Never two without three, the saying goes. In addition to being general manager and vice-president of hockey operations for the Lions of Trois-Rivières, Marc-André Bergeron now wears the hat of interim head coach.
He thus replaces Éric Bélanger who, to everyone’s surprise, resigned on Tuesday. According to what the newspaper reports Le NouvellisteBergeron himself was surprised to hear the news.
“For some time, Éric did not seem on his plate, he said at a press conference on Wednesday. Tuesday, when he told me the news, I was surprised, because I did not expect that. So I felt a mixture of emotions. »
Bélanger was the first head coach in the history of the Lions, which came into existence in 2021. He has a record of 40 wins, 35 losses and 7 overtime losses.
In the evening, Bélanger confirmed that he was to become the head coach of the Voltigeurs de Drummondville in the QMJHL, a position vacant since the dismissal of Steve Hartley last week.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Eric Belanger
« Eric coach his teams as he played… With passion and intensity, Voltigeurs GM Philippe Boucher said in a press release. He knows the world of hockey, he knows the “game” and has significant National League experience that he can share with all our players. »
New opportunity
Marc-André Bergeron had a great career in the National League, donning the uniform of seven teams. With the Lions, this is the first time that he will occupy a role of head coach. The move, he explained, was “the easiest way to maintain momentum and continuity in the team’s day-to-day operations.” Assistant coach Pascal Rhéaume and hockey operations coordinator Alex Cousineau remain in place.
“We are aware of the work we have to do. […] I am a guy who likes to perform. When you don’t have time to prepare, it’s tiring. I feel like that. »
How long will Bergeron hold this position? It could be a week, two months or two years. He himself ignores it. “Am I going to like being behind the bench? It remains a mystery for now, he added. What I do know is that with the recent small sample, it gives me the taste. »
Bergeron sees this new role as an “opportunity”, a “chance to know the league at another level”. He is not yet actively looking for a new coach, but says he is open to receiving potential applications.
“I think the easy solution right now is for everyone to keep their role while I take Eric’s chair. That way, we allow our players not to go through too much of a transition. »
After a difficult start to the season, the Lions are currently riding a four-game winning streak. After 13 meetings, they sit fourth in the North Division and 14e rank in the general classification with 6 wins, 6 losses and an overtime loss.