder Cup with the Sherbrooke Canadiens. He even played on the same team as Hockey Hall of Famer Patrick Roy.

After his playing days, Therrien worked for a phone company. He also worked as a bodyguard for a Quebec singer named Roch Voisine. While doing these jobs, he started working his way into coaching.

Before coaching in the big leagues, Therrien coached in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He was an assistant coach for the Laval Titan. Later, he became the head coach for the Granby Prédateurs. His team won the Memorial Cup in 1996. This was a big win for a team from Quebec. Michel Therrien is also a single parent with two children, Elizabeth and Charles.

Michel Therrien's Coaching Journey

Coaching the Montreal Canadiens (First Time)

In 2000, the Montreal Canadiens were not doing well. They fired their coach and hired Michel Therrien. He was a new coach in the NHL. Under Therrien, the Canadiens finished the season with a 23–27–6–6 record. They did not make the 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs.

In his first full season, Michel helped the Canadiens improve a lot. They finished with 36 wins, 31 losses, and 15 ties. This was 16 points better than the year before. In the 2002 playoffs, Therrien's Canadiens surprised everyone. They beat the top-ranked Boston Bruins. They then lost to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Coaching the Pittsburgh Penguins

Michel Therrien then coached the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL for two and a half seasons. He led them to the Calder Cup playoffs in 2004 and 2005.

In the 2005–06 season, his team started with an amazing record of 21 wins and only 1 loss. Because of this success, Pittsburgh promoted him to coach the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins on December 15, 2005. The Penguins did not turn their season around that year.

Michel Therrien walking to the Mellon Arena on June 6, 2008

The 2006–07 season was much better. The Penguins improved greatly under Therrien. They finished with 47 wins, 24 losses, and 11 overtime losses. This earned them 105 points and a spot in the 2007 playoffs. They lost to the Ottawa Senators in five games. Therrien was even nominated for the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's Coach of the Year.

In the 2007–08 season, the Penguins started slowly but got much better. They won the 2008 Winter Classic game. They also won their division, the Atlantic Division. In the 2008 playoffs, they swept the Ottawa Senators. They then beat the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers. This won them the Eastern Conference Championship and the Prince of Wales Trophy. The Penguins made it to the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals but lost to the Detroit Red Wings in six games.

The next season, the Penguins started strong but then struggled. On February 15, 2009, Michel Therrien was no longer the head coach of the Penguins. Dan Bylsma took over. Therrien continued to live in Pittsburgh and watched as the team went on to win the Stanley Cup that year.

Returning to the Montreal Canadiens

On June 5, 2012, Michel Therrien was announced as the new head coach for the Montreal Canadiens again. His first season back was very good. He led the team to first place in their division. However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Ottawa Senators.

In his second season, 2013–14, he led the Canadiens to the Eastern Conference Finals. They lost to the New York Rangers in six games. After this successful season, Therrien signed a new four-year contract. He became the highest-paid coach in the Canadiens' history.

In the 2015–16, the Canadiens started very well. But after their star goalie, Carey Price, got injured, the team struggled. They ended the season with an even record and missed the playoffs. On November 4, 2016, his 53rd birthday, the Canadiens lost a game 10-0. On January 7, 2017, Therrien got his 400th win as a coach. However, on February 14, 2017, he was fired by the Canadiens again. Claude Julien replaced him. At the time, the Canadiens were still in first place in their division.

Coaching the Philadelphia Flyers

On May 5, 2019, Michel Therrien returned to the NHL as an assistant coach. He joined Alain Vigneault with the Philadelphia Flyers. He worked there until December 6, 2021.

Coaching Record

Note: Brackets around points (Pts) indicate a partial season of coaching.