Serge Beausoleil is the new general manager of the Gatineau Olympiques, the team announced on Friday. He signed a five-year deal with the team based at the Slush Puppie Centre.
The 56-year-old arrives after spending the last 12 years at the helm of the Rimouski Oceanic, including the last nine as general manager and head coach. His career with the Rimouski club ended with a winning percentage of 55.8% in 783 games, punctuated by a President’s Cup in 2014-2015 and a title of general manager of the year in 2017- 2018.
The man from Quebec will therefore only have been unemployed for two months, he who had been relieved of his duties on April 24. He will be able to focus on his duties as general manager during this new term, as the team had announced that it wanted to hire a separate person to fill the position of head coach.
He replaces Louis Robitaille, dismissed on May 23 despite having reached the cecchini circuit this season. The Olympiques had however been swept away by the Quebec Remparts, eventual champions of the Gilles-Courteau Trophy and the Memorial Cup. His interim replacement, Jean-François Fortin, had resigned after only ten days and a week before the draft.
For its part, the Sherbrooke Phoenix is under reconstruction. General manager and head coach of the team Stéphane Julien, as well as assistant manager Olivier Picard, are leaving the Sherbrooke team. Julien heads to the American Hockey League (AHL), while Picard becomes GM of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.
The Phoenix did not specify Julien’s destination in the AHL, and the latter will not grant an interview until his appointment is confirmed. Rumors suggest he will join the Grand Rapids Griffins, in a role yet to be determined.
Stéphane Julien will therefore have held various positions at the Phoenix for 11 years, and will remain until the appointment of the new general manager of the club.
Picard becomes GM of the Armada while Pierre Cloutier, who has been GM since the 2018-19 season, is promoted to vice-president of hockey operations.
The Sherbrooke Phoenix Board of Directors has set up a committee to fill the positions of general manager and head coach of the team.
