Ottawa 67’s head coach Andre Tourigny named CHL coach of the year

TORONTO — Ottawa 67’s head coach Andre Tourigny has been named the Canadian Hockey League’s coach of the year.

The 67’s were on top of the Ontario Hockey League standings with a 50-11-1 record before the 2019-20 season ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 50 wins tied a franchise record that the team set in 2018-19.

Ottawa led the OHL this season in goals (296), surrendered the fewest goals (164), owned the OHL’s top power play (29.8 per cent) and had the third-ranked penalty kill (82.1 per cent).

Brad Lauer of the Western Hockey League’s Edmonton Oil Kings and Stephane Julien of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Sherbrooke Phoenix were the other finalists.

Tourigny, 46, joined the 67’s as head coach and vice president of hockey operations prior to the franchise’s 50th anniversary season in 2017-18.

The native of Nicolet, Que., was also an assistant on Canada’s championship team at the 2020 world junior hockey championship.

Last month, Tourigny wad named the OHL coach of the year for the second consecutive season.

“It’s a tremendous honour for me and my staff to get coach of the year in the CHL,” Tourigny said in a release. “In the CHL you have 60 head coaches and staff who work really hard during the season so to be recognized by the CHL with coach of the year, me and my coaching staff are really blessed and honoured.

“Our ownership and our management give us all of the tools to make that happen, and I want to also thank our players for all of their support and hard work during the season to make it happen.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2020.

The Canadian Press