“He’s truly amazing. » This is the first sentence that Joshua Roy instinctively says when we ask him to tell us about his head coach.
Posted at 4:41 p.m.
There are undoubtedly several reasons to explain that the Laval Rocket currently occupies second place in the general classification of the American League. Pascal Vincent modestly describes himself as “a piece” of the puzzle. The fact remains that he is the captain of the boat. Or the rocket.
The Press therefore went to Place Bell on Monday to learn more about her ways of doing things.
From the outset, we must understand that Vincent presents himself as “a student”. “Not just hockey, but human beings in general. » We quickly understand what he means when, in 15 minutes of conversation, he cites two of his recent readings.
We will not go into the details of these readings here, but what we deduce is that Quebecers are always looking for new ways of doing things.
“There is no school to become a coach,” he said. I’ve been doing this for 30 years, but I’ve always loved studying and reading. It’s my way of continuing to not only stay current, but to find new ways of doing things. I take a word here, an idea there. »
Monday he told us about the book The Toyota Wayby author Jeffrey Liker, to explain his approach with his players. This consists, in short, of “peeling the onion and seeing the core” of said player. “You, why did you get there? What’s the matter that brought you here? What will bring you there and ensure that you will help the Montreal Canadiens and stand out? »
Vincent advocates honesty at all times – “I don’t play games with players. I have no secrets,” he maintains. According to our interviews with Joshua Roy and Brandon Gignac, this is precisely what his players appreciate.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, LA PRESSE
Joshua Roy (10) and Brandon Gignac (37) appreciate the honesty of their head coach Pascal Vincent.
“There are no gray parts with him; it’s black or white, Roy mentions. He is able to tell you if you are doing something right and if you are doing something wrong. That’s what I like about him. »
Things are going well at the moment, he’s very calm, but if you don’t do the work, he won’t be afraid to tell you. That’s what it takes, I think, to help young people grow. He lets them play games.
Brandon Gignac
“When I was making mistakes in Binghamton, I was sitting there and I couldn’t see the ice for a stretch. This is not the way [Pascal] sees things, and it’s perfect like that, because the more you stress a young person, the less well he will play. »
Work, the basis
Last season, Pascal Vincent was, for the first time in his career, promoted to head coach of a National League team, with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The adventure did not go as planned, and he was fired at the end of the campaign.
In Columbus, in fact, his management of youth development has caused a lot of talk. When asked if he feels like he’s proving something so far this season with a young team, the coach doesn’t hesitate: “No. They are two different bugs,” he maintains.
There are players with whom there was a perception that I was harder or more demanding. What people don’t understand is that it’s because I trust that his potential is so high, that if I accept the slightest effort or just a normal result, that it’s okay for him and that it will develop.
Pascal Vincent, head coach of the Laval Rocket
“It’s great for a player to work hard, but I wouldn’t expect anything less. You don’t come to play hockey to be half right. If you respect your role in the team environment, great. It’s when you block shots, when you make a second effort, when you support a teammate; this is the extra where we will say “wow”. »
Another important point of Vincent’s method: trust. On this subject, he evokes a “very open” conversation at the end of the last season with the late Johnny Gaudreau, who had just experienced an “ordinary” campaign.
“There were things he told me that I didn’t realize. The year that was coming – because I was still in office – we were going to change my coaching for him. It happens, sometimes, and it’s okay. That’s what I want. There is an important element that we want to create in our environment, and that is trust. If you don’t trust me because you’re not sure of my intentions, we will progress, but not as quickly as we should. »
Didn’t come to “steal anyone’s work”
It’s no longer a secret that the Canadian is having a difficult start to the season. Some are also starting to raise the possibility that Martin St-Louis is not the man for the job.
In the event that St-Louis had to leave, voluntarily or not, Pascal Vincent would necessarily appear as a logical option to replace him.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, ARCHIVES LA PRESSE
Martin St-Louis (back), head coach of the Canadiens
At the mention of such a possibility, Vincent seems uncomfortable.
“I signed a contract, and my job is to help the Canadian organization, to help the Rocket, to help the players be successful, and to help the Canadian,” begins -he. My job is to help Martin as much as possible so that when players come up with the Canadian, they don’t harm the team. »
Vincent has “no pleasure in seeing the results” of the Habs currently. “It’s not fun for anyone,” he adds.
“My greatest quality is that I am super loyal; my loyalty goes beyond anything that can be said. Do I want to return to the National League as a head coach one day? Yes. Like I told Martin [St-Louis]I hope I will help him. If I go somewhere else, I go somewhere else, but I didn’t come here to steal anyone’s job. Far from it. »
