Jean-François Houle (born January 14, 1975) is a Canadian former ice hockey player and current professional coach. He is presently the head coach of the Clarkson Golden Knights, a team competing in the ECAC Hockey conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Collegiate career Houle attended Clarkson University, where he competed at the NCAA Division I level as a member of the Clarkson Golden Knights men's ice hockey team. During his time there, he developed his skills and gained valuable experience, which led to his selection by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1993 NHL entry draft. He was picked in the fourth round as the 99th overall choice.
Coaching career In 2002, after concluding a five-year professional playing career, Houle returned to the Clarkson Golden Knights to serve as an assistant coach. In 2010, he became the head coach of the Lewiston MAINEiacs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and the following season, he took on the same role with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.
Houle served as the head coach of the Bakersfield Condors in their final season in the ECHL. Following that, he was hired by the Edmonton Oilers as an assistant coach for their relocated AHL affiliate, which became the Bakersfield Condors in 2015. He held that position until 2021, when he transitioned to the Laval Rocket.
Personal life Houle is the son of Réjean Houle, a notable figure in hockey who spent many years as a forward with the Montreal Canadiens before transitioning into a leadership role as the team's general manager.
Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1993–94 Clarkson University ECAC 34 6 19 25 20 — — — — — 1994–95 Clarkson University ECAC 34 8 11 19 42 — — — — — 1995–96 Clarkson University ECAC 38 14 14 28 46 — — — — — 1996–97 Clarkson University ECAC 37 21 37 58 40 — — — — — 1997–98 New Orleans Brass ECHL 53 25 37 62 119 4 1 1 2 16 1997–98 Fredericton Canadiens AHL 7 1 0 1 8 — — — — — 1998–99 Fredericton Canadiens AHL 62 7 22 29 101 12 1 7 8 10 1999–00 Cincinnati Mighty Ducks AHL 3 0 0 0 2 — — — — — 1999–00 Tallahassee Tiger Sharks ECHL 55 18 30 48 71 — — — — — 2000–01 Tallahassee Tiger Sharks ECHL 56 12 34 46 92 — — — — — 2001–02 New Orleans Brass ECHL 52 21 25 46 106 1 0 0 0 0 AHL totals 72 8 22 30 111 12 1 7 8 10 ECHL totals 216 76 126 202 388 5 1 1 2 16 NCAA totals 143 49 81 130 148 — — — — —
Head coaching record
Awards and honours Award Year RefCollege All-ECAC Hockey Rookie Team 1994 ECAC Hockey All-Tournament Team 1997 QMJHL Ron Lapointe Trophy - QMJHL Coach of the Year 2012
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