Marc Bergevin's statement regarding Claude Julien

TORONTO -- Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin announced on Thursday that head coach Claude Julien experienced chest pain during the night on Wednesday and was taken to a Toronto hospital for further testing.

Read below for Bergevin's statement regarding Julien's condition.

"Good afternoon. I'm here to inform you of the reason Claude Julien was not here this morning at practice. Claude experienced chest pain during the night. We immediately consulted our doctors and it was agreed to transfer him to the hospital by ambulance. He's presently there and he's undergoing tests to determine the exact nature of his condition. This has nothing to do with COVID.

We don't expect him to be back during this series against the Flyers. Kirk [Muller], Dominique [Ducharme], and Luke [Richardson] will share the responsibility, however, Kirk is the associate head coach and he will assume the responsibility of head coach until Claude's return.

We understand that Kirk does not speak French, but these are exceptional circumstances and we're asking you for your understanding. Out of respect for Claude and his family, I will not answer any further questions about his medical condition."