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Bruce Boudreau will return as head coach of Vancouver Canucks for 2022-23 season

By Ian Oland

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May 13, 2022 3:17 pm

When the Vancouver Canucks hired Bruce Boudreau midseason to be their head coach, Boudreau signed a two-year contract with the owner Francesco Aquilini but that second season was optional.

Boudreau wanted a contract extension. But after the Canucks denied that request, Bruce had until June 1 to decide if he wanted to leave for another team or return.

Friday, May 13, the Canucks officially announced the gregarious head coach would return.

Bruce, there it is.

Boudreau, per The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, will make $2.5 million next season.

Boudreau began his tenure with the Canucks’ by winning his first seven games with the team. The streak tied an NHL record.

The Canucks had a .638 winning percentage with Boudreau at the helm.

“I think I’ve done an okay job,” Boudreau said of his performance in early April per Sportsnet.

When asked if he wanted or deserved a contract extension, Boudreau replied, “It’s a tough question. I mean, I want to coach forever, and I really like Vancouver. I guess that sort of answers the question.”

Former Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford, who was brought in as an executive four days after Boudreau got the job, did not hire Boudreau and was less enthusiastic about the coach’s return.

“We would be willing to have him back under the contract that he agreed to when he came here,” Canucks GM Jim Rutherford said per Sportsnet. “That’s certainly not to say that at the end of next year we wouldn’t want him back if he continues to do the job he’s doing. I just feel that as good a job as he’s done, it wasn’t a full season.

“He knows we want him back. He was told that before the season was over. And he knows our position. Like I said, he did a terrific job, but he didn’t coach a whole season here. We would like to see him back and work with him on a few things. Everybody work together to make it better.”

Rutherford added that he wanted his team to have more structure and rely less on goaltender Thatcher Demko coming up big.

Next season will be Boudreau’s 15th as an NHL head coach. He has a career 599-317-125 record with the Canucks, Minnesota Wild, Anaheim Ducks, and Washington Capitals. Boudreau has never taken one of his teams to the Stanley Cup Final.

Here’s the full release from the Vancouver Canucks:

Canucks Confirm Bruce Boudreau Will Return for 2022.23 Season

Vancouver, B.C. – Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that Bruce Boudreau will return as head coach for the 2022.23 season.

“We are pleased to see Bruce’s commitment to return to the Canucks next season,” said Allvin. “He has done a great job since arriving in Vancouver and we are eager to see the team continue to perform under his leadership as they did during the second half of the season.”

“My desire has always been to come back to coach this team,” said Boudreau. “I love the organization, city, fans, and the players. I’m also grateful for the opportunity provided to me by Jim and Patrik to continue building what we started.”

Boudreau, 67, was named the 20th Head Coach in Canucks history on December 5, 2021 and his impact was felt immediately. He became just the third coach in NHL history to win his first seven games with a new team, matching Geoff Ward (CGY, 2019.20) and Jacques Lemaire (NJD, 1993.94). Since taking over mid-season, Boudreau guided the team to a 32-15-10 record (74 points), which was the second-best record by points-percentage (.649) in the Pacific Division during that time.

On January 23, Boudreau coached his 1,000th regular season game in the NHL, becoming the 26th head coach in NHL history to reach the milestone. Among coaches with at least 1,000 games coached in the NHL, his .635 points-percentage ranks second only to Scotty Bowman (.657).

Boudreau is also just one victory shy of 600 career wins, which would make him the 22nd coach in League history to reach that mark. He has a career coaching record of 599-317-125 in 1,024 regular season games with the Canucks (2021.22 to present), Minnesota Wild (2016.17 to 2019.20), Anaheim Ducks (2011.12 to 2015.16), and Washington Capitals (2007.08 to 2011.12).

A native of Toronto, Ontario, Boudreau has also coached 90 playoff games (43-47) and was the recipient of the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 2008.

Screenshot: @Canucks/Twitter

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