Scotty Bowman: Julien will do well in Montreal
He would know.
Few have done better behind the Montreal bench than the legendary Scotty Bowman, who coached the Canadiens to five Stanley Cup championships, including four straight from 1976-79.
As Bowman sees it, new coach Claude Julien has the track record to push the the team back into the winner's circle. He won the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011, while the Canadiens haven't captured Lord Stanley since 1993 - the longest championship drought in franchise history.
"Claude did a good job with the Canadiens when he began his career, and he did a good job in New Jersey and won a Stanley Cup in Boston," Bowman told Dave Stubbs of NHL.com. "He knows the city and the expectations. He's a good coach. You don't coach 10 years with one team and win a Stanley Cup unless you can do the job."
Despite coaching the team for just 634 games, Bowman racked up 419 wins in Montreal, ranking him third in franchise history:
| Rank | Coach | Tenure | Games | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toe Blake | 1956-68 | 914 | 500 |
| 2 | Dick Irvin | 1941-55 | 896 | 431 |
| 3 | Scotty Bowman | 1972-79 | 634 | 419 |
| 4 | Michel Therrien | 2000-03 & 2012-17 | 542 | 271 |
Currently a senior advisor with the Chicago Blackhawks, where Bowman has since won another three Stanley Cups, it's no doubt he understands how to win. His 1,244 victories are the most in NHL history, more than 400 ahead of second-place Joel Quenneville.
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