Guy Boucher to be named HC of Ottawa Senators

[Shake]

Bruce Garrioch ‏@SunGarrioch 1m1 minute ago

#Sens name Guy Boucher coach


3-year contract.

[The Comish]

I copied this from Wikipedia, so I hope it's all correct:

"On June 29, 2009, he was named head coach of the Montreal Canadiens affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs in the AHL becoming the eighth head coach in Bulldogs franchise history. He led the team to an impressive 52–17–11 record for 115 points despite having many of his best players being called up by the Montreal Canadiens. At the end of the season, he won the Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award as coach of the year. After an impressive season in Hamilton, he was offered the vacant head coaching position for the Columbus Blue Jackets but turned it down to accept the head coaching position with the Tampa Bay Lightning, signing a four-year contract. In his rookie year as an NHL head coach, Boucher led the Tampa Bay Lightning to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

On March 24, 2013, the team's General Manager Steve Yzerman fired Boucher following a 5-3 loss against the Ottawa Senators. At the time, Tampa Bay was in 14th place in the Eastern Conference.

On January 27, 2014, the Swiss ice hockey club SC Bern announced the signing of Guy Boucher as their head coach.

On November 18, 2015, Boucher was fired by the SC Bern following a 4-game losing streak and a 9th place in the NLA.[6]

On May 8, 2016, Boucher was hired as the head coach of the Ottawa Senators in the NHL."


Some interesting stuff in there. I had forgotten that he turned down the BJ's Head Coaching job for TB. I love that the last NHL game he coached was against Ottawa. Oh the symmetry.

In his first year coaching in the NHL, TB had 103 points and was 2nd in the SE and losing in the Conference Semi-Final. From there it went downhill, the next year, the team had 84 points and missed the playoffs. He was then fired 31 games into his third NHL season. His record over the last 3 years isn't much to write home about. Fired from TB in 2013, hired by Bern of the Swiss league and lasted just over a year before being fired again.

Many of you will remember the 1-3-1 he employed with the Lightning, resulting in this Nov 2011 epic situation against the Flyers:

https://www.nhl.com/news/hockey-worl...ctics/c-600195



All that said, I hope he does well in Ottawa unless he employs that 1-3-1 system, then he can get fired again.

Funny note, when I googled Guy Boucher, I found out that there is a Twitter account named Guy Boucher's Scar. Weird.

[gooding74]

Here's the fantasy take on the Boucher hiring:

http://www.dobberhockey.com/hockey-h...ed-sens-coach/

[Eskimo Brother]

This should be a very interesting story line to follow. Will be curious to see if his style has changed at all over the last few years.

[plug]

Being a Karlsson owner this kinda scares me. But he does play his studs a lot I think, is that true?

[yougo]

Being a Karlsson owner this kinda scares me. But he does play his studs a lot I think, is that true?

Don't be scared. Each Tampa team that Boucher coached finished top10 in scoring. People focus on that 1-3-1, but look at his defensive corps his Tampa. Slim pickings. Ottawa isn't much better but he's got Karlsson (Hedman wasn't the stud he is now back when he was with Tampa).

[The Bottlenecker]

I'm still curious what Karlsson will think of the trap, and if it will affect his point totals or not.

[Axeman33]

You mean he might actually have to play defense?

[Eskimo Brother]

I'm still curious what Karlsson will think of the trap, and if it will affect his point totals or not.

If there's one guy whose point totals I am not worried about, it would be Karlsson. He should still be 70+ with a shot at 80.

[STLblues]

God I miss big EV he could tell us all how amazing this will be.....

[Ingolo]

My big question is how he stands on zone entries and possession. If they can improve their possession numbers from last year, cut down on the number of shots Anderson has to see per night, and keep possession as they enter the zone, I honestly think they're a playoff team. They've got solid pieces, especially on the wings. It's just a matter of whether Boucher can improve on what we saw last year, which I honestly don't know. From the looks of the SC Bern footage I can find on YouTube, he's done away with the 1-3-1, but it also looks like they're playing a chip and chase style. I don't know if that will fly with the group he has in Ottawa.

[Eskimo Brother]

My big question is how he stands on zone entries and possession. If they can improve their possession numbers from last year, cut down on the number of shots Anderson has to see per night, and keep possession as they enter the zone, I honestly think they're a playoff team. They've got solid pieces, especially on the wings. It's just a matter of whether Boucher can improve on what we saw last year, which I honestly don't know. From the looks of the SC Bern footage I can find on YouTube, he's done away with the 1-3-1, but it also looks like they're playing a chip and chase style. I don't know if that will fly with the group he has in Ottawa.

If you are going to be a good coach in the NHL, then you have to find a system that fits your players. You can't make every player fit into a certain system. As an example, this is not me trying to say that you don't get Ovi to try and play defence, this is trying to say that you don't have Washington play a trap system. With that kind of skilled team, you play an up tempo kind of game. Trotz, being one of the best coaches in the NHL (I'm a little biased from all his time in NSH) was able to figure that out.

That being said, I think Boucher has been around the block, and is smart enough to figure that out. He will find a style that fits the team, and implement it. Looking at the current Ottawa group, I don't really see a trap system with a lot of chip & chase being largely effective.

[Ingolo]

If you are going to be a good coach in the NHL, then you have to find a system that fits your players.

Good point. My worry is that he won't be able to find that system, and he'll try to get something to work that just isn't right for that group of players. But again, don't know a ton about him because of the relatively small sample size of his experience, and not really seeing what he's been doing since leaving the NHL.

[Axeman33]

Sounds like Marc Crawford is about to accept a position as Associate Coach with Boucher as well.

[ericdaoust]

Sounds like Marc Crawford is about to accept a position as Associate Coach with Boucher as well.

Good hire or good insurance policy come November?