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Minnesota Wild Make Bruce Boudreau Head Coach

By Danny Lambert

May 27, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Anaheim Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau during the third period in game six of the Western Conference Final of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center. Chicago won 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
May 27, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Anaheim Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau during the third period in game six of the Western Conference Final of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center. Chicago won 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Minnesota Wild got their man.  Bruce Boudreau is named the fourth head coach in franchise history Saturday night for a hefty $4 million dollars a season.

It was no secret that the number one priority for the Wild and GM Chuck Fletcher was to find the team’s next head coach.  With over a month to go before the final puck drop of the playoffs, it was expected that the normally methodical Fletcher would have taken his time in his coaching search.  Instead of taking his time Fletcher decided, more than likely with pressure from owner Craig Leipold, that no waiting was necessary and pulled the trigger to sign Bruce Boudreau to be his next full-time head coach.

Boudreau’s record speaks for itself.  According to Wild.com Boudreau is 409-192-80 in nine NHL seasons with the Washington Capitals and the Anaheim Ducks with eight division titles.  Very impressive numbers to say the least.  Even more impressive is that Boudreau owns the distinction of reaching 400 regular season wins faster than any head coach in NHL history, and is a former Jack Adams Trophy winner as the leagues’ best coach in 2008.

Regular season aside, it has been Boudreau’s record in the playoffs that rousted him from his last two positions in Washington and Anaheim.  He is only 41-39 in his eight Stanley Cup Playoffs behind the bench.  Probably what is more of a monkey on the back of Boudreau in the playoffs is the fact that according to Chad Graff of the Pioneer Press he has lost four straight Game 7s.

The Wild did interview others for their coaching position, to include former Stanley Cup champion coach Randy Carlyle and John Torchetti, who was the interim head coach after Mike Yeo was fired in February.  There must have been something about Boudreau that quickly made him the front runner.  Additionally, it was rumored that Boudreau was very interested in the open job in Ottawa, so the Wild felt compelled to substantially up their offer.

The substantially upped offer accepted by Boudreau is for a reported $3 million over four years.  According to Graff, that number is the most ever spent by owner Craig Leipold on a head coach since he purchased the team in 2008.  So it’s clear that this move was not simply Fletcher’s doing as Leipold had a big hand in authorizing the salary to get Boudreau into the Wild’s camp.

Next: Like it or Not Chuck Fletcher is Here To Stay

Hiring Boudreau this quickly means that the Wild are now clearly free to spend the rest of the offseason on the draft and personnel upgrades.  If Boudreau was the right man for the job, that’s not as clear.  What is clear is that the Wild have a new head coach and will be looking to win and win big in the 2016-17 season.  Winning in the 2017 playoffs…well, let’s see if Boudreau can spend the summer figuring out how to do that.          

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