MONTREAL — Dominique Ducharme has been officially named the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens after leading the club on an electric playoff run all the way to the Stanley Cup final.

The Canadiens have announced that Ducharme has agreed to a three-year contract extension through the 2023-24 season.

The 48-year-old was promoted to the role of interim head coach on Feb. 24 after the struggling Canadiens fired former head coach Claude Julien.

While the Habs were the lowest-ranked team to qualify for the playoffs, they caught fire in the post-season.

Montreal came from 3-1 down to beat the favoured Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round, then swept Winnipeg in the North Division final.

They then knocked off the Vegas Golden Knights in six games in the semifinal before losing in five to defending champion Tampa Bay in the Cup final. 

Ducharme joined the Canadiens' coaching staff on April 27, 2018. The native of Joliette, Que., previously spent 10 seasons coaching in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2021.

The Canadian Press