Jacques Demers
{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{for|the Canadian weightlifter|Jacques Demers (weightlifter)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox ice hockey biography
| name = {{br entries|{{pre-nominal styles|pre-noms=The Honourable}}|Jacques Demers}}
| image = Jacques Demers (cropped1).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Demers in 2008
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1944|08|25|df=y}}
| birth_place = Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| coached_for = Indianapolis Racers
Cincinnati Stingers
Quebec Nordiques
St. Louis Blues
Detroit Red Wings
Montreal Canadiens
Tampa Bay Lightning
Fredericton Express
| ntl_team = Canada
| career_start_coach = 1975
| career_end_coach = 1999
| module=
{{Infobox officeholder|embed=yes
| image =
| office = Senator for Rigaud, Quebec
| nominator = Stephen Harper
| appointed = Michaëlle Jean
| predecessor = Yoine Goldstein
| successor =
| term_start = 27 August 2009
| term_end = 25 August 2019
| spouse = Deborah Anderson{{Cite news | url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2009/08/27/harper_appoints_9_to_senate.html | title=Harper appoints 9 to Senate | newspaper=The Toronto Star | date=27 August 2009 }}
| party = Independent Senators Group
| otherparty = Conservative (2009–2015)
| relations =
| children = 4
}}
}}
Jacques Demers (born 25 August 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 27 August 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{{cite web |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/ex-coach-tory-insiders-among-new-senators-1.429143 |title=Jacques Demers to be among Senate appointees|date=27 August 2009|publisher=CTV|access-date=27 August 2009}} until December 2015 when he resigned from the Conservative caucus in order to sit as an Independent.{{cite web| url = http://globalnews.ca/news/2377803/senator-jacques-demers-resigns-from-conservative-caucus-becomes-independent-senator/| title = Senator Jacques Demers resigns from Conservative caucus, becomes independent Senator {{!}} Globalnews.ca}} On his 75th birthday on 25 August 2019, he left his position as Senator.
WHA
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.{{cite book|title= The Rebel League: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association|last= Willes|first= Ed|year= 2004|publisher= McClelland & Stewart|location= Toronto|isbn= 0-7710-8947-3|oclc= 55104983|page= [https://archive.org/details/rebelleagueshort0000will/page/221 221]|url-access= registration|url= https://archive.org/details/rebelleagueshort0000will/page/221}} In Game One, the line scored seven points as the WHA All-Stars won by a score of 4–2. In Game Two, Gretzky and Mark Howe each scored a goal and Gordie Howe picked up an assist as the WHA won 4–2. The line did not score in the final game, but the WHA won by a score of 4–3.
NHL
While in the NHL, he coached the Quebec Nordiques, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings,{{Cite web |last=Klein |first=Rob |date=21 May 2023 |title=Revisiting the Red Wings Era Under Jacques Demers |url=https://thehockeywriters.com/revisiting-red-wings-jacques-demers-era/ |access-date=30 January 2024 |website=The Hockey Writers |language=en-us}}{{Cite web |last=Shook |first=Richard L. |date=14 June 1986 |title=Jacques Demers believes in the impossible -- which makes... - UPI Archives |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/06/14/Jacques-Demers-believes-in-the-impossible-which-makes/7754519105600/ |access-date=30 January 2024 |website=UPI |language=en}} Montreal Canadiens,{{Cite web |title=Demers named Canadiens' coach - UPI Archives |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1992/06/11/Demers-named-Canadiens-coach/6283708235200/ |access-date=30 January 2024 |website=UPI |language=en}} and Tampa Bay Lightning.
With the Red Wings, he led them to their first Conference Finals appearance since 1966, doing so in each of his first two seasons. He won the Jack Adams Awards as NHL Coach of the Year for both 1987 and 1988, becoming the first (and so far only) person to win the award in consecutive years.{{Cite news |date=9 June 1988 |title=N.H.L.; Lemieux Named League M.V.P. (Published 1988) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/09/sports/nhl-lemieux-named-league-mvp.html |access-date=30 January 2024 |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Lapointe |first=Joe |date=19 December 1988 |title=Red Wings' Coach Sees Himself as Friend and Teacher (Published 1988) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/19/sports/red-wings-coach-sees-himself-as-friend-and-teacher.html |access-date=30 January 2024 |language=en}} He was also responsible for naming longtime Red Wing Steve Yzerman as team captain.{{Cite web |title=Yzerman's captaincy is a credit to Demers |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/06/16/yzerman-s-captaincy-is-a-credit-to-demers/ |access-date=30 January 2024 |website=Tampa Bay Times |language=en}} The team became fractured after teammates broke curfew prior to a Game 5 loss in the Conference Final in 1988, and the Red Wings fired Demers two years later.
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.{{Cite web |date=2 May 1995 |title=RARE ABSENTEE: MONTREAL MISSES NHL PLAYOFFS |url=https://www.deseret.com/1995/5/2/19173012/rare-absentee-montreal-misses-nhl-playoffs |access-date=30 January 2024 |website=Deseret News |language=en}} After an 0–5 start to the 1995–96 season, Demers was fired.{{Cite news |title=CANADIENS CLEAN HOUSE: COACH, GM ARE FIRED |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1995/10/18/canadiens-clean-house-coach-gm-are-fired/945c492d-61a2-4006-9050-722f6f6c903b/ |access-date=30 January 2024 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}{{Cite web |date=18 October 1995 |title=After Losing First Four, Canadiens Clean House : NHL: Demers, Savard are dismissed because of last season's poor finish and this one's start. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-10-18-sp-58204-story.html |access-date=30 January 2024 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}
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.{{Cite web |title=Lightning fire Demers; name Ludzik coach - UPI Archives |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1999/07/14/Lightning-fire-Demers-name-Ludzik-coach/1479931924800/ |access-date=30 January 2024 |website=UPI |language=en}}
In 2007, he was named the 100th most influential personality in hockey by The Hockey News.
