Windsor Spitfires head coach to join Montreal Canadiens as assistant coach

Head coach of the Windsor Spitfires has scored big.

On Wednesday, the Montreal Canadiens named Trevor Letowski as a new assistant coach.

Letowski, 44, has been the head coach of the Ontario Hockey League's Windsor Spitfires since 2017and previously worked with the Sarnia Sting.

"It's been a whirlwind," Letowski told CBC News. "Just a few conversations and things started to escalate very quickly and here we are today, it's been a blur."

He's also represented Canada at three world junior championships as an assistant coach, helping the team take home the bronze medal in 2014 and gold in 2018.

Letowski worked with Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme at the world junior championships.

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The former seventh round draft pick spent nine seasons in the NHL between 1998 and 2008, playing 616 regular season games with the Phoenix Coyotes, Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets and the Carolina Hurricanes.

During his time in the NHL, Letowski recorded 84 goals and 117 assists.

Letowski said playing in the NHL was the dream job and this new role is a close second.

"It's very humbling just to come in and be a part of [the NHL] and everything that's happened there, all the great players and coaches that have come through [the NHL] so kind of a joltof energy has been running through me for a while, it's very exciting," he said.

Despite the opportunity, Letowski said leaving the Spitfires wasn't easy.

"It is bittersweet.I think that when I talk to people outside of Windsor they think it's kind of a no-brainer, but they don't know how it is to be a part of that organization and live in Windsor-Essex," he said.

"Me and my family had really grown to love it... it certainly wasn't as easy a decision as maybe most people would think, but at the end of the day there was just too many things pulling me there, it was something I couldn't pass up," said Letowski.

Meanwhile, the Spitfires general manager and vice-president Bill Bowler says "it's a great day" for Letowski, but that it's "sad to see such a quality coach and a leader" no longer be part of the team.

As for who and when the Spitfires head coach position will be filled, Bowler says they are hoping for "sooner rather than later," but he's unsure when exactly they'll plan to hire for the role.