Long-time NHL defenceman Stephane Robidas is joining the Montreal Canadiens as an assistant coach.
He replaces Luke Richardson, who was hired as the new head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this summer.
"We are very lucky to have someone of Stephane's calibre join our coaching staff. His recent experience as an NHL player, and his outstanding hockey background, will be excellent assets for the development of our players," said Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis in a statement. "Stephane perfectly matches the profile we were looking for in a candidate. In addition to being an exceptional individual, he is a very good communicator, and I believe that players will relate to him because of that."
Robidas, 45, was originally a seventh-round pick by the Canadiens and began his career in Montreal. He appeared in 937 games with the Canadiens, Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs, scoring 57 goals and 258 points.
Last season he was the head coach of the Magog Cantonniers in the Quebec U18 AAA Development Hockey League, where he led the team to the Jimmy Ferrari Cup and was named a finalist for coach of the year.
His post-playing career also includes working various roles with the Maple Leafs from 2015 to 2021, including as Assistant Director of Player Development, Director of Player Development and assistant coach to the club's ECHL team.
In June Robidas was named an assistant coach with the QMJHL's Sherbrooke Phoenix, a role he will now vacate.
