Orval Tessier
Orval Roy Tessier (born June 30, 1933) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre and coach who played three seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins. Tessier played only 59 regular season games in the NHL. However, he was a solid offensive player in minor professional leagues winning two scoring titles with the EPHL's Kingston Frontenacs, voted the league's most valuable player and most sportsmanlike player in the 1961–62 season.
| Orval Tessier | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
June 30, 1933 Cornwall, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | ||
| Weight | 178 lb (81 kg; 12 st 10 lb) | ||
| Position | Center | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Portland Buckaroos Clinton Comets Quebec Aces Springfield Indians Hershey Bears | ||
| Playing career | 1951–1965 | ||
After playing, Tessier had a successful coaching career. In junior ice hockey, Tessier coached the Cornwall Royals to Memorial Cup victory in 1972. Tessier coached the 1981 Memorial Cup finalists, the Kitchener Rangers. The next season, Tessier was hired to coach the New Brunswick Hawks in the American Hockey League. He led the Hawks to a Calder Cup victory in 1982. Tessier was promoted, and named head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks, which lasted for three seasons.
Tessier may be best remembered for a quote during the 1983 Campbell Conference finals. After the Blackhawks gave up 16 goals in falling behind 2–0 to the Edmonton Oilers, Tessier fumed that Chicago players needed "heart transplants". The quip failed to inspire the Hawks, who dropped the final two games of the series at Chicago Stadium, marking the second consecutive year Chicago lost in the Campbell Conference final (both times, the opponent was presented the Clarence Campbell Bowl on Stadium ice). The Hawks would lose in the semifinals again in 1985, 1989 and 1990 before finally breaking through in 1992, although they would not win the Stanley Cup until 2010.
Tessier won the Stanley Cup in 2001 with the Colorado Avalanche while serving as a scout for the team.
Coaching record
National Hockey League
| Team | Year | Regular season | Post season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | Pts | Division rank | Result | ||
| CHI | 1982–83 | 80 | 47 | 23 | 10 | 104 | 1st in Norris | Won in division semi-finals (3-1 vs. STL) Won in division finals (4-1 vs. MIN) Lost in conference finals (0-4 vs. EDM) |
| CHI | 1983–84 | 80 | 30 | 42 | 8 | 68 | 4th in Norris | Lost in division sem-finals (2-3 vs. MIN) |
| CHI | 1984–85 | 53 | 22 | 28 | 3 | 47 | 2nd in Norris | Fired |
| Total | 213 | 99 | 93 | 21 | 219 | 1 division title | 0 Stanley Cups (9-9, 0.500) | |
American Hockey League
| Team | Year | Regular season | Post season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | Pts | Division rank | Result | ||
| NB | 1981–82 | 80 | 48 | 21 | 11 | 107 | 1st in North | Won in division semi-finals (3-2 vs. ADI) Won in division finals (4-1 vs. NS) Won Calder Cup (4-1 vs. BNG) |
| Total | 80 | 48 | 21 | 11 | 107 | 1 Calder Cup (11-4, 0.733) | ||
Junior hockey
QMJHL
| Team | Year | Regular season | Post season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | Pts | Division rank | Result | ||
