Alain Vigneault
A fiery, quotable bench boss who turned the Vancouver Canucks into a powerhouse, coming one game short of hockey's ultimate prize.
Born 1961 (age 65)·Canadian ice hockey player and coach·Birthday: May 14·Baby Boomers
Biography
Alain Vigneault's coaching persona—sharp-suited, emotionally charged, and fiercely competitive—became a fixture behind NHL benches for nearly two decades. His path wasn't that of a star player; his brief pro career ended early due to injury, forcing a pivot to coaching in his twenties. He cut his teeth in the Quebec junior leagues, earning a reputation for getting the most out of his teams. A first NHL stint with the Montreal Canadiens ended prematurely, but it was in Vancouver where he built his legacy. Taking over a struggling team, he installed a fast, aggressive system that perfectly suited the talents of the Sedin twins and goaltender Roberto Luongo. The Canucks became the league's most dominant regular-season team, winning back-to-back Presidents' Trophies. The 2011 run to the Stanley Cup Final, which ended in a heartbreaking Game 7 loss to Boston, was both his pinnacle and his curse in Vancouver. He later took the New York Rangers to the Final in 2014, proving his systems could elevate different kinds of rosters, cementing his status as a coach who consistently engineered winning hockey.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Alain was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alain Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Alain's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top coach in 2007 after leading the Vancouver Canucks to a dramatic single-season turnaround.
- Coached the Vancouver Canucks to consecutive Presidents' Trophies (2011, 2012) as the league's top regular-season team.
- Led two different franchises (Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers) to the Stanley Cup Final.
- Became the winningest coach in Vancouver Canucks history, a record he still holds.
- Reached 700 career NHL wins, placing him among the top coaches in league history for victories.
Did You Know?
He was a defenseman drafted by the St. Louis Blues but played only a handful of professional games.
Vigneault is known for his extensive use of film study and detailed preparation for opponents.
He coached Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2015 IIHF World Championship.
His father was a police officer in Gatineau, Quebec.
“You've got to play on your toes, not on your heels.”
