Claude Julien back behind the bench of an NHL team?

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MarcO
November 3, 2022 (4:50 PM)

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Since his dismissal from the Montreal Canadiens, Claude Julien has had a few contracts here and there. He was a Team Canada manager at the Olympics and the World Senior Championship, a consultant in Switzerland, in the Ontario Hockey League and until recently, he worked for the St. Louis Blues as a scout.

However, he may soon be back behind the bench of an NHL team.

According to Sylvain St-Laurent of Le Droit, on 98.5 FM, Julien would be in the running to replace D.J. Smith in Ottawa.

According to St-Laurent, Smith's days are numbered with the Senators.

The pressure is coming from the market a lot. It's been five or six years since the fans have tasted the playoffs. It's been a tough couple of years. Some people had told me that the first 20 games of the season were crucial for D.J. Smith. [...] Four wins and five losses, a team that lacks consistency, that's not encouraging for him.

"I haven't spoken to Claude Julien in the last year, but he lives in Ottawa. He was motivated to work last year, he even went to Beijing to lead a team with minor league players at the Olympics. The last time I talked to him, on the record, he told me that he wants to work in the NHL with an interesting organization, with people he gets along with. He and general manager Pierre Dorion have known each other for over 30 years, they are friends. I think it would be a natural fit."

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