Former Minnesota Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau was hired by the the Ontario Hockey League's Niagara IceDogs as a senior advisor, the junior hockey club announced on Wednesday morning. 

Boudreau, 68, joins his son and the team's assistant coach Ben Boudreau on the club's staff. The longtime NHL coach most recently served as the boss behind the Vancouver Canucks' bench before his mid-season firing in January, which brought in Rick Tocchet as Boudreau's successor.

"I am very proud, happy and excited to help the Niagara IceDogs in any way I can. The Niagara area will always have a special place in heart," Boudreau said in the IceDogs' statement. "I look forward to one day celebrating a Memorial Cup with the Niagara IceDogs."

Boudreau served as head coach of the Wild for parts of four seasons from 2016-17 to 2019-20 before his eventual firing in February 2020. Boudreau completed his Wild tenure with a 158-110-35 record. 

The Wild made the playoffs in Boudreau's first two years at the helm, both ending with early first-round exits. Then the Wild missed the playoffs in 2018-19, Boudreau's third season in Minnesota, for the first time since 2011-12. After starting 27-23-7 in the 2019-20 season, Boudreau was fired in February and replaced by then-assistant coach Dean Evason, who was given the interim tag before being named the permanent head coach in July of 2020.

Boudreau, who won the Jack Adams Trophy in Washington, has an established pedigree and a long record of success both as a player and coach. He recorded 70 points in 141 games between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks in parts of seven NHL seasons and also notched 799 points in 634 American Hockey League games with various clubs, which ranks third all-time in AHL scoring.

Boudreau's coaching career began in 1992-93 with the CoHL's Muskegon Fury before he moved on to coach three seasons (two as head coach) in the International Hockey League with the then IHL's Fort Wayne Komets and San Francisco Spiders. After that, he spent three seasons in the ECHL as the bench boss of the Mississippi Sea Wolves.  Boudreau then coached nine seasons in the AHL with the Lowell Lock Monsters (1999-2001), Manchester Monarchs (2001-2005) and Hershey Bears (2005-08).

Boudreau's first NHL coaching job came with the Washington Capitals when he was hired during the 2007-08 season. Boudreau went on to coach the Anaheim Ducks (2012-16), Wild (2016-2020) and Canucks (2021-23) after his departure from the Capitals in 2011.

Boudreau has had a lot of success as an NHL coach, having won 617 games, which ties fellow former Wild head coach Jacques Lemaire for 20th all-time. Boudreau, who ranks 26th all-time with 1087 games coached, has a record of 617-342-128 in his coaching career. Boudreau's .626 points percentage ranks fifth among the 76 coaches who have been behind the bench a minimum of 500 games.

"Anytime you can add someone with a pedigree, history and passion like Bruce can bring, it has to be a win for everyone involved," IceDogs owner Darren DeDobbelaer said in a statement. "We are humbled that he would even consider our offer."

All Data and Information Via Hockey-Reference, Elite Prospects and NHL.com