Maine Hockey Journal

Houle sets sail with the Armada

Former Lewiston Maineiacs head coach Jean-Francois Houle has landed on his feet.

The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League named Houle as their new head coach after Pascal Vincent stepped down from his post as general manager and head coach to become an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets.

“It's a brand new organization, brand new town, it's a great building and very conducive to developing players,” said Houle. “There's a state of the art gym for off-ice training. I am pretty excited to get started here.”

Houle will only have a couple of weeks to get ready before the players come to town for training camp, but said he will be ready for them.

“Joel Bouchard (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada owner) already did the leg-work for the schedule for training camp and preparation for training camp,” Houle said. “I also have to find an assistant coach in the next two weeks, so I will be busy.”

Houle said it's too early in the process to set any goals for the upcoming season.

Former Maineiacs head coach hired by Boisbriand-Blaineville Armada on Monday

“Joel Bouchard and I sat down and we don't have any set goals,” said Houle. “We are taking it day-by-day. We don't have any goals quite yet. They will come later on. We know we’re a young team and it's our job to develop the players. I know one thing. This team is going to be a hard-working team. The Armada are going to pride themselves on hard work.”

Houle took over as head coach of the Lewiston Maineiacs in December of 2009 after spending six seasons as an assistant coach with his Alma mater, Clarkson University. In his lone full season behind the bench of the Maineiacs in 2010-2011, he led Lewiston to their second 40 win season in club history with a record of 40-24-1-3, defeating the second-seeded Montreal Juniors (now Blainville-Boisbriand Armada) in the quarterfinals of the playoffs.

The Maineiacs would bow out of the playoffs in the semifinals to the eventual QMJHL President's Cup Champions and CHL Memorial Cup Champions, the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Houle will have a familiar face on his roster in Kirill Kabanov, who had eight goals and 12 assists in 15 games in the playoffs with the Maineiacs after scoring 11 goals and adding 17 assists in 39 regular season games. Houle was instrumental in turning Kabanov around on and off the ice after rough tenure with the Moncton Wildcats.

“I am sure it helped,” Houle said if working with Kabanov was a reason why he was hired. “He signed with the New York Islanders, so he will go to camp there and hopefully he shows up here and keeps playing in the playoffs. That would be very helpful.”

Houle will treat Kabanov like any other player with a NHL contract.

“He does have a contract, but if he wants to make the big club he has to have a good season,” Houle said. “NHL teams, if players don't work hard or don't develop, they don't make the team. Players have to put together a couple of good years together to make the NHL.”

Jess Tanguy will also be on Blainville-Boisbriand Armada's roster. Last year with the Maineiacs he had 19 goals and 21 assists in 58 games.

Houle is the fourth person from last year's Maineiacs hockey operation's staff to find work. His assistant coach Darren Rumble, who was a finalist for the Halifax Mooseheads head coaching opening earlier this summer, has become an assistant coach with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League. General Manager Roger Shannon has been hired as the Shawinigan Cataractes Assistant General Manager. Former Maineiacs Assistant GM Tim Schurman will be an assistant coach with the Summerside Western Capitals of the Maritime Hockey League.

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