| COR | 1971–72 | 62 | 47 | 13 | 2 | 96 | 1st in QMJHL | Won in quarter-finals (8-0 vs. VER) Won in semi-finals (8-2 vs. SHA) Won President's Cup (9-5 vs. QUE) Finished 2nd in round-robin at Memorial Cup (1-1) Won Memorial Cup (2-1 vs. PBO) |
| QUE | 1972–73 | 64 | 49 | 11 | 4 | 102 | 1st in QMJHL | Won in quarter-finals (4-0 vs. TR) Won in semi-finals (4-0 vs. SHE) Won President's Cup (4-3 vs. COR) Finished 2nd in round-robin at Memorial Cup (1-1) Lost Memorial Cup (1-9 vs. TOR) |
| COR | 1974–75 | 72 | 36 | 24 | 12 | 84 | 3rd in West | Lost in quarter-finals (0-4 vs. MTL) |
| COR | 1975–76 | 72 | 39 | 24 | 9 | 87 | 2nd in West | Won in quarter-finals (4-2 vs. MTL) Lost in semi-finals (0-4 vs. QUE) |
| COR | 1976–77 | 72 | 38 | 24 | 10 | 86 | 2nd in Lebel | Won in quarter-finals (8-4 vs. TR) Lost in semi-finals (1-9 vs. SHE) |
| COR | 1977–78 | 72 | 46 | 18 | 8 | 100 | 1st in Lebel | Won in quarter-finals (8-0 vs. HUL) Lost in semi-finals (2-8 vs. MTL) |
| CHI | 1978–79 | 72 | 26 | 36 | 10 | 62 | 4th in Dilio | Lost in quarter-finals (0-4 vs. SHE) |
| CHI | 1979–80 | 72 | 42 | 27 | 3 | 87 | 2nd in Dilio | Won in quarter-finals (4-3 vs. TR) Lost in semi-finals (1-4 vs. COR) |
| COR Totals | 350 | 206 | 103 | 41 | 453 | 1 President's Cup (25-23-2, 0.520) 1 Memorial Cup (2-1, 0.667) | ||
| CHI Totals | 144 | 68 | 63 | 13 | 149 | 0 President's Cups (5-11, 0.313) | ||
| QUE Totals | 64 | 49 | 11 | 4 | 102 | 1 President's Cup (12-3, 0.800) 0 Memorial Cups (1-2, 0.333) | ||
| QMJHL Totals | 558 | 323 | 177 | 58 | 704 | 2 President's Cups (42-37-2, 0.551) 1 Memorial Cup (3-3, 0.500) | ||
OHL
| Team | Year | Regular season | Post season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | Pts | Division rank | Result | ||
| KIT | 1980–81 | 68 | 34 | 33 | 1 | 69 | 1st in Emms | Won in division semi-finals (9-5 vs. NF) Won in division finals (9-1 vs. WSR) Won J. Ross Robertson Cup (9-3 vs. SSM) Finished 2nd in round-robin at Memorial Cup (2-2) Lost Memorial Cup (2-8 vs. COR) |
| COR | 1986–87 | 66 | 23 | 40 | 3 | 49 | 6th in Leyden | Lost in division quarter-finals (1-4 vs. OTT) |
| COR | 1987–88 | 66 | 35 | 24 | 7 | 77 | 3rd in Leyden | Won in division quarter-finals (4-2 vs. BEL) Lost in division semi-finals (1-4 vs. OTT) |
| COR | 1988–89 | 66 | 31 | 30 | 5 | 67 | 4th in Leyden | Won in division quarter-finals (4-2 vs. TOR) Won in division semi-finals (4-2 vs. OTT) Lost in division finals (2-4 vs. PBO) |
| COR Totals | 198 | 89 | 94 | 15 | 193 | 0 J. Ross Robertson Cups (16-18, 0.471) | ||
| KIT Totals | 68 | 34 | 33 | 1 | 69 | 1 J. Ross Robertson Cup (11-2-5, 0.750) 0 Memorial Cups (2-3, 0.400) | ||
| OHL Totals | 266 | 123 | 127 | 16 | 262 | 1 J. Ross Robertson Cup (27-20-5, 0.567) 0 Memorial Cups (2-3, 0.400) | ||
Awards and achievements
- 1961–62 - Most valuable player & Sportsmanship award (Kingston Frontenacs)
- 1982–83 - Jack Adams Award (Chicago Blackhawks)
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from Hockey-Reference.com, or Legends of Hockey, or The Internet Hockey Database
| Preceded by Tom Watt |
Winner of the Jack Adams Award 1983 |
Succeeded by Bryan Murray |
| Preceded by Bob Pulford |
Head coach of the Chicago Black Hawks 1982-85 |
Succeeded by Bob Pulford |