(Joliette) Dominique Ducharme is at peace with his experience with the Habs. What he has experienced will only benefit him for the future, he believes.
“I withdraw the experience [with the Canadiens] in full. This is how we keep progressing. »
“In my role, I’m going to use it as best I can,” said the new Vegas Golden Knights assistant coach in an interview with La Presse Thursday morning at the Joliette Golf Club.
The first start of the fourth edition of his golf tournament had just been given, around 7:30 a.m., when Ducharme took the time to answer our questions.
In the past year and a half, the 50-year-old has taken a step back. He traveled, went to help his former team in France, visited friends. While several opportunities presented themselves to him at different levels, he did not want to “go into any situation just to return” to the National League.
So he listened, discussed, reflected.
A few days after winning the Golden Knights, he received a call from Bruce Cassidy. The Nevada squad head coach had heard of him through Kelly McCrimmon, who was an assistant with Ducharme on Junior Team Canada in the past.
Cassidy had a similar start to Ducharme in the National League. Hired as head coach by the Washington Capitals for the 2002-2003 season, he was fired a year and a half later due to the team’s failures.
“Surely he saw a little bit of what he had been through when we were talking about all that,” Ducharme says. He is an inspiration, much like Mike Sullivan in Pittsburgh. He’s been there too. Even Alain Vigneault, Michel Therrien. There have been others. »
“My background may have reminded him of his,” he adds. I’m happy because he’s a guy with experience. They just won too. »
According to the Quebecer, the chance offered to him by the Golden Knights was “perfect”.
“I want to continue to grow as a coach. I will see other things, other ways of doing things. Working with people like that is what I wanted. It’s not just the place. This is the complete situation. »
“I will also be able to bring to the team. It is a competitive team, which has just won, which has ambitions to repeat as quickly as possible. All of that put together…”
If Dominique Ducharme has not been the head coach of the Canadiens for more than a year and a half already, his name often comes up in discussions. Some hold him responsible for the failures of CH in the first half of the 2021-2022 season. This label, however, does not bother the main interested party more than necessary.
“It’s kinda kind of run down my spine, in the sense that these people aren’t on the inside. They do not know. If I meet Cole [Caufield] today, I’m going to be happy to see him and he’s going to be happy to see me. »
At the time, the Canadian was in a difficult situation with the COVID-19. After a devastating off-season for the club’s management (end of Shea Weber’s career, departures of Phillip Danault and Jesperi Kotkaniemi, etc.), Ducharme had to deal with an incomplete roster, constantly reduced by injuries.
“With what we’ve been through, I have my responsibilities. The players have their responsibilities. Everyone has their responsibility. It’s not just because of me that we went to the final. I did my part, the players did their part. We put it all together. When things aren’t going well, we all have our responsibilities. »
“I understand the passion. Everyone wants to see the Canadiens succeed. That’s part of it, I get that. The first day I arrived, I knew I had 8 million deputies with me. Some have X ideas, others Y ideas. In the end, you go with what you think, with your own values, with your ways of working. »
“I wouldn’t change anything. I would keep the exact same team that played the last game against Tampa [in the Stanley Cup Final]. »
Ducharme is serene talking about all these moments. As a Quebecer who grew up as a fan of the Habs, he always knew how much the role of head coach of the Montreal club could bring very high highs and very low lows. This experience is now synonymous with learning.
“[Having coached the Canadiens] is something that will serve me forever, both the good sides and the more negative sides. It’s just part of the journey. »
Ducharme does not hide it: like any coach, his goal is to one day regain his place as head coach in the National League. But he is neither waiting nor impatient. On the contrary.
“I’m really in the moment, I’m really happy with the situation. I believe that when you do the right things, good things happen to you. I don’t have a timeline. I trust life. »
“I will continue to grow, to gain experience as a coach, he continues. One day, I think it will happen and I will just have an even greater baggage of experience than today. »
Thursday was the fourth edition of the Dominique Ducharme Golf Classic, which is the main annual event of the Foundation of the same name. A total of 300 golfers took part. The Foundation helps young people in the Lanaudière region to enable them to play sports. Part of the money raised also goes to Espace-Jeunesse, a specialized secondary school for students living with different disabilities. “Quietly, we want to grow [the Foundation] to benefit the young people here because I have always felt a lot of support from people here in relation to my career. I’m proud to say I’m from Joliette,” said Ducharme.
