Report: Desjardins returning to WHL-Medicine Hat

Via tenured WHL reporter Gregg Drinnan:

Taking Note has been told that Willie Desjardins will be returning to the Medicine Hat Tigers as GM/head coach.

— Gregg Drinnan (@gdrinnan) May 30, 2019

Earlier Thursday, the Tigers parted ways with Shaun Clouston, an assistant who became Medicine Hat’s Head Coach when Desjardins left to coach the AHL’s Texas Stars in 2010.

Desjardins, 62, coached the Tigers from 2002-10 and added GM duties in 2005. A 2004 and 2007 WHL champion, he’s entrenched in the area and leads the South Alberta Hockey Academy, an endeavor that provides on and off-ice training for young student athletes from rural communities in and around Medicine Hat. A group of players from the academy were treated to a game in Calgary on April 1.

Desjardins went 27-34-8 with the LA Kings after replacing John Stevens 13 games into the season. In 315 games coaching the Los Angeles and Vancouver, he compiled a record of 136-144-35. Josh Cooper had an interesting conversation with Willie earlier today, prior to the report that he’d return to coach Medicine Hat.

–Lead photo via Jeff Vinnick/NHLI