Canadiens head coach Claude Julien hospitalized with chest pains, will miss remainder of first-round series

Watch Now: Highlights: Canadiens vs. Flyers (1:23)

Montreal Canadiens head coach Claude Julien was rushed to the hospital due to chest pains following Wednesday’s Game 1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. According to an announcement from Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin, Julien is currently under observation at a hospital outside of the NHL bubble and the issue isn’t related to COVID-19.

Montreal has yet to provide any specifics regarding Julien’s ailment, but Bergevin did announce that Julien will miss the remainder of Montreal’s opening-round series against the Flyers. Associate coach Kirk Muller will take over the head coaching duties while Julien is away from the team.

“Claude experienced chest pain during the night,” Bergevin said in a statement. “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.”

The Canadiens dropped a 2-1 decision to the Flyers in Game 1 with the lone Montreal tally being a goal from defenseman Shea Weber. Montreal advanced to the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs following an upset series win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the qualifying round.

While Julien will miss the rest of the series against Philadelphia, Bergevin is still very confident in his players to get the job done.

“We beat the Pittsburgh Penguins,” Bergevin said. “It’s not the coaches that beat them. It’s the players.” 

It’s a significant loss and certainly a distressing bit of news, but Bergevin does not it expect Julien’s absence to derail the Habs’ postseason run, saying this: