The official reason for the Maple Leafs firing Guy Boucher has been revealed
On Saturday, the Maple Leafs made another significant change, receiving assistant coach Guy Boucher of his duties behind the bench and now we know why he was fired.
Boucher's future in Toronto was in doubt the second the Maple Leafs hired former St. Louis Blues coach Craig Berube, but you could argue that Boucher's 4.8 power play success rate in the postseason cost him his job as well.
Power play inefficiency aside, the reason Boucher may have been let go by the Leafs yesterday, if we read between the lines, is because he was upset over not being named the next head coach in Toronto.
Friedman revealed on the most recent 32 Thoughts that when Sheldon Keefe was fired, Boucher went to the management group in Toronto and expressed his desire to take over behind the bench. Obviously, the team wanted to go in a different direction which clearly didn't sit well with him.
"I think Boucher had indicated that if a coaching change was made he would like to be considered for the position," Elliotte Friedman said. "I don't know how seriously Toronto did [consider it] or if he was a candidate."
There are also rumours swirling that prior to Sheldon Keefe being hired as Mike Babcock's successor in Toronto, Guy Boucher was a candidate to replace Babcock. Obviously, being passed over by the same organization twice left Boucher with a chip on his shoulder.
Source: Elliotte Friedman
32 Thoughts: The Podcast - Edmonton & Elliotte Spared
POLL |
JUIN 16 | 290 ANSWERS The official reason for the Maple Leafs firing Guy Boucher has been revealed Do you think the Leafs' power play will be better or worse in 2024-25? |
Better for sure | 202 | 69.7 % |
Definitely worse | 10 | 3.4 % |
Probably about the same if it's the same core | 78 | 26.9 % |
List of polls |
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