With the off-season in full swing for more than two thirds of the teams in the National Hockey League, coaching vacancies are popping up left, right, and center. As of this moment the Dallas Stars, and Vancouver Canucks are all without bench bosses, with perhaps a couple more openings expected to pop up by the time next year rolls around. Names like Lindy Ruff and Dallas Eakins have kept those in the rumor mill gainfully employed, but one man who has surprisingly remained out of the fray is former Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Guy Boucher.
When Bolts general manager Steve Yzerman brought Boucher on as the team’s head coach, it signaled the start of a new era for the organization. Following a successful stint with the Hamilton Bulldogs in the Montreal Canadiens’ organization and time in Canada's junior system, Boucher was heavily sought after in 2010. It was Steve Yzerman who wooed the man to Tampa, and Steve Yzerman who thereby showed the hockey world that the Lightning meant business following years of internal turmoil.
It’s not hard to look at the Lightning’s record in 2010-11 and see that Guy Boucher’s arrival paid immediate dividends for the Bolts. After a very impressive regular season, the Lightning pushed the Boston Bruins to game seven of the Eastern Conference Final. With a bounce here or a bounce there, it very well could have been the Lightning in that Stanley Cup Final. Boucher and his staff managed to get the most out of Dwayne Roloson, the most out of Martin St. Louis, the most out of Vincent Lecavalier, and the most out of so many complementary pieces. Good coaches get the most out of the talent they’re given, and that’s exactly what Guy Boucher did back in 2011.
Of course, hockey is a results based business and, simply put, the results just weren’t there for the Tampa Bay Lightning over the last two years. The team’s goaltending was wildly inconsistent, and something just seemed off. With shoddy goaltending and a porous defense on the ice, Guy Boucher’s system and message just wore thin with the players. Ultimately, that resulted in his termination with the Lightning and the hiring of Jon Cooper.
Fans outside Tampa may read up on Boucher’s 1-3-1 style and cower in fear, but the reality is that said system is nowhere near as boring or terrifying as one fateful game against the Philadelphia Flyers might indicate. Calling Boucher’s style the “trap” doesn’t do it justice; the reality is that Guy is willing to take risks in all zones. With the right mix of solid players and a good goaltender, his system has the potential to produce mighty entertaining, exciting, and positive results. The issue in Tampa, for instance, was that Boucher was relying on players like Marc-Andre Bergeron and Brett Clark to do much more than they were capable of on a nightly basis.
Above and beyond Boucher’s system is his history and ability as a motivator. For a team looking to take that next step or get over a hurdle, Guy Boucher is arguably the perfect candidate. With degrees in engineering, history, and sports psychology, Boucher has used his education to get the most out of players everywhere he’s coached. Aaron Portzline of the
Columbus Dispatch spoke with Derick Brassard a few years back and he outlined this beautifully.
Blue Jackets center Derick Brassard, who played under Boucher at Drummondville of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in 2006-07, was wowed by Boucher's motivational tactics.
"Every day was a new challenge for the players, and every player was accountable to the team," Brassard said. "I've never played for a guy like him, a guy who is capable of getting the best out of every player. He was always in your head, always keeping you energized and motivated. It was always very motivating."
Boucher has spoken at length about his desire to learn about and work with each individual player. There is no cookie-cutter solution to coaching, and throughout his career Boucher has clearly shown that he understands this. His ability to invoke passion in the dressing room and out on the ice all comes back to his communication skills.
The Hockey News wrote about this back when Boucher was with the Hamilton Bulldogs.
Boucher is said to be an extremely effective communicator, taking great pains to learn everything he can about every player on his team so he can deal with them on a one-on-one basis. "He listens to all his players, regardless of their status," said Canadiens prospect Gabriel Dumont, who played under Boucher in both junior and briefly this season in Hamilton. "He knows each player and knows how he needs to manage each player."
Fans near and far have seen Boucher’s passion behind the bench and his desire to win, but what they haven’t seen is that Guy is a quality individual. He treats everyone with respect, and does so with incredibly humbleness. The city that lands Boucher for next season will have gained one of the truly good individuals in the game today. His legacy in Tampa may not be full of victories or unbelievable success, but he did leave a mark. In case it’s not abundantly clear, I want to wish Guy Boucher nothing but the best as he moves forward in his coaching career. Any team would be lucky to have him.
As always, thanks for reading.
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
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