Desjardins to be Canucks' next coach: report

Willie Desjardins will be introduced as coach of the Vancouver Canucks next week, TSN reported Friday.

Desjardins, 57, has spent the past two seasons as coach of the Texas Stars, the Dallas Stars' American Hockey League affiliate. They won the Calder Cup this season, and Desjardins was named the AHL coach of the year in 2012-13, his first season.

In two AHL seasons he has a 91-40-21 record.

TSN's Bob McKenzie said Desjardins will meet with the Canucks in Vancouver this weekend and he will be their coach if "all goes as expected in the hiring process."

Desjardins reportedly is choosing the Canucks over the Pittsburgh Penguins. He would replace John Tortorella, who was fired May 1 after one season.

Desjardins has experience in the NHL, spending the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons as an associate coach with Dallas.

Prior to moving to professional hockey Desjardins spent 10 seasons coaching in the Western Hockey League, the final nine with the Medicine Hat Tigers. He coached Canada to a silver medal at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship.