The Seattle Kraken’s never-ending search for scoring punch has gotten a boost through their latest assistant coaching hire.
No, 54-year-old Pascal Vincent won’t put any pucks in the net himself next season, but he believes he can be the offensive-zone yin to head coach Lane Lambert’s defensive-zone yang.
“His thing is defensive structure, coming from the years with Barry Trotz,” Vincent said to Montreal hockey podcaster Tony Marinaro. “With my background, power play and offense, that I’ve been doing for years, I think we can connect the yin and the yang.”
The Kraken could use more yang. Seattle scored 226 goals last season, 27th in the NHL. Captain Jordan Eberle’s team-leading 26 goals finished tied for 65th among all skaters. Jared McCann and Matty Beniers were the only other Kraken with as many as 20 goals. Eberle’s 55 points also was tops on the Kraken, but 103rd in the league.
How Kraken Coach First Met His New Assistant
Lambert and Vincent share an agent, Neil Glasberg, who introduced them last summer. Lambert had just taken the Seattle job, and Vincent had just completed his first season as coach of the Montreal Canadiens AHL farm team.
“We had a a long conversation about his vision and mine. We connected in so many ways, but the timing was not there. After only one year in Laval, I didn’t feel it was right to leave. Not that they offered, but I think we could have pushed for it, and I didn’t.
“This time around, they called the (Canadiens) organization, asked for permission. Lane and I spoke a few times, but one long conversation about everything; about who we are as people, the values that we have, coaching philosophies, what the team needs, what I can bring, my experience, his experience.
“He’s very honest, and I love that. The drive that he has, the vision. To the point, direct. He knows what he wants. He knows what he’s good at.”
Pascal On The Grill
The next phone call came from Kraken general manager Jason Botterill. “He grilled me pretty good about my knowledge, my experience. It was very interesting. He’s also from Winnipeg; without knowing the man, I knew of him.
Vincent, twice named AHL coach of the year and once in the QMJHL, added, “I’ve done my homework about the organization, the people, where they’re going and the vision they have. It fits what I’m looking for. This opportunity was too good to let it go.”
Kraken Coach’s Journey Led Through Several Leagues
Vincent began coaching in junior hockey in 2000. He’d spend 11 years in the QMJHL, eight with Cape Breton, three with the Montreal Juniors.
He reached the NHL as an assistant for five seasons with the Winnipeg Jets, then coached their AHL farm team for five more. He moved back to the NHL, assistant and then head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, before taking the job with Laval.
“What I’m proud of (as head coach in Laval) is development and winning. We were able with the coaching staff to develop our young prospects. They’re going to play, but we’re going to do it in a winning environment. We’re going to do it with building playoff habits. That’s what we did.”
Fans will be delighted to hear that tutoring Kraken youngsters and winning don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
“They have some good young players they’re trying to develop, and they haven’t reached their potential yet. It’s the vision, the desire to make it right. That’s the message that got to me and made me want to be part of this.”
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