Prior to his coaching career, Therrien played professionally for three years as a defenceman in the American Hockey League (AHL), compiling a total of 86 points in 206 games and winning the Calder Cup in 1985 with the Sherbrooke Canadiens, on the same team as eventual Hockey Hall of Famer Patrick Roy.

[5] In 2000, after stumbling out to a 5–13–2 record, the Montreal Canadiens fired head coach Alain Vigneault and hired rookie Michel Therrien.

In his first full season as the Canadiens head coach, Michel led the Habs to an impressive record of 36–31–15, a 16-point improvement from the previous year.

In the 2002 playoffs, Therrien's Canadiens upset the top-seeded Boston Bruins in six games before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes.

After leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to a franchise-record start (21–1–2–1) in the 2005–06 season, Therrien was promoted by Pittsburgh on December 15, 2005, as a mid-season replacement for Ed Olczyk.

They then defeated the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers each in five games to win the 2008 Eastern Conference Championship and the Prince of Wales Trophy.

The Pens eventually lost in the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals to the Detroit Red Wings in six games, finishing the playoffs with a 14–6 record.

[7] The next season, the Penguins shot out to one of the best starts in franchise history, only to slow down considerably heading into December.

On June 5, 2012, Montreal Canadiens executive vice president and general manager Marc Bergevin announced the appointment of Michel Therrien as the club’s new head coach.