Bruce Boudreau

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Bruce Boudreau
Bruce Boudreau Ducks 2012-02-15.JPG
Boudreau in 2012
Born (1955-01-09) January 9, 1955 (age 66)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
NationalityCanadian
OccupationIce hockey coach, player
Coaching career
Previous team(s)Washington Capitals
Anaheim Ducks
Minnesota Wild
Years as NHL player1975–1992
Years as a coach1992–2020
Years as an NHL coach2007–2020
Ice hockey career
Height 5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight 182 lb (83 kg; 13 st 0 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for Toronto Maple Leafs
Chicago Black Hawks
Minnesota Fighting Saints
NHL Draft 42nd overall, 1975
Toronto Maple Leafs
Playing career 1975–1992

Bruce Allan Boudreau (born January 9, 1955) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach. He is the former head coach of the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, and Minnesota Wild. As a player, Boudreau played professionally for 20 seasons, logging 141 games in the NHL and 30 games in the World Hockey Association (WHA). He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Black Hawks of the NHL and the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the WHA. Boudreau won the Jack Adams Award for the NHL's most outstanding head coach in the 2007–08 NHL season during his tenure with the Capitals.

Early life[]

Boudreau was born in North York, Toronto, Ontario, the son of Norman Boudreau and Theresa Roy.[1][2] As a youth, he played in the 1967 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Toronto George Bell minor ice hockey team.[3] He attended Nelson A. Boylen Collegiate Institute in the 1970s.

Playing career[]

While Boudreau's major professional career was modest, he had a long career in the minor leagues, and was one of the most prolific minor league scorers of all time, largely in the American Hockey League (AHL). His junior career was spent with the Toronto Marlboros of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA), for which he averaged over 100 points a season. He scored 165 points in his final season in juniors, adding 44 points in 27 games en route to captaining the Marlies to a Memorial Cup championship. He was awarded the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the top goal scorer for the 1974–75 OMJHL season.

After being drafted in the third round, 42nd overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boudreau could not agree with Toronto on a contract and joined the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the WHA, making his professional debut in 1975. He played a single season for the Fighting Saints, scoring 3 goals and 6 assists over 30 games.

Spending most of the early part of his professional career with Maple Leaf farm teams in Dallas, New Brunswick and St. Catharines, Boudreau also spent significant time playing for the Springfield Indians (for whom he won his only scoring championship in 1988), the Fort Wayne Komets and the Nova Scotia Oilers. His most significant NHL time came in 1981, when as an injury replacement he scored 10 goals and 14 assists in only 39 games.

Boudreau played eight seasons in the NHL overall, all but the last (a seven-game stint for the Chicago Black Hawks in 1986) for the Maple Leafs, scoring 28 goals and 42 assists in 141 games.

He remained a minor league star and top scorer right through his final season in 1992. His final game came in Springfield where he had been signed by the Adirondack Red Wings as an emergency injury replacement during their first round Calder Cup playoff series against the Indians.

Playing achievements[]

  • Boudreau remains the 16th leading all-time goal scorer in the AHL with 316, also currently 13th in assists with 483, and 12th in points with 799. For the minor leagues as a whole, Boudreau is 8th all time with 1,368 points, and 13th in both goals and assists with 548 and 820 respectively; he is in the top 25 all-time scorers for professional hockey.
  • While playing for the Johnstown Jets early in his career, Boudreau had a minor role in the movie Slap Shot, appearing briefly wearing the green sweater (#7) of the opposing Presidents against the Hanson brothers' Chiefs.[4][5]
  • Scored 100 points or more for five separate minor league teams.
  • Named to the Central Hockey League's First All-Star Team in 1982.
  • Named to the American Hockey League's First All-Star Team in 1988.
  • Inducted into the 2009 class of the AHL Hall of Fame.
Team records – Springfield Indians
  • Assists in a season: 74, 1987–1988
  • Points in a season: 116, 1987–1988
Awards

Career statistics[]

