OTTAWA, Ontario — Former Lightning coach and current Canadian Senator Jacques Demers was home Sunday a day after being hospitalized in Montreal, his Senate office said.
The office didn't provide details about why he was hospitalized. Reports said Saturday that Demers, 72, had suffered a second stroke this year.
Demers also had a stroke in April. His recovery had progressed to the point that he was able to make public appearances in a wheelchair. He took part in a ceremony Tuesday for the Canadiens' home opener at the Bell Centre. Demers, who coached the Canadiens to their most recent Stanley Cup in 1993, smiled as he handed a ceremonial torch to captain Max Pacioretty.
Demers coached the Lightning from 1997-99 and also coached Quebec, Detroit and St. Louis in his 20-year NHL career. He was named to Canada's Senate in 2009 by then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and sits as an Independent.