Guy Boucher: “If he was an Anglophone from English Canada, he’d be coaching a long time ago”.

This morning, Renaud Lavoie made progress on the Guy Boucher case.

In particular, he wrote about his importance to the Toronto Maple Leafs. After all, he’s in charge of the club’s numerical advantage.

Lavoie spoke to his players to ask them about the Quebecer’s approach.

Then, this morning, he also took the opportunity to talk about it during his column of the day on BPM Sports. He spoke of the club’s appreciation for him and his dedication.

Because yes, Boucher is always in solution mode. He’s always working on his computer, communicating with all the players, and he really wants the club to progress well.

Will all this open the door to the NHL as a head coach again? Perhaps, yes.

In any case, he’s in a market where the eyes of the hockey world will be on him. Whether that opportunity lies elsewhere… or in Toronto.

Because let’s not forget that, in 2015, Brendan Shanahan chose to hire Guy Boucher as Maple Leafs coach, only to see Mike Babcock, at the last second, change his mind and take the job in Toronto.

By bringing him back in 2023, this time as an assistant to Sheldon Keefe, Shanahan has brought back to his club a coach he likes and who is respected around town.

It means what it means, but…

It’s worth mentioning that if the Maple Leafs lose in the first round, bringing in a guy Shanahan likes as a coach and who has a reputation for taking his clubs deep into the playoffs in year one could help Toronto.

And that’s even if Boucher speaks French.

Because yes, on that subject, Renaud Lavoie mentioned that if Guy Boucher were an English Canadian, he might not just be an assistant as we speak.

If he were an English Canadian, he’d be coaching a long time ago. – Renaud Lavoie on Guy Boucher

There are many Quebecers who coach in the NHL, and Boucher has been hired twice before: in Tampa Bay and in Ottawa. Can Lavoie recall a time when a club specifically refused to hire him because of his roots?

Perhaps, yes.

In brief

– Change on Long Island: Patrick Roy will be switching to Ilya Sorokin for the next game.

– Interesting.

– Really?