Simon Gagné will take up the positions of assistant coach and advisor to the general manager with the Remparts next season. And if these tasks please the former glory of the Red Devils, he could eventually become the one who will succeed Patrick Roy.
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The Remparts announced on Wednesday the return of Gagné to the fold of the team, he whose number 12 is hung in the heights of the Videotron Center.
Superstar of the formation in the late 1990s, when Quebec returned to the QMJHL, the native of Sainte-Foy amassed 189 points in 114 games with the Remparts.
The Flyers' first-round pick in 1998, the forward went on to have a prosperous career in the NHL, where he played in 822 games and scored 601 points.
“For the citizens of Quebec, Simon was an idol during his years in the NHL, but also with the Remparts, underlined Jacques Tanguay, the president of the team, on Wednesday. When I left the club, almost 26 years ago, there was this young man in the squad who quickly became the cornerstone of the new Remparts. »
After retiring seven years ago, Gagné led his son Matthew through the minor ranks. He was also the assistant of the small Remparts at the last Tournoi pee-wee de Québec.
A BBQ and a phone call
But there was no indication that he would ever make the jump to the QMJHL. Until he received a call from Patrick Roy a few weeks ago, while he was at a hockey tournament in Montreal with his son.
“Often when I go to Jacques, we have a BBQ and we have lots of ideas, said Roy. Two years ago, we had garroched the one to go get Zachary Bolduc. This year, I pointed out to Jacques that we only had one assistant.
"I told him it would be fun to bring Simon back into the family, to give him the chance to live the adventure and see where it could go," continued the head coach and general manager of the Remparts.
Gagne did not accept the offer immediately. It was after a lunch with the former goalkeeper of the Canadiens, in a restaurant in Lac-Beauport, that he really let himself be tempted by the adventure.
"I can't wait to start, it's an honor and a pride for me to come back to Quebec," said the new assistant. For me, this is where it all started.
“I remind my youngsters that I have coached at the atom, novice or pee-wee levels: yes, I had very, very good years in the NHL. But the Remparts are among my fondest memories. »
A succession plan
The arrival of Gagné, 42, is part of "a succession plan" that Jacques Tanguay and Patrick Roy want to put in place.
When announcing his return to the Remparts bench last week, Roy noted that he would now go "one season at a time".
“We see the time passing, Patrick and I. This year, we made the decision that we were going to start training and establishing a succession for the future of our organization,” said Mr. Tanguay.
But one thing at a time. Because if Roy called Gagné's return to the Remparts "a very good day for our family", he also mentioned that he didn't want to put too much pressure on his shoulders.
Thus, the new assistant will not make all the trips with the team this year, in order to take the time to adapt.
"We would definitely like Simon to take over one day," Roy said. He will surely make a head during the season and we will sit down together, with Jacques, at the end of the year. We'll see how he feels.
“If he feels like taking on more responsibility, that will be up to him. »
Simon Gagné has already known for a few weeks that he will be making his debut as an assistant with the Remparts in the fall.
But he has not yet taken the time to think about the type of coach he will be.
One thing is certain: the former striker wants to be able to bequeath to the players of the team the pride of wearing the uniform of the Red Devils.
And teach them the art of scoring goals, even though "the team has scored a lot this year".
"What I can take on the ice is very offensive," he pointed out Wednesday. The numerical advantage, the way of scoring. Yes, hockey has changed, but the way I scored my goals in my career is still the way to score today, regardless of the level. »
Among his inspirations is Peter Laviolette, who led him with the Flyers and who relied heavily on the attack.
"I've always been a player who liked to play both ways, but there's nothing better for a forward than spending time in the offensive zone," he remarked. It's the best offense, basically. »
good coaches
The addition of Gagné to the coaching staff of the Remparts will not change much to the roles occupied by the assistants already in place, explained Patrick Roy.
Roy believes, however, that his team, which will still have high expectations next season after the bitter loss against the Shawinigan Cataractes in the semi-finals, will greatly benefit from the arrival of this new assistant.
"He was lucky to have a lot of great coaches," Roy said. I am convinced that it will bring us a lot. I am also convinced that Simon will learn a lot. »
At the best time
Gagné believes that his return to the Remparts is at the best time, with Roy and Jacques Tanguay who are still in place to supervise him.
He also says he sees in this experience an opportunity to learn, and to achieve certain objectives that fell flat, while wearing the colors of the team. Like winning the Memorial Cup. Which is, in the very short term, the avowed goal of the Remparts.