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1972–73 Toronto Marlboros OHA-Jr. 61 38 49 87 22 — — — — —
1972–73 Toronto Marlboros M-Cup — — — — — 3 0 1 1 0
1973–74 Toronto Marlboros OHA-Jr. 53 46 67 113 51 — — — — —
1974–75 Toronto Marlboros OMJHL 69 68 97 165 52 22 12 28 40 26
1974–75 Toronto Marlboros M-Cup — — — — — 5 2 2 4 15
1975–76 Minnesota Fighting Saints WHA 30 3 6 9 4 — — — — —
1975–76 Johnstown Jets NAHL 34 25 35 60 14 9 6 5 11 7
1976–77 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 15 2 5 7 4 3 0 0 0 0
1976–77 Dallas Black Hawks CHL 58 34 37 71 40 1 1 1 2 0
1977–78 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 40 11 18 29 12 — — — — —
1977–78 Dallas Black Hawks CHL 22 13 9 22 11 — — — — —
1978–79 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 26 4 3 7 2 — — — — —
1978–79 New Brunswick Hawks AHL 49 20 38 58 20 5 1 1 2 8
1979–80 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 2 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
1979–80 New Brunswick Hawks AHL 75 36 54 90 47 17 6 7 13 23
1980–81 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 39 10 14 24 18 2 1 0 1 0
1980–81 New Brunswick Hawks AHL 40 17 41 58 22 8 6 5 11 14
1981–82 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 12 0 2 2 6 — — — — —
1981–82 Cincinnati Tigers CHL 65 42 61 103 42 4 3 1 4 8
1982–83 St. Catharines Saints AHL 80 50 72 122 65 — — — — —
1982–83 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL — — — — — 4 1 0 1 0
1983–84 St. Catharines Saints AHL 80 47 62 109 44 7 0 5 5 11
1984–85 ECD Iserlohn 1.GBun 30 20 28 48 41 3 2 1 3 4
1984–85 Baltimore Skipjacks AHL 17 4 7 11 4 15 3 9 12 4
1985–86 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 7 1 0 1 2 — — — — —
1985–86 Nova Scotia Oilers AHL 65 30 36 66 36 — — — — —
1986–87 Nova Scotia Oilers AHL 78 35 47 82 40 5 3 3 6 4
1987–88 Springfield Indians AHL 80 42 74 116 84 — — — — —
1988–89 Springfield Indians AHL 50 28 36 64 42 — — — — —
1988–89 Newmarket Saints AHL 20 7 16 23 12 4 0 1 1 6
1989–90 Phoenix Roadrunners IHL 82 41 68 109 89 — — — — —
1990–91 Fort Wayne Komets IHL 81 40 80 120 111 19 11 7 18 30
1991–92 Fort Wayne Komets IHL 77 34 50 84 100 7 3 4 7 10
1991–92 Adirondack Red Wings AHL — — — — — 4 1 1 2 2
NHL totals 141 28 42 70 46 9 2 0 2 0
CHL totals 145 92 104 196 93 5 4 2 6 8
AHL totals 634 316 483 799 416 65 20 32 52 72

Coaching career[]

After his playing days were over, Boudreau began a highly successful coaching career. In the minor leagues, Boudreau has coached the Muskegon Fury, Fort Wayne Komets, Mississippi Sea Wolves, Lowell Lock Monsters, Manchester Monarchs, and Hershey Bears.[6]

Under Boudreau's leadership, the Bears won the 2006 AHL Calder Cup championship. The Bears made it all the way back to the Calder Cup finals under Coach Boudreau again in 2007, ultimately falling to the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Previously, Boudreau coached the Mississippi Sea Wolves to the ECHL Championship in 1999, and also led the Fort Wayne Komets to the IHL Finals in 1994. Boudreau was awarded the Commissioner's Trophy (IHL) as coach of the 1993–94 Komets.

Boudreau while coaching the Washington Capitals

Boudreau was named interim head coach of the NHL's Washington Capitals on November 22, 2007, and later their permanent coach on December 26. He compiled a 37–17–7 rookie coaching record with a team that was 6–14–1 when he inherited it. Under Boudreau's leadership, the 2007–08 Capitals won their first Southeast Division title in seven years and made the playoffs for the first time in five years. He also won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's best coach in 2008.[7]

Boudreau continued his success in his second season as coach of the Capitals, leading the Capitals to a record of 50–24–8 and 108 points, good enough for another Southeast Division title and second in the Eastern Conference.

In his third season with the Capitals, Boudreau led the team to a 54–15–13 record and 121 points, which was not only good enough for a third straight Southeast Division title, but also was the most points in the NHL, leading to the team's first ever Presidents' Trophy. Their success in the regular season, however, did not carry over to the postseason, as they lost to the eighth seeded Montreal Canadiens in seven games, losing the last three games of the series.

After a hot start to the 2011–12 season, the Capitals fell apart, posting just four wins in 13 games during the month of November. Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin both vastly underperformed during the stretch. These and other factors led to Boudreau's firing on November 28, 2011, despite Boudreau having reached 200 regular season wins faster than any coach in the modern NHL era.[8] He was replaced by former Capitals captain and then-London Knights head coach Dale Hunter.[9] Two days later, the Anaheim Ducks hired him to replace the recently fired Randy Carlyle as their head coach.[10] Boudreau became the fastest coach to be hired after being fired in NHL history.

