How Andy Murray saved Bruce Boudreau's life on 9/11.

For many of us who follow the National Hockey League, long time head coach Bruce Boudreau has long been one of the more loveable characters in the game. Boudreau can often be found with a big smile on his face and is known to simply be one of the truly nice guys in the sport, and it's crazy to think that we nearly lost him before his career as a head coach ever got underway.

Boudreau was originally scheduled to be on United Airlines flight 175 on September 11th, 2001, the plane that would eventually crash into the South Tower of the World Trade Center, but a fortunate twist of fate would save his life from ending prematurely.

Boudreau was, at the time, working in the Los Angeles Kings organization as the head coach of the Manchester Monarchs and it was his role with that team that would prove to be his saving grace. Kings head coach Andy Murray made the decision to call an impromptu coaches' dinner the evening prior on September 10th, a decision that forced Boudreau to adjust his travel plans and get on an earlier flight, saving his life in the process.

"Andy Murray, well … he did, he saved my life," admitted Boudreau this week as per Postmedia.

While the decision would save Boudreau's life, it wouldn't spare him from tragedy on that day however. As many of you know Garnet "Ace" Bailey and Mark Davis were both working as scouts for the Kings' organization at the time and as neither of them were coaches, there was no need for them to attend the coaches' dinner. Both Bailey and Davis would board United Airlines flight 175, losing their lives when the plane exploded on impact.

Unsurprisingly, Boudreau thinks of his close friend Ace Bailey on this day each year.

“I think about Ace all the time. We were tight as thieves. He lived in Boston, he was coming up and watching our games all the time. Just like when he was as a player, he was the big protector of me. If somebody said something bad he’d go right after them and he protected me within the organization if somebody was saying we’re not doing things right, he would jump to my help. And so I mean, it was a big loss for friendship. You ask anybody, he was loved by everybody,” said Boudreau.

Every year, when September 11th rolls around, Boudreau is reminded of how lucky he is to be alive.