Maurice Filion (February 12, 1932 – July 28, 2017) was a Canadian ice hockey coach and general manager.[1] He served as general manager for the Quebec Nordiques throughout most of their time in the World Hockey Association (WHA), and briefly served as coach on three separate occasions. His tenure as general manager ended in 1988 when he was promoted to an executive role and was replaced by Martin Madden, but served as interim general manager for a few months in 1990 when Madden was fired.
Maurice Filion | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 12, 1932 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | July 28, 2017 (aged 85) |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | Former general manager of the Quebec Nordiques |
Career edit
Filion spent two successful seasons at the helm of the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. During his rookie campaign, he won the Memorial Cup with a team led by numerous future NHL stars, including Guy Lafleur. His squad earned another Memorial Cup appearance the following season but lost in the finals.[2]
Filion was hired by the Quebec Nordiques during their inaugural season in 1972-73. He was initially slated to serve as director of scouting but, after legendary former NHL star and initial Quebec head coach Maurice Richard resigned due to health problems, Fillion took over as head coach. The interim tag was removed after a successful 5-2 start to his WHA career. After the season, Filion moved to a role as the team's general manager.[3]
Filion served as the team's GM until 1988, when he was replaced by Martin Madden; Filion then moved to the role of vice president of hockey operations, but he returned as GM in an interim capacity in 1990. He also served as head coach during the 1977-78 WHA season and 1980–81 NHL season.[4][5] Six games into the 1980–81 season, with the Nordiques having won one game, lost three and tied two, Filion resigned as coach and gave the position to his newly hired assistant coach, Michel Bergeron.[6]
Coaching record edit
Professional hockey edit
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | Finish | Result | ||
| QUE | 1972–73 | 76 | 32 | 39 | 5 | — | 69 | 5th in East | Missed playoffs |
| QUE | 1977–78 | 21 | 13 | 7 | 1 | — | (83) | 4th in WHA | Won in quarter-finals (4-2 vs. HOU) Lost in semi-finals (1-4 vs. NE) |
| QUE | 1980–81 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | (78) | 4th in Adams | Missed playoffs |
| NHL Totals | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | 4 | 0 Stanley Cups (0-0, 0.000) | ||
| WHA Totals | 97 | 45 | 46 | 6 | — | 96 | 0 Avco Cups (5-6, 0.455) | ||
Junior hockey edit
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | Finish | Result | ||
| QUE | 1970–71 | 62 | 54 | 7 | 1 | — | 109 | 1st in QMJHL | Won in quarter-finals (9-1 vs. VER) Won in semi-finals (8-0 vs. TR) Won President's Cup (8-2 vs. SHA) Won in Memorial Cup semi-finals (3-2 vs. STC) Won Memorial Cup (2-0 vs. EDM) |
| QUE | 1971–72 | 62 | 39 | 21 | 2 | — | 80 | 3rd in QMJHL | Won in quarter-finals (8-0 vs. SHE) Won in semi-finals (8-0 vs. DRU) Lost President's Cup finals (5-8 vs. COR) |
| QMJHL Totals | 124 | 93 | 28 | 3 | — | 189 | 1 Jean Rougeau Trophy | 1 President's Cup (22-5-2, 0.793) 1 Memorial Cup (5-2, 0.714) | |
References edit
- ^ "'Big part of the Nordiques' history,' GM Maurice Filion has died". Montreal Gazette. July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
- ^ "Maurice Filion hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com.
- ^ "The Montreal Gazette - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
- ^ "The Montreal Gazette - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
- ^ "The Times-News - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
- ^ "Bergeron named Nordiques' coach after Filion resigns". The Gazette. Montreal. October 21, 1980. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
External links edit
- Biographical information and career statistics from The Internet Hockey Database
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