(UPDATE 2:00 PM)- That was a pretty impressive debut press conference for Guy Boucher. You can certainly see what it was that impressed Pierre Dorion and the Management group. Boucher was clearly well prepared and had great answers to a number of difficult questions. And in his first move as Head Coach, Boucher has added Marc Crawford as an Associate Coach. It’s a huge addition to the staff and one that should set the Sens up well for next season.
Well that didn’t take long.
The Ottawa Senators have announced Guy Boucher is their new Head Coach. It’s a three year contract.
After missing out on Bruce Boudreau late yesterday, the Sens didn’t waste any time moving on to Plan B. Dorion carried out an extensive search up until this point and obviously they liked what they heard from Boucher.
Boucher is 44 years old and last coached in the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning. In 196 NHL games, Boucher had a 97-79-20 record including a 11-7-0 record in the post-season. For the last three years, Boucher has been coaching in Switzerland.
While it’s obvious Boudreau was the top candidate out there, Boucher is a pretty good consolation prize. He may not have the extensive track record the Sens would have preferred with this hire but he’s a good coach that will bring structure to a team that desperately needs it. He’s a guy that can be hard on his players but has their respect at the same time. He can be kind of tough on officials too.
Boucher has been out of the league for a few years now and will be excited to be back in the league and learn from his experience in Tampa Bay.
Here’s the official news release.
Dorion and Boucher will meet with the Ottawa media tomorrow afternoon.
