The Trois-Rivieres Lions have announced that they have hired Luc-Olivier Blain as the team’s assistant coach. Blain will replace Mathieu Brodeur, who stepped down earlier this Summer. The 34-year-old Longueuil, Quebec native has had prior experience in the Montreal Canadiens system as he spent three seasons with their ECHL affiliate, the Brampton Beast, where he put up 26 goals and 54 assists for 80 points in 174 games; he would also play in 14 games at the AHL level with the St.John’s IceCaps/Laval Rocket where he put up two goals and two assists for four points. This will be Blain’s first time in a coaching role.
Prior to joining the Canadiens organization, Blain spent three seasons at the University of Ottawa, where he scored 29 goals and added 81 assists for 110 points in 77 games and led the team in points in each of his first two years. He won Rookie of the Year in 2011, where he scored 16 goals and added 36 assists for 52 points in 28 games. Blain would then spend parts of three seasons playing overseas, beginning in Australia for 21 games at the end of the 2012-13 season, where he put up eight goals and 17 assists for 25 points. He would then spend the next two seasons playing in France with Anglet, where he put up 35 goals and 66 assists for 101 points in 69 games and led the league in assists (30) and points (47) during the 2014-15 season.
Trois-Rivieres has yet to announce an extension for their head coach, Ron Choules, who just finished his first year as the team’s Head Coach/GM.
