Denny Lambert to Gatineau

By Randy Russon
February 1, 2017
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Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Major Jr. Hockey League have confirmed the appointment of Denny Lambert as associate coach to Éric Landry for the remainder of the 2016-2017 season.

Lambert is a former player, assistant coach and head coach with the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League.

He will make his debut behind the Gatineau bench on Friday against the Val d’Or Foreurs.

“We are very pleased to have an experienced coach to work with Éric Landry. After receiving several resumes for the position, Denny Lambert was the one who we felt was the best to work alongside Éric and we welcome him in our organization,” said Gatineau general manager Marcel Patenaude.

Lambert heads to Gatineau about eight months after taking a job with The Tech 1921 Ltd. — first-year owners of the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League — as director of hockey operations.

After recently leaving his employment with The Tech 1921 Ltd. — which had hired him to start a hockey academy as part of a private school that is slated to open in the fall of this year — Lambert was set to begin a new job as associate coach with the Texas-based Allen Americans of the minor-pro East Coast Hockey League when the Gatineau position opened up.

“It happened very quick,” Lambert told HockeyNewsNorth.com about taking the associate coach job with Gatineau. “I am excited about this coaching opportunity.

“Having said that, there is a lot of work to be done in a short period of time as we chase a playoff spot,” Lambert added. “As coaches, Eric (Landry) and I have to get things going fast. We’re in a tight race for a playoff spot.”

The aforementioned Landry was recently promoted from associate coach to head coach of the Olympiques following the firing of Mario Duhamel.

Gatineau is in 15th-place overall in what is a rather-balanced, hotly-contested, 18-team QMJHL.

Going to Gatineau puts Lambert back in the major junior coaching loop.

Lambert spent the majority of his life in the sport including 11 years as a player, assistant coach and head coach with the OHL Greyhounds mixed between an improbable career in the National Hockey League as a relentless winger who stuck it out to skate in more than 500 games.

As an example of his character, desire and fortitude, the 47-year old Lambert was never drafted into the OHL or the NHL.

Originally from Wawa, Ont., Lambert has long maintained a residence in Sault Ste. Marie with his wife and their two sons.

Being in Gatineau has Lambert back in familiar hockey territory as the Quebec town is located on the bank of the Ottawa River, minutes from the nation’s capital in Ottawa, Ont.

Among the many stops Lambert made as an NHL journeyman was with the Ottawa Senators. Lambert played two seasons with the Senators under former coach Jacques Martin from 1996 to 1998.

“I loved my time in Ottawa and it’s right next door to Gatineau,” Lambert noted.

Lambert’s return to the major junior coaching ranks comes about six years after he parted ways with the Greyhounds in the latter portion of the 2010-2011 OHL season.

In all, Lambert coached the Greyhounds over a period of eight seasons, five of which were as an assistant coach.

After being let go by the Greyhounds, Lambert spent a season with the Batchewana Attack of the now-defunct, junior-level Canadian International Hockey League and led the team to the championship.