Last week, we passed along a report that new Avs head coach Patrick Roy was targeting QMJHL Rouyn-Noranda’s Andre Tourigny as a potential assistant in Colorado.
Today, it appears that hire is ready to be made.
The Denver Post -- by way of a TVA Sports -- reports the Avs have reached a tentative agreement to hire Tourigny.
Here’s more, from the Post’s Adrian Dater:
During a news conference Wednesday morning in Quebec to address media there about the future of the Quebec Remparts team he departed, Roy told TheQnews.ca:
"[Tuesday] we had, you can call it, an agreement in principle but now we have to send the contract over to Andre for him to analyze and in the end make his decision.
“Maybe he’s decided to accept the offer by the Avalanche, but at the same time Andre is part of the group of people I’d like to work with.”
The Avalanche declined to comment Wednesday afternoon on the reports.
Like Roy with QMHJL Quebec, Tourigny held both the coach and GM label with Rouyn-Noranda, the club he’s worked for since 2003.
He’s been an assistant coach for Team Canada in each of the last three World Junior tournaments, and also coached at the U-18 level.
On a related note, Rouyn-Noranda has scheduled a press conference for Thursday morning.
(Image courtesy Rouyn-Noranda website)