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Jacques Demers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the Canadian weightlifter, see Jacques Demers (weightlifter).

The Honourable
Jacques Demers
Senator for Rigaud, Quebec
In office
August 27, 2009 – August 25, 2019
Nominated byStephen Harper
Appointed byMichaëlle Jean
Preceded byYoine Goldstein
Personal details
Born (1944-08-25) August 25, 1944 (age 80)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Political partyIndependent Senators Group
Other political
affiliations		Conservative (2009–2015)
SpouseDeborah Anderson[1]
Children4

Jacques Demers (born August 25, 1944) is a former Canadian Senator, former broadcaster and former professional ice hockey head coach. After a lengthy coaching career in the World Hockey Association and in the National Hockey League, Demers became an analyst for Montreal Canadiens games on RDS. On August 27, 2009, he was nominated by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to fill the Canadian Senate seat vacated by Yoine Goldstein. Senator Demers represented the Conservative Party in the Senate[2] until December 2015 when he resigned from the Conservative caucus in order to sit as an Independent.[3] On his 75th birthday on August 25, 2019, he left his position as Senator.

WHA

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Two of the franchises Demers coached in the WHA were the Chicago Cougars and the Quebec Nordiques. Additionally, he was the exceedingly popular coach of the Indianapolis Racers, which won the Eastern Division championship under his guidance. Demers had the opportunity to coach Wayne Gretzky in the 1979 WHA All-Star Series. The format of the series was a three-game set that pitted the WHA All-Stars against HC Moscow Dynamo. Demers asked Gordie Howe if it was okay to put him on a line with Wayne Gretzky and his son Mark Howe.[4] In Game One, the line scored seven points as the WHA All-Stars won by a score of 4–2.[4] In Game Two, Gretzky and Mark Howe each scored a goal and Gordie Howe picked up an assist as the WHA won 4–2.[4] The line did not score in the final game, but the WHA won by a score of 4–3.

NHL

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While in the NHL, he coached the Quebec Nordiques, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings,[5][6] Montreal Canadiens,[7] and Tampa Bay Lightning. He won two consecutive Jack Adams Awards as NHL Coach of the Year, with Detroit in both 1987 and 1988. He is the only person to win the award in consecutive years.[8][9] He was also responsible for naming longtime Red Wing Steve Yzerman as team captain.[5][10] In 1993, he led Montreal to its most recent Stanley Cup. Only two years later, however, the Canadiens missed the playoffs altogether for the first time since 1970.[11] After an 0–5 start to the 1995–96 season, Demers was fired.[12][13]

While in Tampa Bay, he was responsible for guiding Vincent Lecavalier through his first two years in the NHL. He displayed a fatherly attitude toward the young star, often pulling him aside during practice to lecture him in their native French. During the 1998–99 season, he also served as the Lightning's general manager.[14]

In 2007, he was named the 100th most influential personality in hockey by The Hockey News.

Coaching record

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NHL

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Team Year Regular season Postseason
G W L T Pts Finish Result
QUE 1979–80 80 25 44 11 61 5th in Adams Missed playoffs
STL 1983–84 80 32 41 7 71 2nd in Norris Won in division semi-finals (3-1 vs. DET)
Lost in division finals (3-4 vs. MIN)
STL 1984–85 80 37 31 12 86 1st in Norris Lost in division semi-finals (0-3 vs. MIN)
STL 1985–86 80 37 34 9 83 3rd in Norris Won in division semi-finals (3-2 vs. MIN)
Won in division finals (4-3 vs. TOR)
Lost in conference finals (3-4 vs. CGY)
DET 1986–87 80 34 36 10 78 2nd in Norris Won in division semi-finals (4-0 vs. CHI)
Won in division finals (4-3 vs. TOR)
Lost in conference finals (1-4 vs. EDM)
DET 1987–88 80 41 28 11 93 1st in Norris Won in division semi-finals (4-2 vs. TOR)
Won in division finals (4-1 vs. STL)
Lost in conference finals (1-4 vs. EDM)
DET 1988–89 80 34 34 12 80 1st in Norris Lost in division semi-finals (2-4 vs. CHI)
DET 1989–90 80 28 38 14 70 5th in Norris Missed playoffs
MTL 1992–93 84 48 30 6 102 3rd in Adams Won in division semi-finals (4-2 vs. QUE)
Won in division finals (4-0 vs. BUF)
Won in conference finals (4-1 vs. NYI)
Won Stanley Cup (4-1 vs. LA)
MTL 1993–94 84 41 29 14 96 3rd in Northeast Lost in conference quarter-finals (3-4 vs. BOS)
MTL 1994–95 48 18 23 7 43 6th in Northeast Missed playoffs
MTL 1995–96 5 0 5 0 (0) 3rd in Northeast (fired)
TB 1997–98 63 15 40 8 (44) 7th in Atlantic Missed playoffs
TB 1998–99 82 19 54 9 47 4th in Southeast Missed playoffs
Total 1006 409 467 130 954 3 division titles 1 Stanley Cup (55-43, 0.561)

