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The Montreal Canadiens have hired Florida Panthers general manager Jacques Martin as their new coach, the team announced in a news release.
As a French-Canadian, it's a plum assignment for the former Ottawa Senators coach, who had three more years left on his contract with the Panthers.
The Canadiens have also called a news conference Monday for 2 p.m. ET to make the announcement.
Martin, 56, has been Florida GM for three seasons and coached the team for three years before stepping down last summer.
Martin, who once led Ottawa to the playoffs in eight consecutive years, was fired by the Senators in 2004 after they were ousted in the first round.
Despite being in the playoff race, the Canadiens fired former player and team captain Guy Carbonneau in March with 16 games left in the regular season.
General manager Bob Gainey took over coaching duties, before Montreal earned a playoff berth as the East's eighth seed.
The Canadiens were swept by the Boston Bruins in the first round.
After a strong start this season, the Canadiens went into a skid that began just before Montreal hosted the All-Star Game on Jan. 25. The team won only three of 15 games in the span and fell into the thick of the tight postseason race.
Last season, the Canadiens finished first in the East with a 47-25-10 record, but were bounced from the playoffs in the second round by the Philadelphia Flyers.
As a French-Canadian, it's a plum assignment for the former Ottawa Senators coach, who had three more years left on his contract with the Panthers.
The Canadiens have also called a news conference Monday for 2 p.m. ET to make the announcement.
Martin, 56, has been Florida GM for three seasons and coached the team for three years before stepping down last summer.
Martin, who once led Ottawa to the playoffs in eight consecutive years, was fired by the Senators in 2004 after they were ousted in the first round.
Despite being in the playoff race, the Canadiens fired former player and team captain Guy Carbonneau in March with 16 games left in the regular season.
General manager Bob Gainey took over coaching duties, before Montreal earned a playoff berth as the East's eighth seed.
The Canadiens were swept by the Boston Bruins in the first round.
After a strong start this season, the Canadiens went into a skid that began just before Montreal hosted the All-Star Game on Jan. 25. The team won only three of 15 games in the span and fell into the thick of the tight postseason race.
Last season, the Canadiens finished first in the East with a 47-25-10 record, but were bounced from the playoffs in the second round by the Philadelphia Flyers.
