With training just under a month away, Gatineau native Jean-Francois Lavergne has taken the reins of the team and is excited to finally get operations underway.

According to the team’s owner Danick Boisvert, the team was eyeing someone with experience at the junior, senior or semi-pro levels.

But the pool of viable candidates to choose from was quite shallow.

Boasting plenty of experience coaching high-caliber hockey, including stints with the Junior AAA Gatineau Flames, l’Intrepide de Gatineau at various levels, and a recruiter with a number of QMJHL organizations, going with Lavergne as the Comet’s newest bench boss was a no-brainer, Boisvert said.

“It wasn’t exactly a difficult decision,” he said.

Originally hired to coach a OSAAHL expansion team in Chelsea, Qc. until plans got postponed to next year, Lavergne found himself in a precarious position – a free agent.

But after a conversation with Boisvert about the option of heading to Fort Coulonge, Lavergne was thrilled about an opportunity to land a coaching job with the Comets.

With a wife and a five-year-old daughter at home, working seven days per week wasn’t something Lavergne was comfortable with. Not having to dedicate such a big portion of his time to the game, the OSAAHL seemed like the right fit, Lavergne said.

“The league, in a lot of ways, meets my needs as a coach right now,” he said. “In Junior AAA it was very demanding.”

While the number of teams in the league has dwindled from six to four, Lavergne is quite confident about the league’s viability, as it boosts such a wide array of talent – one of the main motivations for him to desire the job.

“I believe in this league,” he said. “There’s very good hockey here. Guys who’ve played at the collegiate level, some played junior … which largely made me want to pursue coaching in Senior AA.”

For Lavergne one of the best parts about landing his new gig will be the opportunity to reunite with some of his former players, as well as the prospect of bonding with yet another group of young, skilled hockey players.

Supported by a dedicated fanbase, Lavergne is very excited for what’s to come from his journey in the Pontiac and looks forward to sharing his hockey knowledge with a talented squad of players.

“The people in the Pontiac hold this team dearly to their hearts,” he said. “I find it enjoyable to jump into a project like that where there are great fans and that the people are behind the team.”

Extremely passionate about the game, with experiences at numerous levels of hockey, Lavergne believes one of his biggest coaching qualities is his ability to relate with young players and to galvanize a group.

“My goal is to bring people together,” he said. “To get a group of guys to make sacrifices, to play with pride and to play competitively. I think my passion and my leadership are going to be factors in us reaching another level.”

Along with his extensive coaching resume, Lavergne has a lot of relationships with high-caliber players all across the province and the Comets are definitely hoping to benefit from them by recruiting star talents to Fort Coulonge, Boisvert said.

Building on the progress made in the organization’s inaugural season, Lavergne will work with the same cast of assistant coaches and supporting staff set to return, Boisvert said.

An x’s and o’s type of coach with a penchant for system over skill, Lavergne should bring an element of stability to the team’s on-ice product, namely with its special teams, Boisvert said.

“He’s going to implement strategies for our power play and our [penalty kill],” he said. “A little bit of what we were missing last year. Regrouping in the neutral zone, how players position themselves on the ice.”

As someone with a genuine character and generous personality, Lavergne should fit well with the tight-knit environment that comes with small-town senior hockey, Boisvert said.

“He’s really enthusiastic about working in the community and meeting the fans,” he said. “He’s a good person.”

With Lavergne at the helm, along with a large portion of last year’s leaders coming back for another kick at the can, Comets fans should expect big things for the team’s second season.

“I think the product will improve significantly,” Boisvert said. “Things are going to go up a notch.”

The team is still on the lookout for a communications director to interview players and provide content regarding the team at Comets home games, as well as someone to help broadcast their games online, Boisvert said.

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