Former Canucks coach Boudreau lands new junior hockey gig

Former Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau is back working for a hockey team once again.

While it’s not the NHL head coaching gig that he’s been known for over much of the last two decades, Boudreau was announced Wednesday as a senior advisor for the Ontario Hockey League’s Niagara IceDogs.

And if you’re wondering how Boudreau settled on the IceDogs as his first team-affiliated job since leaving the Canucks, you won’t have to look far for an answer — his son Ben was hired as an associate coach for the franchise back in early July.

“I am very proud, happy and excited to help the Niagara IceDogs in any way I can. The Niagara area will always have a special place in my heart. I look forward to one day celebrating a Memorial Cup with the Niagara IceDogs.” said Boudreau in a statement. “Also, would like to thank [IceDogs owners] Darren and Michele [DeDobbelaer] for giving me this opportunity to come back to the OHL.”

Boudreau’s last stint in Ontario junior hockey was nearly 50 years ago, when he played for the Toronto Marlboros in 1974-75 in the Ontario Hockey Association, a direct predecessor to the modern OHL.

In all, Boudreau coached 102 games with the Canucks, compiling a 50-50-13 record before being fired in January 2023. During parts of his two seasons with the franchise, Boudreau quickly became a fan favourite due to the team’s early success under his tenure, though they ultimately failed to make the postseason in either year.

Over the course of his NHL coaching career spent in Vancouver, Anaheim, and Washington, Boudreau managed a 617-342-128 record in 1,087 games. Since leaving the coaching scene, the 68-year-old has been a regular panellist on the NHL Network, offering his takes on both his former Vancouver team and the NHL at large.

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