Bruce Boudreau put in heartbreaking position in Vancouver

Bruce there it is… The Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau is in limbo. One of the most beloved coaches in the NHL, Boudreau has been facing tough questions when it comes to his job behind the Canucks’ bench lately.

Just over the weekend, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman pointed out that Canucks management appeared to have always picked Boudreau’s replacement in long time Jim Rutherford ally and former Pittsburgh Penguins assistant coach Rick Tocchet. When Boudreau was asked about the situation earlier this week, it was tough to hear the heartbreak in his voice as he addressed questions on his job security.

On Tuesday, things was made worse for Boudreau when Friedman explained in his 32 Thoughts column that when TSN’s Farhan Lalji said the coach was in a “challenging position,” Rutherford replied, “Yeah, well, we all are.”

And then: “Bruce is our coach, now.”

Friedman believes the Canucks do not want to fire Boudreau on the road, they play in Vancouver later tonight. Could this be Boudreau’s last game?

At the same time, Friedman points out that he is “not sure the timeline on Tocchet, but not convinced it will be this week.”

He also adds that former NHL defenseman “Sergei Gonchar is on the radar, but not sure if that will be a full-time assistant position or a hybrid/consulting role.”

In the meantime, Boudreau remains hard at work, well aware that he might have already lost the room, the fans and his job…

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