Orval Tessier

Orval Roy Tessier (June 30, 1933 – August 25, 2022) was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and coach who played parts of three seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins between 1954 and 1960, appearing in a total of 59 regular season games. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1953 to 1965, was spent in the minor leagues, where he was a solid offensive player. He won two scoring titles with the Eastern Professional Hockey League's Kingston Frontenacs, and was voted the league's most valuable player and most sportsmanlike player in the 1961–62 season.

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. In 1983 Tessier won the Jack Adams Award as the best coach in the NHL.

During the 1983 Campbell Conference Final, Tessier was quoted as saying that the Blackhawks players needed "heart transplants" after giving up 16 goals in the first two games of the series against the Edmonton Oilers, and trailing in the series 2 games to 0. 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.

Tessier won the Stanley Cup in 2001 with the Colorado Avalanche while serving as a scout for the team. He died on August 25, 2022, in his hometown of Cornwall, Ontario.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1951–52 Kitchener Greenshirts OHA 52 62 25 87 18 4 3 1 4 8 1952–53 Kitchener Greenshirts OHA 55 54 40 94 19 15 7 13 20 12 1952–53 Barrie Flyers M-Cup — — — — — 10 10 18 28 14 1953–54 Montreal Royals QHL 60 21 18 39 13 9 2 1 3 6 1954–55 Montreal Canadiens NHL 4 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1954–55 Montreal Royals QHL 60 36 30 66 8 12 4 7 11 0 1955–56 Boston Bruins NHL 23 2 3 5 6 — — — — — 1955–56 Hershey Bears AHL 2 0 1 1 0 — — — — — 1955–56 Quebec Aces QHL 28 5 10 15 4 7 1 2 3 2 1956–57 Quebec Aces QHL 68 43 38 81 24 10 7 5 12 0 1957–58 Springfield Indians AHL 12 5 3 8 2 — — — — — 1958–59 Trois-Rivières Lions QHL 62 27 39 66 4 8 2 3 5 9 1959–60 Kingston Frontenacs EPHL 70 59 67 126 10 — — — — — 1960–61 Boston Bruins NHL 32 3 4 7 0 — — — — — 1960–61 Kingston Frontenacs EPHL 34 22 21 43 6 5 4 2 6 0 1961–62 Kingston Frontenacs EPHL 66 54 60 114 12 11 5 9 14 0 1962–63 Portland Buckaroos WHL 36 15 21 36 9 7 0 0 0 0 1963–64 Portland Buckaroos WHL 66 14 34 48 4 5 1 2 3 0 1964–65 Clinton Comets EHL 66 60 58 118 42 11 2 7 9 0 QHL totals 278 132 135 267 53 46 16 18 34 17 NHL totals 59 5 7 12 6 — — — — —

Coaching record National Hockey League Team Year Regular season Postseason G W L T Pts Division rank ResultCHI1982–83804723101041st in NorrisWon in division semi-finals (3-1 vs. STL) Won in division finals (4-1 vs. MIN) Lost in Conference Final (0-4 vs. EDM)CHI1983–848030428684th in NorrisLost in division sem-finals (2-3 vs. MIN)5322283472nd in NorrisFired532228347second in NorrisFiredTotal 2139993212191 division title0 Stanley Cups (9-9, 0.500)

American Hockey League Team Year Regular season Postseason G W L T Pts Division rank ResultNB1981–82804821111071st in NorthWon in division semi-finals (3-2 vs. ADI) Won in division finals (4-1 vs. NS) Won Calder Cup (4-1 vs. BNG)Total 804821111071 Calder Cup (11-4, 0.733)

Junior hockey QMJHL Team Year Regular season Postseason G W L T Pts Division rank ResultCOR1971–726247132961st in QMJHLWon 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)QUE1972–7364491141021st in QMJHLWon 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)COR1974–7572362412843rd in WestLost in quarter-finals (0-4 vs. MTL)COR1975–767239249872nd in WestWon in quarter-finals (4-2 vs. MTL) Lost in semi-finals (0-4 vs. QUE)COR1976–7772382410862nd in LebelWon in quarter-finals (8-4 vs. TR) Lost in semi-finals (1-9 vs. SHE)COR1977–7872461881001st in LebelWon in quarter-finals (8-0 vs. HUL) Lost in semi-finals (2-8 vs. MTL)CHI1978–7972263610624th in DilioLost in quarter-finals (0-4 vs. SHE)CHI1979–807242273872nd in DilioWon in quarter-finals (4-3 vs. TR) Lost in semi-finals (1-4 vs. COR)COR Totals 350206103414531 President's Cup (25-23-2, 0.520) 1 Memorial Cup (2-1, 0.667)CHI Totals 1446863131490 President's Cups (5-11, 0.313)QUE Totals 64491141021 President's Cup (12-3, 0.800) 0 Memorial Cups (1-2, 0.333)QMJHL Totals 558323177587042 President's Cups (42-37-2, 0.551) 1 Memorial Cup (3-3, 0.500)

OHL Team Year Regular season Postseason G W L T Pts Division rank ResultKIT1980–816834331691st in EmmsWon 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)COR1986–876623403496th in LeydenLost in division quarter-finals (1-4 vs. OTT)COR1987–886635247773rd in LeydenWon in division quarter-finals (4-2 vs. BEL) Lost in division semi-finals (1-4 vs. OTT)COR1988–896631305674th in LeydenWon 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 1988994151930 J. Ross Robertson Cups (16-18, 0.471)KIT Totals 6834331691 J. Ross Robertson Cup (11-2-5, 0.750) 0 Memorial Cups (2-3, 0.400)OHL Totals 266123127162621 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)