Orval Tessier

Orval Roy Tessier (born June 30, 1933) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre and coach who played three seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins. Tessier played only 59 regular season games in the NHL. However, he was a solid offensive player in minor professional leagues winning two scoring titles with the EPHL's Kingston Frontenacs, voted the league's most valuable player and most sportsmanlike player in the 1961–62 season.

Orval Tessier
Born	June 30, 1933 Cornwall, Ontario, Canada
Height	5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight	178 lb (81 kg; 12 st 10 lb)
Position	Center
Shot	Left
Played for	Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Portland Buckaroos Clinton Comets Quebec Aces Springfield Indians Hershey Bears
Playing career	1951–1965

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.

Tessier may be best remembered for a quote during the 1983 Campbell Conference finals. After the Blackhawks gave up 16 goals in falling behind 2–0 to the Edmonton Oilers, Tessier fumed that Chicago players needed "heart transplants". 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 (both times, the opponent was presented the Clarence Campbell Bowl on Stadium ice). The Hawks would lose in the semifinals again in 1985, 1989 and 1990 before finally breaking through in 1992, although they would not win the Stanley Cup until 2010.

Tessier won the Stanley Cup in 2001 with the Colorado Avalanche while serving as a scout for the team.

Coaching record

National Hockey League

Team	Year	Regular season						Post season
		G	W	L	T	Pts	Division rank	Result
CHI	1982–83	80	47	23	10	104	1st in Norris	Won in division semi-finals (3-1 vs. STL) Won in division finals (4-1 vs. MIN) Lost in conference finals (0-4 vs. EDM)
CHI	1983–84	80	30	42	8	68	4th in Norris	Lost in division sem-finals (2-3 vs. MIN)
CHI	1984–85	53	22	28	3	47	2nd in Norris	Fired
Total		213	99	93	21	219	1 division title	0 Stanley Cups (9-9, 0.500)

American Hockey League

Team	Year	Regular season						Post season
		G	W	L	T	Pts	Division rank	Result
NB	1981–82	80	48	21	11	107	1st in North	Won in division semi-finals (3-2 vs. ADI) Won in division finals (4-1 vs. NS) Won Calder Cup (4-1 vs. BNG)
Total		80	48	21	11	107		1 Calder Cup (11-4, 0.733)

QMJHL

Team	Year	Regular season						Post season
		G	W	L	T	Pts	Division rank	Result
COR	1971–72	62	47	13	2	96	1st in QMJHL	Won 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)
QUE	1972–73	64	49	11	4	102	1st in QMJHL	Won 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)
COR	1974–75	72	36	24	12	84	3rd in West	Lost in quarter-finals (0-4 vs. MTL)
COR	1975–76	72	39	24	9	87	2nd in West	Won in quarter-finals (4-2 vs. MTL) Lost in semi-finals (0-4 vs. QUE)
COR	1976–77	72	38	24	10	86	2nd in Lebel	Won in quarter-finals (8-4 vs. TR) Lost in semi-finals (1-9 vs. SHE)
COR	1977–78	72	46	18	8	100	1st in Lebel	Won in quarter-finals (8-0 vs. HUL) Lost in semi-finals (2-8 vs. MTL)
CHI	1978–79	72	26	36	10	62	4th in Dilio	Lost in quarter-finals (0-4 vs. SHE)
CHI	1979–80	72	42	27	3	87	2nd in Dilio	Won in quarter-finals (4-3 vs. TR) Lost in semi-finals (1-4 vs. COR)
COR Totals		350	206	103	41	453		1 President's Cup (25-23-2, 0.520) 1 Memorial Cup (2-1, 0.667)
CHI Totals		144	68	63	13	149		0 President's Cups (5-11, 0.313)
QUE Totals		64	49	11	4	102		1 President's Cup (12-3, 0.800) 0 Memorial Cups (1-2, 0.333)
QMJHL Totals		558	323	177	58	704		2 President's Cups (42-37-2, 0.551) 1 Memorial Cup (3-3, 0.500)

OHL

Team	Year	Regular season						Post season
		G	W	L	T	Pts	Division rank	Result
KIT	1980–81	68	34	33	1	69	1st in Emms	Won 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)
COR	1986–87	66	23	40	3	49	6th in Leyden	Lost in division quarter-finals (1-4 vs. OTT)
COR	1987–88	66	35	24	7	77	3rd in Leyden	Won in division quarter-finals (4-2 vs. BEL) Lost in division semi-finals (1-4 vs. OTT)
COR	1988–89	66	31	30	5	67	4th in Leyden	Won 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		198	89	94	15	193		0 J. Ross Robertson Cups (16-18, 0.471)
KIT Totals		68	34	33	1	69		1 J. Ross Robertson Cup (11-2-5, 0.750) 0 Memorial Cups (2-3, 0.400)
OHL Totals		266	123	127	16	262		1 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)

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from Hockey-Reference.com, or Legends of Hockey, or The Internet Hockey Database