Since the conclusion of the 2015-2016 season, it has simply been a matter of searching for the Ottawa Senators as they have been without a coach to top it all off given the fact of which Dave Cameron just was not the right guy for the job after having been fired back in alongside his coaches Andre Tourigny, Rick Wamsley and Jason Smith.
That being said, the need to re-build upon what has been a winning franchise in the past has been considered rather desperate but with many front office moves having taken place as well, it was not an easy start.
Looking back on early April, general manager Bryan Murray decided to step down after nine seasons in the position while passing on the torch to Pierre Dorion who finally realized that it was about time for something to be done.
As noted by TSN.ca, a big part in the announcement had to do with the fact of which Murray has been dealing with a fight against Stage 4 colon cancer which he informed the organization of back in November of 2014.
With Dorion taking over, Murray looks to take on a different role from within, however, it will be one that works better with his schedule as he continues to be checked up upon on a regular basis.
During his tenure, he has gone through five head coaches while having only made it past round 1 of the playoffs.
In terms of selecting a head coach for the upcoming season, this comes as much needed given the club has only seen one Stanley Cup playoff appearance which was back in 2004 when they fell to the in games.
With only a small group to go through, it did not come easy with the initial thought being Claude Julien would be fired by the Boston Bruins which would be a huge deal for the city of Ottawa as he has seen playoff action times in the last years.
Recently, more coaches have been put on the active market as the Calgary Flames relieved Bob Hartley of his duties after three seasons with the club while recording a record of 134-135-25.
After just one season with Mike Yeo, it turns out he wasn't exactly what the Minnesota Wild thought he would be and let him go at the season's conclusion and later picked up Bruce Boudreau who was dropped from the Anaheim Ducks as he was unable to lead them past the month of April.
What will things look like come the 2016-2017 season?
Guy Boucher spoke with the local media on Tuesday, just a day after his introductory conference, where he made quite the first impression as he clearly stated a new yet aggressive approach to the game will come along with a newly selected defensive structure.
He also spoke out about his temper which has been used in previous years with the Tampa Bay Lightning where he said, "Sometimes it's time to use it, sometimes it's not time to use it … I've had teams where they didn't need much emotion and I've had other teams where it's the opposite. It's really what you have and where the guys are. I've had some individuals where you have to start softer and you become harder as you go along and some other guys it's the opposite. Do I have a temper? I think all NHL coaches have a temper whether you see it or not and it's just something you manage.”
Dorion had his sights set high, however, he was also seeking a new bench coach and interviewed just under 10 candidates to take the position. When Dorion spoke out, he said the following, "Through this process I had our assistant general manager Randy Lee with me and after we did the last interview I wrote down on a piece of paper, 'Who's your number one choice?' It was undoubtedly Guy [that] was our number one choice," he said.
As noted by CBC, Dorion spent more than 12 hours interviewing Boucher over the course of two meetings and felt they were on the same page from the beginning.
As far as expectations go, Dorion said, "We both want to play an up-tempo style, we both want to have defensive structure. One thing that really impressed me about Guy was his attention to detail. The interviews weren't always kind questions and whenever problem situations arose during the questions Guy was right there ready to answer right away."
As for Boucher's thoughts, he said he also felt it was a comfortable fit with Dorion and sees a lot to look forward to in the team he's taking over. Talking more about how he looks to re-form this team, Boucher said, "You have the players that represent your style and I think we have that: speed up front, transitioning defencemen, good goaltender, the possibility of improving the defensive side of it with structure, which I think I'm known for. But I think the partnership with the GM is absolutely something that I wanted to convey to the organization because I thought Pierre was something I could fit with."
Ottawa's Mike Hoffman played in part of two seasons under the direction of Boucher when they were both in junior hockey with the Drummondville Voltigeurs.
What else in brewing in the nation's capital?
In other news, the Senators have brought aboard former NHL coach Marc Crawford who will be working with the minor league system in Binghampton where part of his job will include scouting other NHL teams. In previous years, Crawford has won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche back in 1996 as well also a recent victory with team Switzerland where he worked as an associate coach.
It is said that Boucher will take his first week with the club to reach out to his players including Erik Karlsson as he looks to get an idea of who everybody is and try to make sure the club capitalizes on its strengths.
While talking about being able to do this, Boucher said, “It’s a great challenge I’m being given. I just can’t wait to start. I’m more hungry than ever.”
Looking at where things currently stand, the club is convinced Boucher is going to be able to help out while giving a whole new outlook for a team searching for new highs as soon as the upcoming season.
Boucher was the first to get an interview with Dorion after the Montreal Canadiens pulled out of negotiations in order to keep Michel Therrien around for at least a while longer. Looking at how he presented himself, Dorion said, "I believe in making strong first impressions and his first impression was simply outstanding. Guy brings passion, drive, great communication skills, knowledge of the game, intelligence. He’s progressive and he’s innovative.
“What impressed me the most was the way he was able to translate in the interview process how we have to play to have success. You can know all the X’s and O’s but if the players don’t understand your message, how can you perform and win?”
Players such as Bobby Ryan, Kyle Turris, Mika Zibanejad and Clarke MacArthur will be among those working towards their defensive skills as the change in approach will become effective immediately.
Looking ahead to the start of training, Boucher said, “We’re going to start in camp very fast. I hate to waste time. I think this team is ready now to play well, right away. How far can we go at the beginning in every aspect of the game, that’s something we’ll have to evaluate once we start with what I’m asking. But one thing is for sure — we’re going to put a lot of emphasis on the defensive structure.”
Training gets underway on September 22 at the Bell SensPlex in Kanata, Ottawa.