Bruce Boudreau, the fall guy for the Anaheim Ducks‘ first-round playoff exit, had a feeling it was championship-or-bust for his future with the club.
“I always had the sense that something was going to happen unless we actually won the Cup,” Boudreau told Eric Stephens of The Orange County Register, the coach’s first interview since being fired Friday.
“The worry wart in me is always worried about that. I didn’t know where it would go. I had let some people know that it was great working with them before it happened. And I thought it was going to happen.”
Despite having an impeccable 409-192-80 career record and eight division titles as an NHL bench boss, Boudreau was relieved of his duties two days after his Ducks lost Game 7 to Nashville. He described his meeting with general manager Bob Murray as quick and heartfelt.
“Quite frankly, I’m glad Bob did it when he did it and not waited too long. I thought that was pretty classy. It wasn’t not expected. We expected a lot from us on our team and I expected a lot from me. And we didn’t get to where we wanted to be,” he said.
The 61-year-old Boudreau still had one season remaining on his contract with Anaheim and is reportedly a candidate for the vacant jobs in Minnesota and Ottawa, though he wouldn’t confirm that to Stephens.
“I’ve had a couple conversations,” Boudreau said. “I can’t delve into it right now. Let’s put it this way: This is why my voice is so bad. I couldn’t talk at all Sunday. I’ve been on the phone all day Friday and Saturday. For 15 hours a day, it was pretty crazy.
“Whether it was the support of people talking to me about different things, it was pretty crazy. And fairly exciting.”
Hours after Boudreau spoke, the Calgary Flames fired head coach Bob Hartley, creating a third vacancy.
During a press conference Tuesday, Flames GM Brad Treliving asserted that Hartley’s dismissal had nothing to do with the candidates available to replace him.
Though Anaheim superstars Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry underwhelmed this post-season, and Murray had no problem questioning his core, Boudreau did not throw his players under the bus. He also asserted his desire to jump right back into work.
“They poured everything into it. They played with emotions and they played with pride. I can never complain that they never did their jobs or anything. I can’t do that,” Boudreau said of his roster.
“I love the game. I love the people involved in the game. There’s no place I’d rather be than a hockey arena. I just know that’s me.”
