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Habs hire McGill coach Raymond for AHL post in Hamilton
MONTREAL - After 14 seasons as head coach of the McGill
University men's hockey team, Martin Raymond has stepped down to
accept an appointment as assistant coach to Guy Boucher with the
Hamilton Bulldogs, the American Hockey League farm team of the
Montreal Canadiens.
Raymond was named along with Daniel Lacroix, an assistant coach
with the New York Islanders for the past three seasons.
Raymond becomes the fifth former McGill hockey player to make the
move up to the AHL coaching ranks. He joins Boucher, a McGill grad
who played for and coached alongside Raymond with the Redmen.
Others to make the jump include George Burnett (Cape Breton,
1992-94; Binghamton, 1995-97), Jamie Kompon (Baltimore; 1996-97)
and Mike Babcock (Cincinnati; 1999-01) -- all three of whom
eventually coached in the National Hockey League.
"With Daniel (Lacroix) and Martin (Raymond) our coaching staff
brings a brand new dimension that comes from the mixture of our
backgrounds which are different but, at the same time, complement
each other," said Boucher. "I believe such diversity will be
favorable to the development of our players and beneficial to the
success of our team."
Raymond, a 42-year-old native of Pierrefonds, Que., and current
resident of St-Basile-le-Grand, Que., is the most successful coach
in McGill hockey history. He has posted a 293-192-35 record in 520
games overall with the Redmen, including a stellar 206-110-30
regular-season mark (.638) since he took over the coaching duties
from Jean Pronovost midway through the 1994-95 season.
Over the last three seasons, Raymond guided the Redmen to a pair of
Ontario University Athletics eastern conference titles, including
the 2008 Queen's Cup league championship, the team's first since
1946. He has produced 28 players who have gone on to playing
careers in pro hockey, including one who reached the NHL (Mathieu
Darche) and five in the AHL (Darche, plus Greg Davis, Pierre
Gendron, Daniel Jacob, David Urquhart). Raymond and Boucher would
reunite with Darche in Hamilton, should the former Redmen winger
fail to make the Canadiens lineup this fall.
"I am excited at this opportunity to help develop the young players
of the Montreal Canadiens organization with Guy and the staff in
Hamilton," said Raymond, who has won OUA East coach-of-the-year
honours four times and in 2005-06, became the first McGill coach to
win the Father George Kehoe memorial award as CIS coach of the year
in men's hockey. "From the time I was a child, my father and I were
always big Canadiens fans. So I look forward to this challenge and
hope I can make a difference for their farm team in Hamilton.
"I believe this is a great chance for me to grow as a coach, and I
am grateful to Guy and the Canadiens for providing me with this
opportunity. Guy has gathered a tremendous wealth of experience
since our time coaching together at McGill and he had developed
into one of the best minds in junior hockey."
Raymond graduated from McGill in 1992 with a physical education
degree and played professional hockey in Germany (with EA Schongau)
for one season before returning to McGill in 1993 to work on a
master's degree in physical education, which he completed in
1996.
"Everyone at McGill has been very supportive of this decision, from
Drew Love (executive director of athletics and recreation), the
staff, alumni and the leaders on our hockey team," added Raymond.
"It was a difficult choice to leave, as I have great affection for
the players and everyone involved with the Redmen hockey program.
They are good people who are relentless hard workers. Despite me
leaving at this time of the year, the team is in good hands. Our
assistant coaches are expected to remain with the team and continue
to help the program."
Prior to being appointed as bench boss of the Redmen in 1996,
Raymond served for three years as an assistant coach with the team
after a five-year playing career at McGill. He also served one
season as an assistant to Terry Bangen, who guided the Redmen in
1995-96, before moving on to accept an assistant coaching position
with the NHL's Vancouver Canucks.
Raymond also coached the Quebec provincial team to a bronze medal
at the 2004 under-17 world hockey championships in St. John's,
Nfld. At the pro level, he directed the Montreal Canadiens rookie
camp in 1997.
A decision about who take over as head coach will be made in the
near future.
As a player, Raymond earned all-conference honours three times and
All-Canadian status in his final season (1991-92) when he served as
team captain. He became McGill's all-time assist leader with 144
(now ranked second) and is still third in career points (253 in 154
games) and third in career goals (109). Raymond was also a member
of the bronze medal-winning Team Canada squad at the 1991 Spengler
Cup tournament in Davos, Switzerland. He received the Forbes Trophy
in 1992 as McGill's male athlete of the year, and the Bobby Bell
Trophy as Team MVP in 1991-92
SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
