Bruce Boudreau led his 1000e game in the National Hockey League (NHL) on Sunday, and the 67-year-old Torontonian can hardly believe it.
Hired during the season by the Vancouver Canucks, Boudreau reached the plateau in a 3-1 loss to the New York Islanders. The result is certainly disappointing, but the accomplishment remains impressive.
“That’s all I ever wanted to do, be involved in hockey,” Boudreau said at a press conference before Sunday’s game. I had to take several winding roads. I still pinch myself to know where I am.
“I’m amazed that this is my 1000th game,” he added.
He thus became the 29th driver to achieve this, with the legendary Scotty Bowman at the top of the list (2141 games). Barry Trotz (1764), Lindy Ruff (1589), Darryl Sutter (1351), Peter Laviolette (1308) and Dave Tippett (1278) are the other active instructors to be part of this select group. Peter DeBoer and Todd McLellan, at 974, should get there by the end of the campaign.
Boudreau has also coached the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks and Minnesota Wild since the 2007-08 season. He has an overall record of 577-306-117 and won the Jack Adams Trophy in 2008.
If he won the Calder Cup with the Hershey Bears in the American League in 2006, he never did better than an appearance in the Western Conference Finals in the NHL. It was in 2015 with the Ducks.