BROSSARD, Que. -- This is bad for Dominique Ducharme, but it doesn’t have to be bad for the Montreal Canadiens.
That’s the outlook right now for the Joliette, Que., native who’s stuck at home with COVID-19, unavailable to coach his team as it attempts to take a 3-1 series lead over the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup semifinal when Game 4 gets underway Sunday night. He’s waited his whole life for an opportunity like this, and now it’s been snatched away from him.
But, as Ducharme noted in his first comments since a confirmed positive test forced him into a quarantine that began on Friday, the chance for his Canadiens to continue doing something special is still right in front of them.
“We've worked all year to be here,” the 48-year-old said. “I've been waiting for that moment personally, for sure, for a long time… We’re not planning on stopping now.
“I believe I’ll be back. I’m hoping to be as soon as possible. Our players want to continue their run. No matter when I do return, I’m confident we’ll still be playing.”
How Ducharme ended up on his couch—for potentially as long as 14 days—instead of behind the Canadiens’ bench is still a mystery to him.
He said the Canadiens have been strictly bubbled since December, that June 23 will mark two weeks since they received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and that the only thing he experienced during his first trip to the United States in over a year was some bad luck.
“In Vegas we were not allowed to go outside, not even taking a walk or walking from the rink to the hotel,” Ducharme said. “I respected that. I went from my room to the meal room, to the bus to the rink. We were allowed to go to the gym that was reserved for us in between certain hours. I went there.
“So yeah, it's frustrating. But that's the way it is. And hopefully, I can get back as soon as possible.”
While the Canadiens negotiate with government and NHL authorities to potentially shorten the length of Ducharme’s quarantine—he said he’s confident they’ll be successful in their pursuit—the coach won’t be completely removed from the equation. He said he’s in touch with his staff throughout the day, in touch with his players, and that he will address everyone with “a quick word” prior to Game 4.
Without Ducharme, assistant Luke Richardson coached the Canadiens to a come-from-behind overtime win in Game 3 at the Bell Centre. The man who normally manages Montreal’s defence was described by blue-liner Ben Chiarot as a coach the Canadiens would go through a wall for.
“I think that’s the best compliment you can give a coach,” Chiarot said. “We’d go through a wall for him because we know he’d go through a wall for us. He’s a player’s coach. He’s obviously played forever and knows exactly what we’re going through. He’s been great for us. All the D love him. I know that he’s up front now, we miss him on the back end, but I know the forwards will enjoy having him calling out those forward lines, too."
All of them will be playing for Ducharme, as well.
“It’s an unfortunate situation that’s happened,” said Canadiens forward Corey Perry. “We know he wants to be here as much as anybody. Once he comes out of this, hopefully we’re still going and he can come back and just step right back in.”
Until then, Richardson, with the help of assistants Alex Burrows and Sean Burke and a veteran-laden group of players on his bench, will try to build on his first-ever win as an NHL head coach.
Richardson will have several adjustments to make after the Canadiens were out-shot by a two-to-one margin and heavily out-chanced in Game 3.
"That's the game in the playoffs — counter-attacks and adjustments,” Richardson said on Saturday. “We tried to do that as the game went along last night, especially in between periods. And when you have a little more time to discuss with the team and how we even got Dom's thoughts in between periods and added those to the players.
"We definitely realize we have to be a lot quicker, smoother and precise at the beginning of the game, more like we were for our Game 1 and Game 2 starts. But Carey Price gives us that opportunity to do that. We can't count on that every night. We got to give him some support as well.”
Ducharme will do the same, even if he can’t be at the Bell Centre to do it in person.
“It's tough to describe,” he said of watching Game 3. “You feel helpless, just watching and hoping for the best. It's a weird situation. I've never been through that. The last time I watched the Canadiens on TV it was probably like three years, four years ago. Kind of special situation, but it's been a special year. We've been through a lot, and we'll get through that.”
