The Montreal Canadiens fired former head coach Claude Julien back in February of 2021.
Since then, the ex-bench boss, who saw tenures with the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins before rejoining the Canadiens in 2017, has been out of a job.
As a recent guest on the Leafs Nation podcast, the 63-year-old admitted that taking the last few years off from hockey has done him well.
“To be honest, I really felt like I needed a break after I left Montreal,” he said. “You know, all these years coaching, from the junior to the NHL [level], I never had a full season [off]. I was never able to take a step back.”
With that said, he has not retired and would consider coming back to the NHL if an intriguing offer were to come his way.
“I’d be ready to give it another go under the right circumstances. No doubt. I feel energized again,” the Blind River, Ontario, native explained. “When I watch some of the games and some of the teams, you sit back and say ‘I think I’ve got the answer.'”
Julien certainly had the answer back in 2011 when he coached the Bruins to their first Stanley Cup since 1972. He nearly did it again in 2013, leading Boston to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in two years.
Neither of his Canadiens tenures (2002-2006, 2017-2021) were as successful, though, only making the playoffs three times and being fired mid-season on two separate occasions.
With over 1,200 NHL games under his belt, Julien remains a top candidate for teams interested in experience behind the bench. In the meantime, though, he’ll be watching the upcoming playoffs from home, waiting for another chance.
“Hopefully, teams still have my number,” he added. “Maybe I get a phone call at some point.”
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