WHA

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Team Year Regular season Postseason
G W L T Pts Finish Result
IND 1975–76 75 34 35 6 74 1st in East Lost in WHA quarter-finals (3-4 vs. NE)
IND 1976–77 81 36 37 8 80 3rd in East Won in division semi-finals (4-0 vs. CIN)
Lost in division finals (1-4 vs. QUE)
CIN 1977–78 75 33 39 3 (69) 7th in WHA Fired
QUE 1978–79 80 41 34 5 87 2nd in WHA Lost in WHA semi-finals (0-4 vs. WPG)
Total 311 144 145 22 310 1 division title 0 Avco Cups (8-12, 0.400)

AHL

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Team Year Regular season Postseason
G W L T Pts Finish Result
FRE 1981–82 80 20 55 5 45 5th in North Missed playoffs
FRE 1982–83 80 45 27 8 98 1st in North Won in division semi-finals (4-2 vs. ADK)
Lost in division finals (2-4 vs. MNE)
Total 160 65 82 13 143 1 division title 0 Calder Cups (6-6, 0.500)

Literacy struggles

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On November 2, 2005, Demers released a biography, written by Mario Leclerc, entitled En toutes lettres (English translation: All Spelled Out), in which he revealed that he is functionally illiterate. According to Demers, he never really learned to read or write because of his abusive childhood in Montreal. He covered for himself by asking secretaries and public relations people to read letters for him, claiming he could not read English well enough to understand them (though he speaks English and French equally well). When he served as general manager of the Lightning, he brought in Cliff Fletcher and Jay Feaster as his assistants; as it turned out, they did most of the work a general manager would normally do because Demers knew he could not do it himself.[15]

Political career

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On August 28, 2009, CBC Radio One reported that Demers was chosen to fill the Senate seat of Yoine Goldstein by Prime Minister Harper. According to the CBC report, he has "raised awareness about literacy issues" by "going public with his own struggles." A series of Montreal residents were interviewed regarding his Senate appointment and they were generally positive about the move. Many noted, however, that it was "important that he learn to read."[16]

Demers served in the Senate until reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75 on August 25, 2019.

Health

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On July 5, 2010, Demers was reported to be in stable condition after undergoing two emergency surgeries.[17]

Demers was hospitalized after experiencing a stroke in April 2016. He remained in stable condition in a Montreal hospital.[18]

In October 2016, Demers was hospitalized for a serious infection.[19]

Since his 2016 stroke, he has been living with aphasia.[20]

Honours

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References

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  1. ^ "Harper appoints 9 to Senate". The Toronto Star. 27 August 2009.
  2. ^ "Jacques Demers to be among Senate appointees". CTV. 27 August 2009. Retrieved 27 August 2009.
  3. ^ "Senator Jacques Demers resigns from Conservative caucus, becomes independent Senator | Globalnews.ca".
  4. ^ a b c Willes, Ed (2004). The Rebel League: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart. p. 221. ISBN 0-7710-8947-3. OCLC 55104983.
  5. ^ a b Klein, Rob (21 May 2023). "Revisiting the Red Wings Era Under Jacques Demers". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  6. ^ Shook, Richard L. (14 June 1986). "Jacques Demers believes in the impossible -- which makes... - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Demers named Canadiens' coach - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  8. ^ "N.H.L.; Lemieux Named League M.V.P. (Published 1988)". 9 June 1988. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  9. ^ Lapointe, Joe (19 December 1988). "Red Wings' Coach Sees Himself as Friend and Teacher (Published 1988)". Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  10. ^ "Yzerman's captaincy is a credit to Demers". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  11. ^ "RARE ABSENTEE: MONTREAL MISSES NHL PLAYOFFS". Deseret News. 2 May 1995. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  12. ^ "CANADIENS CLEAN HOUSE: COACH, GM ARE FIRED". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  13. ^ "After Losing First Four, Canadiens Clean House : NHL: Demers, Savard are dismissed because of last season's poor finish and this one's start". Los Angeles Times. 18 October 1995. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  14. ^ "Lightning fire Demers; name Ludzik coach - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  15. ^ Former NHL coach Demers admits he's illiterate. ESPN, November 2, 2005.
  16. ^ CBC Radio One. Ottawa Morning. 28 August 2009.
  17. ^ "Senator Jacques Demers in hospital". CBC News. 5 July 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  18. ^ "Jacques Demers, Quebec senator and ex-NHL coach, hospitalized after stroke | CBC News".
  19. ^ "Ex-Habs coach Jacques Demers in stable condition after infection, wife says | CBC News".
  20. ^ "Aphasie: «on n'est pas préparé à ça», confie le frère de Jacques Demers".
  21. ^ "WHA Hall of Fame Members". Archived from the original on 15 January 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  22. ^ Canadian Armed Forces Honoraries
[edit]
Preceded by Head coach of the Quebec Nordiques
1978–80 		Succeeded by
Maurice Filion
Preceded by Head coach of the St. Louis Blues
1983–86 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the Detroit Red Wings
1986–90 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the Montreal Canadiens
1992–95 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning
1997–99 		Succeeded by
Preceded by General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning
1998–99 		Succeeded by
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