Eurolanche

New assistant coaches, Billington promoted

Tourigny will join current assistant Tim Army on Patrick Roy’s coaching staff.  In addition, the organization has named Craig Billington as Assistant General Manager, Adam Foote as Defense Development Consultant and Mario Duhamel as Video Coach.

Tourigny, 39, has spent the past 11 seasons as head coach and general manager of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.  He compiled a 337-336-20 record in 693 games behind the Huskies’ bench, which set a QMJHL record for most games coached with the same franchise. He was awarded the Ron Lapointe Award as QMJHL coach of the year in 2005-06 and two years later guided the Huskies to a league-best 47-20-2-1 record. Prior to joining Rouyn-Noranda, he spent time as an assistant with the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes (1998-2000) and was the head coach of the midget AAA Trois-Rivieres Estacades (2000-02).

A native of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Tourigny served as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2010, 2011 and 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship, helping the Canadian Junior National Team to the silver medal in both 2010 and 2011.

Billington, 46, recently completed his 10th season with the Avalanche front office, serving as the club’s Vice President of Player Development/Minor League Operations. The London, Ontario native has mainly focused on player development and minor league operations during his time with the organization, but he has also worked as a goaltending coach and has assisted in various scouting tasks. The former netminder enjoyed a 15-year playing career in the NHL, compiling a 110-149-31 record in 332 career appearances.

Foote, 41, played 19 seasons in the NHL, 17 of those with the Avalanche/Nordiques franchise.  He was a member of Colorado’s 1996 and 2001 Stanley Cup championship teams and helped the franchise capture an NHL-record nine consecutive division titles from 1995 to 2003. Originally selected by Quebec in the second round (22nd overall) of the 1989 Entry Draft, Foote appeared in more regular season (967) and playoff games (170) than any other defenseman in franchise history. 

Overall, Foote amassed 308 points (66g/242a) and 1,534 penalty minutes in 1,154 career games with Quebec/Colorado and Columbus. The Toronto native represented Canada at three Olympics: 1998, 2002 and 2006. He helped Canada win the gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.  Foote’s No. 52 sweater will be retired by the Avalanche in the upcoming 2013-14 season, date and time to be announced.

Duhamel has spent the past four seasons as head coach of the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL.  He also served as an assistant coach with Team Canada at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ufa, Russia. Prior to joining the Voltigeurs, Duhamel was an assistant coach under Tourigny with Rouyn-Noranda. Duhamel filled in for Tourigny as Rouyn’s head coach for five games in 2006-07 and for two games in 2008-09.

-Avalanche Press Release-