The man who guided the Montreal Canadiens' farm team for a total of six seasons, Sylvain Lefebvre, was hired as an assistant coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets last June. A role he knew well since he played it with the Colorado Avalanche from 2009 to 2012. So he was not embarking on unfamiliar territory.
However, we have just learned that the 53-year-old has resigned from his position, without the season having started, because he does not wish to receive the required vaccinations to join a National Hockey League team.
Lefebvre was only a passing ship in this organization, and will be replaced by a former first overall pick (23rd overall) of the Chicago Blackhawks in 1999, Steve McCarthy (40). McCarthy played a total of 302 games in the NHL, where he scored a total of 55 points.
Brad Larsen, who took over as coach of the Jackets following the departure of John Tortorella, and McCarthy know each other very well, having been teammates for a few seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers.
"While we are disappointed, we respect the fact that this is a personal decision for Sylvain and we wish him well. We feel fortunate to have an outstanding coach join our club in Steve McCarthy, who has played in this league, won championships as a player and was an important member of our hockey operations department as an assistant coach in Cleveland." - Jarmo Kekalainen
