Michel Bergeron
The fiery, quotable coach known as 'Le Petit Tigre' who led the Quebec Nordiques through their epic 1980s battles with the Montreal Canadiens.
Born 1946 (age 80)·Canadian former ice hockey coach·Birthday: June 12·Baby Boomers
Biography
Michel Bergeron's coaching career was defined by passion, loyalty, and one of hockey's greatest rivalries. A former junior player whose career was cut short by injury, he channeled his intensity into coaching. His big break came with the Quebec Nordiques in 1980, and he quickly became the emotional heartbeat of the franchise. Nicknamed 'Le Petit Tigre' for his combative style, Bergeron was a master motivator who wore his heart on his sleeve, often engaging in legendary verbal sparring matches with Canadiens coach Jean Perron. He guided a young, talented Nordiques squad—featuring the Stastny brothers—through multiple deep playoff runs, with the annual clashes against Montreal becoming a cultural event in Quebec. After a stint with the New York Rangers, he returned to Quebec as a popular television analyst. Bergeron's legacy isn't in championships, but in embodying the fierce pride of a team and its city.
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.
Michel was born in 1946, 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 Michel Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Michel's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 70
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 80
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Coached the Quebec Nordiques for seven seasons, leading them to the Wales Conference Finals twice (1982 and 1985).
- Won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's coach of the year in 1986.
- Coached the New York Rangers for two seasons, making the playoffs both years.
- Had a career regular-season coaching record of 419 wins, 342 losses, and 115 ties.
Did You Know?
His playing career ended at age 19 after he broke his leg in a junior game.
He was known for his prolific use of chewing gum behind the bench.
After coaching, he became a longtime analyst for the French-language sports network RDS.
He published an autobiography titled 'Le Petit Tigre: Ma vie, mes combats' (The Little Tiger: My Life, My Battles).
“You play for the name on the front of the jersey, not the one on the back.”