On April 29, 2016, Boudreau was fired by the Ducks after they lost a Game 7 on home ice for the fourth consecutive year. He led the Ducks to four consecutive division titles in his four full seasons in Anaheim.[11]

On May 7, 2016, Boudreau was hired by the Minnesota Wild as their new head coach.[12] Boudreau led the Wild to a successful regular season finishing 2nd in the Central Division (earning home ice advantage for round 1), but the team fell apart in March[13] after the Martin Hanzal trade[14] and collapsed in the first round of the playoffs winning just 1 game on the road and losing every game at home against the St. Louis Blues.[15] With the latest early round knock-out of a team that shone during the regular season, Boudreau has cemented his reputation as a coach who has failed to achieve success in the Stanley Cup playoffs.[16] During his fourth season with the Wild, he was fired on February 14, 2020.[17][18]

Boudreau is known for his talkative personality, earning him the nickname "Gabby." In 2009, he released his memoir, Gabby: Confessions of a Hockey Lifer.[19] As of 2021, he has the second-highest winning percentage in NHL history for a coach who has coached at least 900 games.[20]

Head coaching record[]

Team Year Regular season Postseason
G W L OTL Pts Division Rank W L Result
WSH 2007–08 61 37 17 7 (81) 1st in Southeast 3 4 Lost in Conference Quarterfinals (PHI)
WSH 2008–09 82 50 24 8 108 1st in Southeast 7 7 Lost in Conference Semifinals (PIT)
WSH 2009–10 82 54 15 13 121 1st in Southeast 3 4 Lost in Conference Quarterfinals (MTL)
WSH 2010–11 82 48 23 11 107 1st in Southeast 4 5 Lost in Conference Semifinals (TBL)
WSH 2011–12 22 12 9 1 (23) (fired) — — —
WSH total 329 201 88 40     17 20  
ANA 2011–12 58 27 23 8 (62) 5th in Pacific — — Missed playoffs
ANA 2012–13 48 30 12 6 66 1st in Pacific 3 4 Lost in Conference Quarterfinals (DET)
ANA 2013–14 82 54 20 8 116 1st in Pacific 7 6 Lost in Second Round (LAK)
ANA 2014–15 82 51 24 7 109 1st in Pacific 11 5 Lost in Conference Finals (CHI)
ANA 2015–16 82 46 25 11 103 1st in Pacific 3 4 Lost in First Round (NSH)
ANA total 352 208 104 40     24 19
MIN 2016–17 82 49 25 8 106 2nd in Central 1 4 Lost in First Round (STL)
MIN 2017–18 82 45 26 11 101 3rd in Central 1 4 Lost in First Round (WPG)
MIN 2018–19 82 37 36 9 83 7th in Central — — Missed playoffs
MIN 2019–20 57 27 23 7 (61) (fired) — — —
MIN total 303 158 110 35     2 8
Total 984 567 302 115     43 47

References[]

  1. ^ "Boudreau Honors Father's Cancer Battle". November 13, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  2. ^ "Russo: Boudreau mourning loss of brother; Parise, Cullen update". September 25, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  3. ^ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  4. ^ Bruce Boudreau. IMDB.com
  5. ^ Mondesi's House: Bruce Boudreau, "Slap Shot" Star. Mondesishouse.blogspot.com (2009-08-05). Retrieved on 2011-11-29.
  6. ^ Scott, Jon C. (2006). Hockey Night in Dixie: Minor Pro Hockey in the American South. Heritage House Publishing Company Ltd. p. 79. ISBN 1-894974-21-2.
  7. ^ Tarik El-Bashir (June 12, 2008). "A.O. Snags Hart, Pearson; Boudreau Wins Adams". The Washington Post.
  8. ^ Capitals fire Bruce Boudreau; Dale Hunter named new head coach (Updated)
  9. ^ "Capitals Name Dale Hunter Head Coach". November 28, 2011. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  10. ^ "Boudreau Replaces Carlyle as Ducks Head Coach". December 1, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  11. ^ "Ducks fire coach Bruce Boudreau after Pacific Division title, playoff loss". ESPN. April 29, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  12. ^ "Minnesota Wild Agrees To Terms With Bruce Boudreau". NHL. May 7, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  13. ^ Doyle, Terrence (April 12, 2017). "Can The Minnesota Wild Recover From Their Late-Season Swoon?". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  14. ^ "Wild pay the moon for Martin Hanzal in trade with Coyotes". SBNation.com. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  15. ^ "Tom Powers: Wild didn't get the job done, bottom line – Twin Cities". April 23, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  16. ^ "Familiar refrain: Great in regular season, Boudreau's Wild stumbling in playoffs - 1500 ESPN Twin Cities". 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. April 15, 2017. Archived from the original on April 24, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  17. ^ "Head Coach Bruce Boudreau relieved of coaching duties". NHL.com. February 14, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  18. ^ Fernandez, Gabriel (February 14, 2020). "Minnesota Wild fire Bruce Boudreau as head coach". CBSSports.com. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  19. ^ Gabby: Confessions of a Hockey Lifer
  20. ^ "NHL Coach Register". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved April 6, 2021.

External links[]

Awards
Preceded by
Alain Vigneault 		Jack Adams Award winner
2007–08 		Succeeded by
Claude Julien
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Glen Hanlon 		Head coach of the Washington Capitals
2007–2011 		Succeeded by
Dale Hunter
Preceded by
Randy Carlyle 		Head coach of the Anaheim Ducks
2011–2016 		Succeeded by
Randy Carlyle
Preceded by
John Torchetti
Interim 		Head coach of the Minnesota Wild
2016–2020 		Succeeded by
Dean Evason
Interim
Retrieved from ""