Arizona Coyotes name André Tourigny head coach

The Arizona Coyotes have their new bench boss.

The club announced André Tourigny would be taking over and would become the eighth head coach in franchise history.

Tourigny joins the Coyotes after spending the last three seasons as the head coach of the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67’s posting a 198-130-52 record and two division titles.

“We are very pleased to name André as the new head coach of the Arizona Coyotes,” said Armstrong. “André is a tremendous person and one of the best young coaches in the game today. He is a winner, a great teacher and a strong communicator who has a proven track record of developing young talent. We are confident that he is the right person to lead our team on the ice and we are thrilled to have him in our organization.”

He spent the last year on loan to Hockey Canada where he was an assistant coach at the 2021 IIHF World Championships where Canada secured a 3-2 gold medal win over Finland.

A native of Nicolet, Quebec, Tourigny also ran the bench for the Canadian 2021 World Junior team that won a silver medal.

“It is an honor to be named as the head coach of the Arizona Coyotes,” said Tourigny. “I would like to thank Mr. Meruelo, Bill Armstrong and Xavier Gutierrez for providing me with this incredible opportunity. I am looking forward to working with this group and our players to build a winning culture here in the desert for our loyal and passionate fan base.

“I would also like to thank everyone at Hockey Canada and the Ottawa 67’s for all their support the past few years. It was an honor and a privilege to coach Team Canada, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to represent my country. The 67’s are a first-class organization, and I wish them all the best in the future.”

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.