Montreal Canadiens fire Michel Therrien, Claude Julien appointed head coach

Claude Julien, former head coach of the Boston Bruins, has been appointed to the Montreal Canadiens.

Julien will replace Michel Therrien, who was “relieved of his duties,” as head coach.

“The decision to remove Michel from his coaching duties was a difficult one because I have lots of respect for him,” said Habs general manager Marc Bergevin in a press release.

“I came to the conclusion that our team needed a new energy, a new voice, a new direction.”

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WATCH: Ongoing coverage of Canadiens head coaching shakeup

1:02 Habs GM believes they have a ‘superstar’ in Claude Julien

• Habs GM believes they have a ‘superstar’ in Claude Julien
• Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin explains his decision to fire Michel Therrien and hire Claude Julien
• Habs GM doesn’t think the Canadiens have leadership problems
• Montreal Canadiens fire head coach Michel Therrien, hire Claude Julien
• Montrealers react to the new Habs coach
• Habs GM Bergevin says he’s not willing to sacrifice top prospect in short term
• Meeting with players was not about Michel Therrien: Habs GM Bergevin

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This is the second time Julien, 56, has been named head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, also replacing Therrien back in 2003.

READ MORE: Montreal Canadiens most viewed NHL team on Twitter so far this season

He held the job until January 2006, with a record of 72-62-10-15 in 259 regular season games with a .531 winning percentage.

“We hired the best available coach, and one of the league’s best,” Bergevin said.

“I am convinced that he has the capabilities to get our team back on the winning track.”

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Julien has coached 997 regular season games in the NHL (Montreal, New Jersey and Boston), including the last 10 seasons with the Bruins (2007 to 2017); he was relieved of his duties on Feb. 7.

READ MORE: Habs sign goaltender Al Montoya to two-year contract extension

A native of Orleans, Ontario, he began his coaching career behind the bench of the Hull Olympiques in the QMJHL in 1996, leading his team to the Memorial Cup in 1997.

Julien also led the Hamilton Bulldogs from 2000 to 2003.

READ MORE: Angela Price guest hosts Global News Morning in Montreal

On the international stage, as a member of Team Canada’s coaching staff, he won gold at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and captured yet another gold medal at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

rachel.lau@globalnews.ca
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