Bruce Boudreau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bruce Boudreau |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Boudreau with the Anaheim Ducks in 2012
|
|||
| Born | January 9, 1955 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | ||
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Minnesota Fighting Saints Toronto Maple Leafs Chicago Black Hawks |
||
| Coached for | Washington Capitals Anaheim Ducks Minnesota Wild Vancouver Canucks |
||
| NHL Draft | 42nd overall, 1975 Toronto Maple Leafs |
||
| Playing career | 1975–1992 | ||
| Coaching career | 1992–present | ||
Bruce Allan Boudreau (born January 9, 1955) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He has coached several teams in the National Hockey League (NHL), including the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, and Vancouver Canucks. As a player, Bruce played professionally for 20 seasons. He was picked by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1975 NHL Draft.
Bruce played 141 games in the NHL with the Maple Leafs and Chicago Black Hawks. He also played 30 games in the World Hockey Association (WHA) with the Minnesota Fighting Saints. Most of his playing career was in the American Hockey League (AHL). There, he was known for scoring many goals and points. He recorded 316 goals and 483 assists for 799 points in 634 games.
After his playing career, Bruce became a coach. He won the Jack Adams Award in the 2007–08 NHL season. This award is given to the NHL's best head coach. Bruce also owns two junior ice hockey teams, the Minnesota Blue Ox and Hershey Cubs. These teams play in the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL). As of 2021, Bruce has one of the best winning percentages for an NHL coach with over 900 games.
Contents
Bruce Boudreau's Story
Bruce Boudreau was born in North York, Toronto, Ontario. When he was young, he played in the 1967 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. He played for the Toronto George Bell minor ice hockey team.
His Playing Days
Bruce played junior hockey for the Toronto Marlboros. He scored over 100 points each season. In his last junior season, he got 165 points. He also helped his team win the Memorial Cup championship. He won the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the top goal scorer in the 1974–75 OMJHL season.
Bruce played professional hockey for 17 seasons. He spent most of his career in the minor leagues. He was one of the best minor league scorers ever, especially in the American Hockey League (AHL).
After being drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Bruce joined the WHA's Minnesota Fighting Saints in 1975. He played one season there. He also spent time in the minors with the Johnstown Jets. Bruce later signed with the Maple Leafs. He played many seasons with their farm teams in the Central Professional Hockey League (CHL) and AHL. Later, he played for the Chicago Black Hawks and their AHL team, the Springfield Indians. With the Indians, he won a scoring championship in the 1987–88 AHL season.
Bruce played parts of eight seasons in the NHL. His best NHL time was in 1980–81. He scored 10 goals and 14 assists in just 39 games for the Maple Leafs. In his NHL career, he scored 28 goals and 42 assists in 141 games. He continued to be a top scorer in the minor leagues until his last season in 1991–92.
Bruce also appeared in the 1977 hockey movie Slap Shot. He was an extra in the film. His apartment was even used for a character's home!
Coaching Successes
After his playing career, Bruce became a very successful coach. In the minor leagues, he coached teams like the Muskegon Fury and Hershey Bears. Under his coaching, the Bears won the 2006 Calder Cup championship. He also led the Mississippi Sea Wolves to the ECHL Championship in 1999. Bruce won the Commissioner's Trophy (IHL) as coach of the Fort Wayne Komets in 1994.
Coaching the Washington Capitals
Bruce became the interim head coach of the Washington Capitals in November 2007. He later became their permanent coach. When he took over, the team had a record of 6 wins and 14 losses. Under his leadership, the Capitals greatly improved. They won their division and made the playoffs. Bruce also won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's best coach in 2008.
In his third season, Bruce led the Capitals to their best record ever. They had 54 wins and 121 points. This earned them the Presidents' Trophy for the most points in the NHL. Bruce left the Capitals in November 2011. He had reached 200 regular season wins faster than almost any other coach.
Coaching the Ducks and Wild
Just two days after leaving the Capitals, Bruce was hired by the Anaheim Ducks. He became the fastest coach to be hired after leaving a team in NHL history. He led the Ducks to four straight division titles. Bruce left the Ducks in April 2016.
In May 2016, Bruce became the new head coach of the Minnesota Wild. He led the Wild to a strong regular season. Bruce left the Wild in February 2020.
Coaching the Vancouver Canucks
On December 5, 2021, Bruce was named head coach of the Vancouver Canucks. He had an immediate positive impact on the team. Fans loved him and would often chant "Bruce, there it is!" during home games. On January 23, 2022, Bruce coached his 1,000th career NHL game.
As the 2022–23 season went on, there were many rumors about Bruce's future with the team. Fans continued to show him a lot of support. In a game against the Colorado Avalanche, fans chanted "Bruce, there it is!" again. Bruce said it was "the most incredible thing I've experienced on a personal level." He left the Canucks on January 22, 2023.
Personal Life
Bruce is married to Crystal and has one son with her. He also has three other children from his first marriage. In 1982, Bruce started the Golden Horseshoe Hockey School. This is a summer camp for young hockey players in St. Catharines, Ontario. He still coaches there in the off-season.
Bruce has been a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs since he was a child. He still cheers for them when they are not playing against a team he coaches. Bruce is known for being very talkative. This earned him the nickname "Gabby." In 2009, he wrote a book about his life in hockey called Gabby: Confessions of a Hockey Lifer. His son, Ben, became the Head Coach of the Niagara IceDogs in November 2023.
Playing Achievements
Bruce Boudreau has achieved many great things in his hockey career:
- He is the 16th leading all-time goal scorer in the AHL with 316 goals.
- He is 13th in assists with 483 and 12th in points with 799 in the AHL.
- For all minor leagues, he is 8th all-time with 1,368 points.
- He scored 100 points or more for five different minor league teams.
- He was named to the Central Hockey League's First All-Star Team in 1982.
- He was named to the American Hockey League's First All-Star Team in 1988.
- He was inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame in 2009.
- Awards
- Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy – 1974–75 OMJHL season, Toronto Marlboros
- John B. Sollenberger Trophy – 1987–88 AHL season, Springfield Indians
- Memorial Cup and J. Ross Robertson Cup with the 1974–75 Toronto Marlboros
Images for kids
-
Boudreau coaching the Washington Capitals
.jpg)
