Jacques Lemaire Is New Devils Coach

On Monday afternoon Jacques Lemaire proved that, yes, you can in fact go home again.

After the 63-year-old stepped down this spring as the Minnesota Wild coach, New Jersey Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello seized the opportunity to hire Lemaire for a second stint behind the Devils bench.

Lemaire, who had a Hall of Fame playing career with the Montreal Canadiens, was instrumental in leading the Devils to their first Stanley Cup back in 1995.

“Jacques Lemaire is one of the most respected coaches in the game,” Lamoriello said. “He is a teacher and a communicator, and knows what it takes to have success.”

Lemaire, who is known for teaching the neutral zone trap and emphasizing solid defensive play, has been the head coach in Minnesota since day one in 2000 when they came into the league. After leading them to the playoffs three times during his tenure, Lemaire decided it was time for a change of scenery.

“Last year, right after the season, I never did close the door on coaching,” he said. “I just said that my time in Minnesota is over and it’s time to go on and do something else. I’ve heard a lot of ex-coaches say often that it is really hard to get out of this because we love the game and it is exciting and fun. Well, that’s what I got watching the playoffs.”

Negotiations between Lamoriello and Lemaire began just before the draft and concluded last weekend. Terms were not disclosed, but Lemaire, who has a coaching record of 538-415-176 in 14 seasons with the Canadiens, Devils, and Wild, wants to coach for at least the next two years.

“When you’ve been coaching for 15 years, when you look at a team, you want to have a chance to win the Cup, there is no doubt about that,” Lemaire said. “Especially in my situation, this would be a great thing to have a chance. Don’t forget there are 30 teams saying the same thing. I want a chance to be part of this and if there is a chance I would love to get another one.”

Looking up and down the Devils' roster, Lemaire is taking over for a team that won a franchise record 51 games before bowing out of the playoffs in seven games against the Carolina Hurricanes.