Guy Boucher would have seriously coveted the position of head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs and when the team named Craig Berube, the Quebecer would not have digested it.
At least that’s what Sportsnet journalist Elliotte Friedman put forward during an episode of the podcast 32 Thoughts, Sunday. It was the day before that the Queen City club announced the departure of Boucher, who was an assistant coach with the Leafs for a year.
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“I believe Boucher had indicated that if a coaching change was made, he would like to be considered for the position. I don’t know how seriously Toronto took it or if he was a candidate,” Friedman said.
Toronto actually parted ways with pilot Sheldon Keefe in early May. Berube was introduced to fans a week later and he quickly added former New York Islanders head coach Lane Lambert to his group as an associate.
Boucher’s future was thus up in the air and it seems normal that he thought about becoming a head instructor again in the National Hockey League. The 52-year-old formerly managed the Tampa Bay Lightning (2010 to 2013) and the Ottawa Senators (2016 to 2019).
The native of Notre-Dame-du-Lac, however, gave no indication as to his next destination. After his time with the “Bolts”, he bounced back in Switzerland with SC Berne.
