Photo: NHL.com
Former Washington Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau is reportedly set to be behind the Vancouver Canucks bench for the final time on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers (10 PM ET, ESPN+), according to The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. The team’s 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday was their ninth in regulation over their last 11 games.
In the “worst kept secrets” department: All signs point to tonight being Bruce Boudreau’s last game as #Canucks head coach.
A Monday press conference to officially announce the coaching change is expected, with Rick Tocchet (who arrives in Van this wknd) set to take over.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) January 21, 2023
After getting hired on December 4, 2021 and leading Vancouver to a 32-15-10 for the rest of the season, Boudreau was extended for two seasons last May.
However, Vancouver started the season 0-5-2 and blew leads in each of their first five games (three of which by multiple goals). The team is currently 18-24-3 (.433 points percentage) and 12 points behind Colorado, who has a game in hand, for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Boudreau was appointed for the position by Vancouver’s ownership and not GM Patrik Allvin, who was the assistant GM under current Vancouver President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford when he was with the Pittsburgh Penguins. It has been reported that former Pittsburgh assistant and Arizona Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet is likely headed to and has already landed in Vancouver.
Boudreau was hired a quarter of the way through the 2007-08 season by Washington and led them to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in the Alex Ovechkin era with 11 wins in the final 12 games of the season. He won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s coach of the year that season. In five seasons with Washington Boudreau went 201-88-40. He guided them to their first Presidents’ Trophy in 2009-10 and to the top of the Eastern Conference again the next season but was never able to get them past the second round.
Boudreau worked as a studio analyst for NHL Network between his jobs with the Vancouver and Minnesota and had a conversation with Washington about returning in the same role after they fired head coach Todd Reirden in August 2020 but it did not go far. The team ultimately decided to hire Peter Laviolette instead.
He has a career coaching record of 617-331-128 in 1,069 regular season games with Vancouver (2021.22 to 2022.23), Minnesota (2016.17 to 2019.20), the Anaheim Ducks (2011.12 to 2015.16), and Washington (2007.08 to 2011.12).
By Harrison Brown
I’m boycotting the City of Vancouver and the Canucks for 5 years for this BS. Join me.
Don’t blame you, frankly!
I now officially hate the Canucks. Congratulations Jim Rutherford and team owner Francesco Aquilini. Take one of the classiest guys in hockey, and treat him worse than a popcorn vendor. Idiots.
The bright side is I’ll bet a warm Guinness stout that Bruce is back in the Capitals organization in some capacity soon. Perhaps as the Bears’ coach.
Even if Vancouver wins,would love to see oilers players or coaches make way over & shake hands with Bruce! Only other coach that got saddled with inept GM & players who weren’t good enough was Don Cherry back in early’80’s with Colorado Rockies.
Best wishes Bruce you’ll get a better team next time!!
The handling of Boudreau and leaving his twisting in the wind was very poor personnel management. Vancouver seems to be a seriously dysfunctional organization.
Francesco Aquilini is the Dan Snyder of the NHL
He has his Hershey Cubs that he can devote more time to. Besides being an analyst for the NHL Network he was a guest on NBCSW. I would expect NBCSW to reach out to him again. With remote working such a thing today, he could do that from Hershey.
I would not mind seeing him back behind the Bears bench nor would I mind seeing him back behind the Caps bench. I watch the Caps to be entertained and Gabby knows how to do that.
I’ve never liked Tocchet—as a player, coach, or analyst. And didn’t he plead guilty to gambling stuff when he was with the Coyotes? What’s he going to do to fix the train wreck in Vancouver?
Boudreau is a likeable guy and deserves much better treatment, but hey, at least he’s getting out of that mess of an organization! Can we get him as a power play coach? 😁
Not sure why you wouldn’t like Tocchet as a player. He was a pretty effective power forward for a long time, won a Cup with Pittsburgh. If youre referring to him being dirty, that’s another story, but us Caps fans love Dale Hunter, and he was no choir boy.
Tocchet pled guilty to conspiracy, in the gambling probe, served two years probation. Seems like what he pleaded guilty to is now a legal enterprise in a lot of states. Our own Caps have patches advertising gambling on their jerseys.
disliking a player doesn’t mean I disrespect their skills or that he wasn’t an effective player, it was more to do with him being an impediment on teams that always got in the way of the Caps….as for the gambling stuff, sure, a person can have a second chance, but in pro sports at the time, gambling was and is a huge slippery slope. That calls into question the integrity of the game and no league wants to be anywhere near that kind of stuff. Just look at Pete Rose and his exile.
Still, I doubt Tocchet is going to be able to turn that team around anyway with how it’s constructed. So really, why hang Boudreau out to dry and make him a dead man walking when it’s not likely Tocchet can do much with that roster anyway. Speaks to how dorked up the ownership and front office is
It’ll be great for Bruce’s spirit to get the hell away from Vancouver.
Maybe great gesture for coach Bruce,would be if one of nominated coaches for the All-Star game to give spot up & honour someone who’s given life for bettering the game!!
Hard to believe that at Sunday 9am Vancouver time Bruce is still left twisting in the wind. Rumors that TNT won’t release Tocchet. So who knows, maybe Bruce remains a few more days. Next practice will be interesting. Especially since all the rumors I’ve read say that his assistants will all be fired as well. Maybe they just send out for pizza and have a going away party.