Guy Boucher to leave SC Bern after season, become coaching free agent
When the 2015-16 NHL regular season ends and the hirings and firings begin for next year, one head coach who will definitely be a free agent is Guy Boucher.
The former Tampa Bay Lightning bench boss informed his current club, Switzerland’s SC Bern, that he will not seek an extension when his contract ends after the season and will return home to Canada, citing family reasons.
"The decision to return to North America at the end of the season is a big relief for me," Boucher says in a press release. "It was a culmination of many months of internal family process that has led to this decision. The decision has nothing to to with SCB, where I feel very comfortable, even with other professional perspectives.
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I want to win with my team. And I'm more motivated than ever to give from my side everything possible.”
When NHL coaching jobs open up, Boucher’s name is always tossed into the mix of potential replacements. He was close to taking over the Toronto Maple Leafs job in the summer before Mike Babcock stepped in. He had an out-clause in his contract with Bern this past summer, but he failed to make a return to this side of the Atlantic.
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Boucher was hired in the middle of the 2013-14 season and took Bern from an out-of-the-playoffs 70-point team to a 96-point squad that reached the National League A semifinals last season. Currently, Bern sits fifth overall in the league through 19 games.
UPDATE: On Wednesday, Boucher revealed that the reason for wanting to return to Canada is because his mother is battling cancer. He writes that she is doing better, but being home last spring taking care of her made him realize the difficulties of living so far away during the season.
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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy
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