Tampa Bay Lightning fire Head Coach
The slumping Tampa Bay Lighting are slated to miss the playoffs for the second year in a row, and so in hopes of shaking things up they have recently fired coach Guy Boucher.
The Lighting have been playing at a lower level then they’d like to be, and unfortunately some of the blame is put on Boucher. It’s not that Boucher has done a terrible job or shirked his duties as coach, but after two consecutive subpar years it was time for a change. Assistants Martin Raymond and Dan Lacroix will share coaching responsibilities for Sunday night’s game at Winnipeg and the owners will think of what to do from then on.
There are not many hard feelings though, GM Steve Yzerman speaks fondly of Boucher’s efforts as coach yet he also recognizes when a change is needed.
“Guy has poured his heart and soul into the Lightning organization for these past three years and we appreciate all the work he has done,” Yzerman said in a statement. “But ultimately I am not satisfied with the direction we are heading and I believe making a change today is in the best interest of our franchise.”
Boucher was hired in 2010 and the Lighting did rather well that year, but the following seasons they have fallen at a steady rate, causing a great amount of frustration and confusion. The Lightning currently hold a 13-17-1 record, good for next to last in the Eastern Conference.
From the outset the odds were against Boucher; he was the NHL’s youngest coach at the age of 38 and had never coached in the NHL before. You have to start somewhere though, and Boucher gave a good effort, here’s to hoping he can land a job elsewhere soon and continue on coaching.
