Veteran National Hockey League head coach Bruce Boudreau is one of the most beloved figures when it comes to coaches in the National Hockey League, and it is likely for this reason that recent news of how Boudreau is being treated has caused some serious backlash to be directed. at the Canucks.
On Saturday night, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman all but confirmed that Boudreau’s time behind the Canucks bench would be coming to an end shortly when he revealed that the Canucks have already selected Boudreau’s replacement. That replacement is expected to be long time Jim Rutherford ally and former Pittsburgh Penguins assistant coach Rick Tocchet, a decision that effectively leaves Boudreau a lame duck coach.
While that news must no doubt have been difficult for Boudreau to hear, it likely was even more difficult for him to face the cameras on Saturday night when he was asked by members of the media about his job security.
While Boudreau is normally a happy go lucky type of guy, there was no mistaking the dejected look in his face, the dejected look in his body language, and quite frankly the heartbreak in his voice as he addressed those questions.
“I just wake up every day and go to work until they tell me not to,” said a very sad looking Boudreau who looked down at the ground several times during the question and his response.
Boudreau looked completely defeated and it is hard to blame him given that it has appeared as though Vancouver Canucks president Jim Rutherford has gone out of his way to make things difficult for the embattled head coach with the alleged recruitment of Tocchet and even with some of the comments he has made publicly. Boudreau’s reaction has led to a ton of backlash against the Canucks, who are already having a season they would likely prefer to forget, and it seems that backlash will likely increase in intensity when Boudreau is finally given his walking papers.
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