Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois added two Quebecers to his organization Monday, naming Joel Bouchard and Daniel Jacob to be the head coach and assistant coach of the Syracuse Crunch, respectively.
These changes also mean the end of Benoit Groulx’s tenure at the bench. He will take on other functions in the Lightning organization, but these have not been specified.
Bouchard, a former National League defenseman, is well known among hockey fans in La Belle province. He was general manager and pilot of the Armada de Blainville-Boisbriand in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, combining those two roles from 2014 to 2018 after serving as DG from 2011. He then led the Armada de Blainville-Boisbriand Laval Rocket, a Montreal Canadiens affiliate of the American League (AHL), served three years before joining the San Diego Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks varsity club, in 2021-2022. directed.
“The position of our AHL team’s head coach is critical in the context of our player development program. Joël will offer all his knowledge with contagious enthusiasm, BriseBois said in a press release. He is a strong leader with a track record of helping athletes and teams reach their full potential.”
“I feel very privileged to join such a great organization,” said Bouchard, 49. The next few months will be very exciting for the Lightning and I expect we will continue Syracuse’s tradition of excellence on and off the ice .
In turn, Jacob acted as Bouchard’s assistant in Boisbriand, Laval and San Diego. As such, the two men will face the Rocket multiple times in 2023-2024, with Laval playing like the Crunch in the AHL’s North Division.
Fertile Era
In addition, the CEO of the “Bolts” returned the loan to Groulx, who oversaw the subsidiary’s operations for the past seven years. “I want to thank him for his leadership and his constant pursuit of excellence,” said BriseBois. He was instrumental in the Lightning’s victories, including two Stanley Cups, a Presidents’ Trophy, three conference titles and a Calder Cup Final appearance.