The Arizona Coyotes continue to bet on head coach Andre Tourigny, signing him to a three-year extension, the team announced Wednesday.
Tourigny spent the last two seasons behind the bench in the desert, amassing a 53-90-21 record during his first gig as an NHL bench boss with the Coyotes firmly in rebuild mode. He has one year remaining on his current pact.
"We are very pleased to sign Andre to a three-year extension," general manager Bill Armstrong said. "He is an excellent coach, leader, and communicator who has helped us establish a tremendous culture in our dressing room. Our players like him, respect him, and compete hard for him. We are thrilled to have him signed as our head coach for the next three years."
In July, Armstrong expressed his faith in Tourigny as the man to guide the Coyotes through the next phase of their rebuild, emphasizing that he has an ability to motivate his players "without leaving a scar."
The Coyotes finished among the 10 worst teams in the league in each of Tourigny's two seasons at the helm, but they did enjoy some improvements during his sophomore campaign:
| Season | Record | Points | Finish | GF/GP | GA/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 25-50-7 | 57 (.348) | 31st | 2.51 | 3.77 |
| 2022-23 | 28-40-14 | 70 (.427) | 27th | 2.74 | 3.60 |
Arizona added the likes of Nick Bjugstad, Alex Kerfoot, Troy Stecher, Jason Zucker, Sean Durzi, Matt Dumba, and Logan Cooley to its roster this summer as it attempts to crawl back to relevancy in the Western Conference. The team's last playoff appearance came in 2020.
Puck drops on the Coyotes' 2023-24 season on Oct. 13 against the New Jersey Devils.
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