Desjardins enjoys chance to coach against Johnston

Saturday’s meeting between the Vancouver and Pittsburgh Penguins was more than just another game to Willie Desjardins.
The game offered Desjardins a chance to coach against his “real good friend” Mike Johnston after they both took several decades to become NHL head coaches. Desjardins and Johnston, both 57 and rookie NHL bench bosses, initially coached together in the mid-to-late 1980s at the University of Calgary under the guidance of George Kingston. From there, they wound their way to the NHL.
“He’s super-competitive and, for both of us, it was a long time to coach at this level,” said Desjardins. “So whenever we get a chance to coach at this level, I think it’s significant.”
Desjardins began his coaching career at the U of C while completing a master’s degree in social work. He then moved on to the Seibu Bears in Japan, briefly coached the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL as a mid-season replacement, and served as an assistant with the Canadian men’s national team under Johnston before moving to the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Serving as both general manager and coach over the years, Desjardins guided the Tigers to a pair of WHL titles as well as a Memorial Cup final berth before moving to the Dallas Stars organization, where he spent two seasons as an assistant with the NHL club and two more as head coach of their Texas farm club. After guiding Texas to the AHL championship last season, and earning coach of the year honours in the process, he took on his first NHL head coaching position with the Canucks.
Johnston, a Dartmouth, N.S., native, initially served as a head coach at the Augustana University College in Alberta and then worked with Desjardins as a U of C assistant while completing a master’s in coaching science. After leaving the U of C, Johnston took the helm at the University of New Brunswick, served as general manager and coach with the Canadian men’s national team, and then held assistant and associate positions with the Canucks and Los Angeles Kings before becoming GM and coach of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks – a team he built into a powerhouse.
Along the way, both Desjardins and Johnston also coached Canadian squads in a number of junior and senior world championships. Ironically, Johnston received his first head coaching job last summer when Desjardins rejected an offer from the Penguins and joined the Canucks instead.
So did Desjardins put in a good word for Johnston with the Pens?
“No, he did everything on his own,” said Desjardins with a chuckle. “He’s good and he’s real capable.”

NHL clubs give unsung coaches their big breaks

A good week for unsung hockey coaches got better Wednesday.
Mike Johnston became the new head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins after losing out to Willie Desjardins for the Vancouver Canucks coaching post. Both Johnston and Desjardins received NHL head coaching gigs for the the first time in their long and distinguished careers.
Ironically, Johnston, 57, got the Pittsburgh job because Desjardins, also 57, turned down the chance to tutor Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin et al.
More irony: Johnston and Desjardins are old friends. They worked together with the University of Calgary Dinos circa the the late 1980s while they were completing masters degrees in coaching science and social work, respectively, before going into coaching full-time.
Johnston, a Nova Scotia native, wound his way to Canadian college hockey, with the Camrose Kodiaks, and Canadian national team program, before moving on to assistant posts in the NHL with the Canucks and Los Angeles Kings. Seeking a head coaching job, he took over the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL, who were finalists in 2013-14 for the fourth consecutive season, and won the league title in 2012-13 while he was suspended because the league decided Portland had offered improper inducements to players and parents.
On Monday, after Desjardins' appointment was announced, Johnston and I spoke, and he talked as though he expected to return to Portland, because he preferred to be a head coach. But he obviously got the job he wanted.
Desjardins' first NHL job comes after his coaching journey began with waystops at the U of C, Japan, Canadian national team program and Medicine Hat of the WHL. In eight seasons, he guided the Tigers to a pair of WHL titles and a berth in the 2007 Memorial Cup final In the meantime, Desjardins served as an assistant and head coach with Canadian teams that won silver and gold in consecutive years at the world junior championships. Desjardins then spent two seasons as an assistant with the Dallas Stars before taking the helm of their Texas farm team because he preferred to be a head coach.
He led Texas to the AHL's Calder Cup title in the recently concluded season.
I've known Desjardins and Johnston for many years. Simply put, they are good people with outstanding hockey knowledge who have earned everything they have received the hard way. On first glance, they do not come across as typical coaches, because they appear friendlier than many peers who fit the bench boss stereotype better. However, they both know how to get players' respect and can lay down the law when necessary.
Desjardins is the opposite of former outspoken Vancouver coach John Tortorella, who was always good for a quote. But Desjardins, who admits that he doesn't like the spotlight, is still articulate, highly intelligent and willing to deal with media professionally.
The prediction here is that Desjardins will, ultimately, be a nice surprise for disgruntled Vancouver fans and prove his vow that the Canucks are "for real."
Johnston and Desjardins' hirings came in the same seven-day span that saw the Carolina Hurricanes give Bill Peters, 48, a former Detroit Red Wings assistant, his first head coaching gig after he spent more than two decades in lesser roles.
All in all, it's been a good week for unsung coaches as they finally get their big breaks in the NHL.