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CALGARY — Andre Tourigny has a busy year ahead.
Hockey Canada announced Wednesday the Nicoloet, Que., native has been hired by the national program to be part of four separate coaching staffs at men’s international tournaments over the next 12 months.
Tourigny will be an assistant at both the upcoming world championships in Latvia and the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
He will also return as Canada’s head coach at the 2022 world junior hockey championships in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta., and transition into the primary role at the 2022 worlds in Finland.
Hockey Canada says the 46-year-old will remain with the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League and return to the club full-time after he’s fulfilled his international duties.
Tourigny, who teased the news on Twitter before the official announcement, is the men’s program’s first full-time coach since Marc Habscheid in 2005.
“It is an honour and privilege to be trusted to serve as part of the coaching staff for four prestigious events like worlds, world juniors and Olympics,” Tourigny said in a statement. “I look forward to implementing plans for a successful season ahead.”
He led Canada to a silver medal at the 2021 world juniors in Edmonton after winning gold as an assistant in 2020 in the Czech Republic. He also won silver as an assistant in both 2010 and 2011.
The Canadian Hockey League’s reigning coach of the year has served as head coach and vice-president of hockey operations with the 67’s for the past four seasons, taking OHL coach of the year honours in both 2018-19 and 2019-20.
Tourigny previously spent 11 seasons as head coach of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies from 2002 to 2013 and one more with the Halifax Mooseheads in 2016-17. He also was an assistant with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche for two seasons from 2013 to 2015 before spending the 2015-16 campaign with the Ottawa Senators.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2021.
The Canadian Press