In 1,317 games coached professionally (WHA/NHL), he went 553-612-152 and went to the postseason eleven times.
Coaching record
=NHL=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | ||||||
| rowspan="2"|Team | rowspan="2"|Year | colspan="6"|Regular season | colspan="1"|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) | ||||||
| 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) | ||||||
| DET||1986–87
|80||34||36||10||78||2nd in Norris||Won in division semi-finals (4-0 vs. CHI) | ||||||
| DET||1987–88
|80||41||28||11||93||1st in Norris||Won in division semi-finals (4-2 vs. TOR) | ||||||
| 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) | ||||||
| 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 | ||||||
| colspan="2"|Total ||1006||409||467||130||954 ||3 division titles || 1 Stanley Cup (55-43, 0.561) |
=WHA=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | ||||||
| rowspan="2"|Team | rowspan="2"|Year | colspan="6"|Regular season | colspan="1"|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) | ||||||
| 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) | ||||||
| colspan="2"|Total ||311||144||145||22||310 ||1 division title || 0 Avco Cups (8-12, 0.400) |
=AHL=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | ||||||
| rowspan="2"|Team | rowspan="2"|Year | colspan="6"|Regular season | colspan="1"|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) | ||||||
| colspan="2"|Total ||160||65||82||13||143 ||1 division title || 0 Calder Cups (6-6, 0.500) |
Literacy struggles
On 2 November 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.[https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=2212397 Former NHL coach Demers admits he's illiterate]. ESPN, 2 November 2005.
Political career
On 28 August 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."{{cite book |title= CBC Radio One. Ottawa Morning|date= 28 August 2009}}
Demers served in the Senate until reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75 on 25 August 2019.
Health
On 5 July 2010, Demers was reported to be in stable condition after undergoing two emergency surgeries.{{cite news | url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/senator-jacques-demers-in-hospital-1.903258 | title = Senator Jacques Demers in hospital | date = 5 July 2010 | access-date = 12 July 2010 | publisher=CBC News }}
Demers was hospitalized after experiencing a stroke in April 2016. He remained in stable condition in a Montreal hospital.{{cite web| url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/jacques-demers-stroke-1.3524608| title = Jacques Demers, Quebec senator and ex-NHL coach, hospitalized after stroke {{!}} CBC News}}
In October 2016, Demers was hospitalized for a serious infection.{{cite web| url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/jacques-demers-hospital-1.3817501| title = Ex-Habs coach Jacques Demers in stable condition after infection, wife says {{!}} CBC News}}
Since his 2016 stroke, he has been living with aphasia.{{Cite web | url=https://www.journaldequebec.com/2020/02/19/quand-un-drame-comme-ca-arrive-on-nest-pas-prepare-a-ca-confie-le-frere-de-jacques-demers | title=Aphasie: «on n'est pas préparé à ça», confie le frère de Jacques Demers }}
Honours
- In 2010, he was elected as an inaugural inductee into the World Hockey Association Hall of Fame in the coaching category.{{Cite web |url=http://www.whahof.com/hofmembers.html |title=WHA Hall of Fame Members |access-date=14 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115092143/http://whahof.com/hofmembers.html |archive-date=15 January 2019 |url-status=dead }}
- In 2014, Demers was named the Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of the Canadian Grenadier Guards, a Montreal-based, Canadian Army Primary Reserve infantry unit.[http://www.army-armee.forces.gc.ca/fr/honoraires/honaraires-current.page Canadian Armed Forces Honoraries]
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{icehockeystats}}
- {{Canadian Parliament links|ID=17411}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324114248/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051102/jacquesdemers_illiteracyadmission_20051102/20051102?hub=TopStories Former NHL coach admits illiteracy – CTV News]
{{s-start}}
{{succession box | before = Maurice Filion | title = Head coach of the Quebec Nordiques | years = 1978–80 | after = Maurice Filion}}
{{succession box | before = Barclay Plager | title = Head coach of the St. Louis Blues | years = 1983–86 | after = Jacques Martin}}
{{succession box | before = Brad Park | title = Head coach of the Detroit Red Wings | years = 1986–90 | after = Bryan Murray}}
{{succession box | before = Pat Burns | title = Head coach of the Montreal Canadiens | years = 1992–95 | after = Mario Tremblay}}
{{succession box | before = Rick Paterson | title = Head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning | years = 1997–99 | after = Steve Ludzik}}
{{succession box | before = Phil Esposito | title = General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning | years = 1998–99 | after = Rick Dudley}}
{{s-end}}
{{NHL on RDS}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Demers, Jacques}}
Category:21st-century members of the Senate of Canada
Category:Canadian ice hockey coaches
Category:Canadian senators from Quebec
Category:Canadian sportsperson-politicians
Category:Conservative Party of Canada senators
Category:Detroit Red Wings coaches
Category:Ice hockey people from Montreal
Category:Independent Canadian senators
Category:Indianapolis Racers coaches
Category:Jack Adams Award winners
Category:Montreal Canadiens coaches
Category:National Hockey League broadcasters
Category:Politicians from Montreal
Category:Quebec Nordiques announcers
Category:Quebec Nordiques coaches
Category:St. Louis Blues coaches
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:Stanley Cup championship–winning head coaches