With his Vancouver Canucks tenure now in the rear-view mirror, Bruce Boudreau has had a moment to reflect on his time with the team and his future.
After the veteran coach was let go by the Canucks on Sunday, Boudreau joined SiriusXM NHL Network Radio's The Morning Skate to address his stint with, and dismissal from the team.
Boudreau wasn't willing to dive into every subject, though, most notably his relationship with Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin and president Jim Rutherford.
"It's a sensitive area and that's the one portion of this (interview) I would really rather not talk about in public," said Boudreau. "But at some point, maybe I'll feel compelled to say some things. Right now I'll leave that stuff private."
In the final moments of his last game with the team, a 4-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, Canucks fans rose to their feet and embarked in their most emphatic “Bruce, there it is!” chant of the night as Boudreau tearfully watched on, saluting Rogers Arena before making his way down the tunnel.
On a slightly lighter note, the former Jack Adams Award winner joked about the timing of his dismissal in the Morning Skate interview, saying he was expecting the move months ago.
"I was pretty sure it was coming from about October 8th, I just didn't know when," he said.
Boudreau's firing was one of the worst-kept secrets in the league. One week before the move, Rutherford confirmed he had spoken to potential candidates to replace his coach in recent months.
The 68-year-old isn't letting the dismissal dissuade him from coaching as he looks forward to his potential next chapter behind the bench.
"It happened Saturday and I'm on your show (Monday), I don't want to step away from it. I love this," said Boudreau. "I could've gone back to work yesterday. It gets you mad when it happens because nobody likes it to happen, but in essence when things are going bad you go: 'Geez, I just don't want to do this anymore,' but for me, it's like I want to show everybody that I'm still good ... I want to do this 'til I can't skate anymore."
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