CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has announced that André Tourigny (Nicolet, Que.) has been formally hired on a one-year contract and will be part of Team Canada coaching staffs at four major upcoming international tournaments.
Tourigny will be an assistant coach at the 2021 IIHF World Championship in Riga, Latvia and the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China. He will return as head coach at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta., and will serve as head coach at the 2022 IIHF World Championship in Helsinki and Tampere, Finland.
Tourigny will remain with the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and return to the club full-time after he has fulfilled his role with Hockey Canada. Tourigny becomes the first full-time coach with the men’s program since Marc Habscheid in 2005.
“We are extremely excited to welcome André Tourigny to Hockey Canada as a full-time coach for the 2021-22 season, as his extensive hockey pedigree makes him a key asset to our national teams,” said Scott Salmond (Creston, B.C.), senior vice-president of national teams for Hockey Canada. “André’s knowledge, insight and international experience will be a critical factor in supporting our Olympic preparation in addition to leading Canada’s National Junior Team for the second consecutive year at the IIHF World Junior Championship. André will also contribute to our work with our NextGen players and coaches through his involvement with our development programs. We are thankful to the Canadian Hockey League and the Ottawa 67’s for their support in releasing André to Hockey Canada for next season.”
Tourigny took the reins as head coach of Canada’s National Junior Team in 2020, earning a silver medal at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship. He previously won a gold medal as an assistant coach at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, in addition to silver as an assistant in 2010 and 2011. The reigning CHL Coach of the Year has served as head coach and vice-president of hockey operations with the 67’s for the past four seasons (2017-21), winning the Matt Leyden Trophy as OHL coach of the year in 2018-19 and 2019-20. Tourigny previously spent 11 seasons with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (2002-13) and one season with the Halifax Mooseheads (2016-17) of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He also spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche (2013-15) and Ottawa Senators (2015-16) in the National Hockey League. In addition to his four appearances at the World Juniors, Tourigny led Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team to a gold medal as head coach at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and won gold as an assistant at the 2008 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament.
“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,” said Tourigny. “I want to thank Hockey Canada for the unbelievable opportunity, and I look forward to implementing plans for a successful season ahead. It is not an easy decision to take time away from the Ottawa 67’s family and I am extremely grateful to the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group ownership as well as the entire hockey operations and front office staff for affording me this privilege.”
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