Montreal Canadiens
Aug 5, 2009, 2:00 PM EDT
PRESS RELEASE
MONTREAL –Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey and Hamilton Bulldogs General Manager Julien BriseBois announced Wednesday the appointment of Daniel Lacroix and Martin Raymond as Assistants to Head Coach Guy Boucher with the Hamilton Bulldogs.
“With Daniel (Lacroix) and Martin (Raymond) our coaching staff brings a brand new dimension that comes from the mixture of our backgrounds which are different but, at the same time, complement each other. I believe such diversity will be favorable to the development of our players and beneficial to the success of our team,” stated Head Coach Guy Boucher.
Daniel Lacroix was an assistant coach with the New York Islanders for the past three seasons (2006 to 2009). Before joining the Isles, Lacroix spent fours seasons with the Moncton Wildcats, from 2002 to 2006, as an assistant coach. During his stint with the team, the Wildcats reached the QMJHL final twice, including a berth in the 2006 Memorial Cup Tournament. Halfway through the 2004-05 seasons, Lacroix took over as Moncton’s interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
From 1993-94 to 1999-00, Daniel Lacroix played 188 regular-season games in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers before ending his playing career in a New York Islanders uniform with a career total of 18 points (11 goals, 7 assists) and 379 penalty minutes. The former left winger, who won an IHL championship, etching his name on the Turner Cup as a member of the Chicago Wolves in 2000, also played eight years in the American Hockey League, including one season with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 1998-99, earning 213 points (101 goals, 112 assists) and 1,618 penalty minutes in 352 AHL regular-season games. Lacroix was drafted from the QMJHL Granby Bisons by the New York Rangers in the second round, 31st overall, in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft.
Martin Raymond joins the Bulldogs after serving as the Head Coach of the McGill Redmen hockey team for the past 14 campaigns. Last season, Raymond was named OUA East Coach of the Year for the fourth time (2000, 2005, 2006) after leading the Redmen to an 18-8-2 record en route to an OUA East Conference title and a berth in the CIS National Championship for the second straight year. He has a lifetime record of 293-192-35 in 520 games behind the Redmen’s bench. Raymond also earned the Father George Kehoe memorial award as CIS Coach of the Year in 2005-06.
Prior to his coaching career, the Montreal native played five seasons with McGill finishing his career with 109 goals and 144 assists for 253 points in 154 games. He was also a three-time all-star and an All-Canadian. Playing alongside teammate Guy Boucher, he captured the Forbes Trophy in 1992 as McGill’s Male Athlete of the Year and the Bobby Bell Trophy as Team MVP following the 1991-1992 season. After graduating from McGill with a Bachelor’s degree in Education in 1992, he played one season with EA Schongau in Germany. Raymond returned to McGill in 1993 where he earned a masters’ degree in physical education in 1996.