Throughout the process, Guy Boucher intentionally kept a low profile, but May was a wild month for the former Tampa Bay Lightning head coach. He had a window to speak with NHL teams that closed on June 1, and during that window, he certainly took advantage.
According to TVA’s Louis Jean, Boucher had a deal to be the Toronto Maple Leafs' coach locked up until Mike Babcock called. Jean also reported that Boucher had serious conversations with the New Jersey Devils about their head coach opening before the Devils hired John Hynes.
The previous summer, Boucher had two offers from teams that would have been great opportunities, but he didn’t have an out clause and wanted to honor his two-year contract to the team in Switzerland that hired him, SC Bern. That commitment led to a second-place finish in the Swiss National League A and trip to the playoff semifinals.
Things have gone well for Boucher in Switzerland, and now Boucher has emerged as the best available candidate for NHL teams looking to make an in-season change at head coach.