Ducharme, 48, was promoted to the role of interim head coach on February 24, 2021 after serving as an assistant coach for two seasons under Claude Julien. Under Ducharme, the Canadiens posted a 15-16-7 record in addition to qualifying for the playoffs.
The Joliette, QC native became the first coach since Jacques Demers in 1993 to lead the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup Final. The team initially overcame a 1-3 deficit in the first round to beat their archrivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs, in seven games before sweeping the Winnipeg Jets. The Canadiens finally secured their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final by eliminating the Vegas Golden Knights in six games in the third round, winning the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl for the first time in team history.
"Dominique has managed to set his system in place and establish himself as a head coach in a very unusual season with challenging circumstances. While our team has gone through its fair share of adversity, he has shown a lot of control over the situation as well as showing calm and great leadership. These are important qualities that we look for in a head coach and he fully deserves the chance to lead our team and take it to the next level", said Marc Bergevin.
Ducharme joined the Canadiens' coaching staff on April 27, 2018. He previously spent 10 seasons coaching in the QMJHL, including the last seven, from 2011 to 2018, as head coach with the Halifax Mooseheads (2011-16) and the Drummondville Voltigeurs (2016-18). He hoisted the President Cup and the Memorial Cup with the Halifax Mooseheads in 2012-13. That same year, Ducharme earned the CHL's Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award, while also being recognized in the QMJHL with the Ron Lapointe Trophy as the top coach in the league. Ducharme served as head coach for Canada during the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2017 (silver medal) and 2018 (gold medal).
At the international level, he was Canada's head coach at the 2017 and 2018 World Junior Championship, winning silver and gold, respectively.
In 2002-03, following a 15-year career as a player in Quebec and France, Ducharme made his coaching debut as an assistant with the UQTR Patriotes. He also coached the Joliette team in the QJAAAHL before making the jump to the QMJHL with the Montreal Junior in 2008-09.
