Ex-Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau joins TSN broadcast crew for trade deadline

Bruce Boudreau will be back in the spotlight on Friday.

The former Vancouver Canucks head coach will be part of TSN’s coverage of the NHL trade deadline on Friday, according to his wife Crystal Boudreau.

Hey for all you Canadians who do not get the NHL Network , Bruce Boudreau, will be on TSN Trade Deadline! #Brucethereheis!

— hockeymom (@BoudreauCrystal) March 1, 2023

Boudreau rejoined the NHL Network as a studio analyst last month, a job he held prior to landing the Canucks coaching gig in December 2021.

“I am so happy to be back at NHL Network because the people I got to know are incredible, not only nice, but people who know hockey through and through,” Boudreau said in a media release last month. “I’ve always been part of a team my whole life and this was one of the best that I’ve ever been on, so it was an easy decision for me when they asked if I wanted to come back.”

"I think it's underrated for the first month, but overrated after that."

Bruce Boudreau and John Torchetti aren't the biggest fans of morning skate. @TonyLuftman | #NHLTonight pic.twitter.com/mw7ER8dfeI

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) February 27, 2023

The NHL Network hasn’t been available in Canada since 2015, when Bell Media lost the national NHL television broadcast rights to Rogers.

While Boudreau is happy to be back broadcasting, the 68-year-old said in an interview on Donnie and Dhali last month that he’s staying ready in case an NHL team gives him another chance to coach.

“I think I’m still very capable of doing the job. You just never know,” he said. “I watch every team, see how they’re doing, and stay prepared that if anybody wants an experienced coach that I’m going to be available to work for them.”

TSN and Sportsnet typically have duelling trade deadline coverage beginning at 5 am PT.

After a wild 11-trade Tuesday, it remains to be seen what NHL general managers can do for an encore. Plenty of big names changed teams Tuesday, including Patrick Kane, Jonathan Quick, and Mattias Ekholm, just to name a few.

The Canucks got in on the action by trading Luke Schenn to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a third-round draft pick. Canucks GM Patrik Allvin has pulled the trigger on three trades since Saturday, and is rumoured to be in serious talks with the Pittsburgh Penguins about a major trade — perhaps involving Brock Boeser or J.T. Miller.

Stay tuned.

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