After serving just two seasons under the watchful eye of St. Louis Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock, Kirk Muller is headed back to Quebec as he will take on his previous position with a familiar organization after having re-joined the Montreal Canadiens as an associate coach, according to a club announcement on Thursday evening.
Looking back on the past, Muller is a former team captain of the club and later joined head coach Michel Therrien after four years of playing in Montreal. This lasted several years dating back to its start in 2006. Following his exit in 2011, Muller joined the Carolina Hurricanes AHL affiliate where he spent just one season before being brought aboard in Missouri.
It is said that the Blues reportedly offered all members of the coaching staff contract extensions, however, the 50-year-old Ontario native decided to find himself a spot of which would bring him comfort and hope after a not so good 2015 season on the bench which ended in disappointment as the club was eliminated by the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Finals.
As noted by CBC.ca, one of many key skills offered by Muller includes handling special teams at crucial times of play which seems to be much easier said than done with his presence back in the building and a coaching style of which has been more developed.
In a statement from GM Marc Bergiven later in the day, he said, "We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Kirk Muller, and are extremely happy about his desire to return to the Canadiens’ organization."
"Kirk brings a great deal of experience, determination and leadership, and I have no doubt that these qualities will be essential for our coaching staff."
Looking at his NHL career prior to his first stint in Montreal, Muller played 19 seasons before hanging up the skates in 2003 which included him having stuck around with the Canadiens from 1991-1995. He was part of the Stanley Cup winners in 1993 and was named as captain the following season.
Looking at his career statistics, Muller walked away with a total 357 goals and 602 assists in 1,349 regular season games played.
Therrien later had an oppurtunity to speak with the local media where he said that none of his staff members will be let go of, however, responsibilities could change and are subject to do so in the near future.