All things considered, the Arizona Coyotes had a respectable season on the ice. They finished with 70 points in the 2022-23 season, missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, head coach Andre Tourigny once again managed to steal points that his team probably had no business earning. And it seems like Tourigny is the man who will lead the Coyotes in the next phase of their rebuild.

Arizona general manager Bill Armstrong addressed this topic with NHL.com recently. He had high praise for the work his head coach has put in during his tenure thus far.

“He's done Phase 1 very well,” Armstrong said of Tourigny, via NHL.com. “He has got the players to buy into what he's doing. He's got the players to buy into the culture and he's got the players to buy in to compete every single night here in the desert.”

This offseason saw the Coyotes make a few interesting moves in NHL Free Agency. Arizona added players to help them win now, such as Alex Kerfoot and Jason Zucker. Armstrong said this is all a part of the team entering “Phase 2” of the rebuilding process.

Tourigny, hired in 2021, is heading into a contract year. However, Armstrong and the Coyotes brass want to continue the relationship beyond 2024. In fact, there is optimism behind working out an extension with Tourigny.

“I think he's done a great job and now I believe we're going to be able to get an extension with him and move into the future, into Phase 2 with him,” Armstrong told NHL.com. “He's certainly somebody that's infused a tremendous amount of culture and belief in this organization.”

Tourigny has certainly earned respect within the Coyotes organization. Keeping him around is imperative if they want to take a step beginning next season. Let's see if the team and coach can iron out a contract extension prior to the start of the season.