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Montreal Canadiens: Jöel Bouchard should be making a decision soon

By Omar L

BOISBRIAND, QC - SEPTEMBER 29: Head coach of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada Joel Bouchard takes to the ice prior to the QMJHL game against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies at Centre d'Excellence Sports Rousseau on September 29, 2017 in Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada. The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies defeated the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 4-2. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
BOISBRIAND, QC - SEPTEMBER 29: Head coach of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada Joel Bouchard takes to the ice prior to the QMJHL game against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies at Centre d'Excellence Sports Rousseau on September 29, 2017 in Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada. The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies defeated the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 4-2. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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The Montreal Canadiens may get an answer from Jöel Bouchard soon as his Blainville-Boisbriand Armada lost Game 6 Sunday afternoon.

The 2018 Memorial Cup could’ve had a Montreal Canadiens prospect from each faction of the CHL taking part. Cale Fleury has an automatic into the tournament as his Regina Pats are the team hosting this year. Will Bitten and the Hamilton Bulldogs earned their way in after defeating the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and claiming the J. Ross Robertson Cup.

Alexandre Alain and the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada had the chance to do the same and win their league’s championship but failed. The Armada went into a do-or-die situation in Game 6 as Acadie-Bathurst were up 3-2 in the series. The team struggled with putting up numbers consistently, and the same thing happened that afternoon.

It was a 2-1 decision that had Acadie-Bathurst claim the President Cup and end Alain’s season. To see such a solid performance by the 21-year-old end this way is tough, but there is a silver lining to this, and that comes at the hands of Jöel Bouchard.

It’s no surprise that he is one of the names expected to join the Montreal Canadiens in some capacity. Odds are it’s as the new head coach for the Laval Rocket who are well in need of a new direction and face. However, there’s also the chance he joins Claude Julien and Dominique Ducharme behind the Habs bench next season. Perhaps Marc Bergevin has bigger plans for Bouchard, and he fills in as the new assistant general manager.

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An article by Le Journal de Montrèal put a nice slab of confirmation to all the rumours. It was revealed that Bergevin and Bouchard indeed met but that a decision wouldn’t be made until after the Armada’s season. Well, like it or not, that end has already come.

Any announcement about Bouchard and the Montreal Canadiens will most likely be announced later in the week though. As great as an opportunity this is, he did just lose a hard-fought playoff series. To pile it on a little more thick, it was the second year in a row where Bouchard lost in the Cup Final.

Last year had the Armada lose in four games to the Saint Johns Ice Dogs. Losing in six looks better than getting swept, but it’s still a loss in the championship round which has to sting the most.

If this is the end of Bouchard in the QMJHL, he’s walking away with a nice record in his portfolio. Since joining the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, the 44-year-old has an134-48-22 record in 204 games (each resulting in a playoff berth). His work on that team is undeniable, and it will be interesting to see what kind of impact he has with the Habs.

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For now, it’ll be about dealing with another tough defeat. But the signs are now pointed to a greater future for Bouchard and one that will make the Montreal Canadiens better in the long run.

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