André Tourigny, head coach of the Arizona Coyotes, is originally from Sainte-Monique de Nicolet.
His parents, Maurice and Denise, instilled in him several values, including that the word “impossible” should not be part of his life or that of his sisters, Chantal and Johanne. His mentor, René Charron, was the technical director of hockey in Mauricie. René always believed in himself, which allowed him to live his dream of becoming the head coach of a hockey team.
By the way, André’s dream was to become the head coach of the Bantam AA team and not of an NHL team.
Life is like climbing Mount Everest.
As you explore my childhood journey, you will realize that there are several stations to get there to the summit of Mount Everest.
Explain these stations to me in a few words.
My wife, my family and my friends who have always supported me so much in the good times, but especially in the most difficult ones.
Stations as coach.
I was a young Nordiques fan and it is fitting that my mentor in the NHL was Michel Bergeron, followed by Pat Burns.
There were several stations before reaching the summit.
Coach at the pee-wee, bantam, Midget AAA levels, as assistant. In the QMJHL, assistant coach in Shawinigan, before I became the head coach of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. Assistant to Patrick Roy in Colorado, leading the Canadian under-18 team, a stint at Hockey Canada and eventually arriving at the summit of Everest with the Arizona Coyotes. Now I have to work even harder to stay at the top.
You lived on the family farm.
People thought I worked on the farm, but that wasn’t the case. The reality is that I was born on a farm and loved working on the farm.
Your father was a farmer.
My father had a farming, farming, chicken and later pig farm on my grandfather’s land. Dad made me understand the importance of getting up early in the morning to work and being well prepared.
At what age did you start driving a tractor?
Around the age of 6, I wasn’t tall or heavy enough because I had to stand up and put both feet on the clutch to start the tractor.
Your father influenced you a lot.
I woke up at 6 a.m. to work on the farm, but to my surprise, he was already working. After finishing the train in the evening, I returned home. However, after supper, he returned to work. He taught me not to count your hours, if you want to succeed in life and that loyalty was important.
Your mother is in the Midget AAA Hall of Fame.
She is a great volunteer who has never feared going for it to succeed and is always ready to help others. She worked for many years in minor hockey. In fact, she was inducted into the Midget AAA Hockey Hall of Fame.
You loved going fishing with your father.
Even today, I go to my parents’ farm with my children. Without forgetting the beautiful peaceful moments on a lake fishing with my father.
Were you part of a choir at school?
Ah! Ah! Ah! No, and I will never be part of it. I loved playing hockey, fastball and soccer. Moreover, with the excellent Jean-Yves Doucet as head coach of our team, we won the Provincial Fastpitch Championship.
You worked in a bar.
I was a bartender and DJ at Bar Paradise, because I had no choice. As Denis Francoeur’s assistant coach with the Shawinigan Cataractes, I earned $250 per week. Thanks to my wife, Mélanie, who was a nurse, I was able to pursue my career.
The arrival of the twins.
Mélanie gave birth to our wonderful twins. A new direction, because with my salary of $250 per week, I had to find something else. I bought myself a poultry farm which included 14,500 chickens.
A change of schedule.
I got up at 5 a.m., fed the chickens and did various jobs on the farm. Then at 9 a.m., I was in the coaches’ offices in Shawinigan.
“Impossible” does not exist.
My parents always made me understand that “impossible” does not exist, a solution had to be found. Several years later, this philosophy of life allowed me to take on a challenge that I thought was impossible.
Explain yourself.
I am the head coach with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the QMJHL. There are English speakers on the team who want to help me. Let’s be real, the language of Shakespeare is dominant in a hockey locker room.
You took English lessons.
The next day, I started my English lessons, one sentence at a time. Before my team meetings, I practiced my speech for an hour. Fortunately, after the meeting, my assistant Mario Duhamel asked the players if they had understood my message. Two years later, I was the head coach of the Canadian U18 team. “IMPOSSIBLE” does not exist in my life.
You have three beautiful children.
My twin sons, Jean-Philippe, in medicine, and Félix-Antoine, in animal care, are finishing their university studies. While my daughter, Marie-Léa, who has just finished her studies, is a big heart on two legs. In the summer, she didn’t mind working three jobs.
Your wife, Mélanie, is an exemplary woman.
Mélanie is a career nurse who, like all other nurses, has done an incredible job during COVID. She always wants to remain in the shadows. However, it is she who, thanks to her competitive aspect, encourages the three children and me to excel in our fields.