According to multiple reports, Andre Tourigny has been hired as an assistant coach for Colorado. Tourigny, affectionately known as Bear, is well-known to Roy as he faced off against the Avs head coach in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Tourigny was the general manager and head coach of the QMJHL Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.

Tourigny first joined the Huskies in 2002. In 2005-2006, he was awarded the Coach of the Year honors for the QMJHL and still holds the record for longest tenure with one club for all teams within the league.

Tourigny has also been part of Team Canada’s efforts in the World Junior Championships (2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013) and the under-18 tourney as an assistant coach. He helped Canada take silvers in 2010 and 2011 in the WJC and gold at the under-18 in 2008.

The Avalanche have not commented on the hiring, nor officially announced the addition.

UPDATE: Roy and Tourigny have reached a verbal agreement. Final details and contract signatures still being worked out with Avs.

A profile piece on Tourigny:

Here's a video of him talking about Nathan MacKinnon (stick tap to Dario for sharing this).



And another of him discussing both MacKinnon and Drouin.