Establishing the Senators identity and why it's important Former Ottawa Senators head coach Guy Boucher is heading for Russia. Boucher has been hired to be the new bench boss for Avangard Omsk of the KHL. He's signed on for the rest of this season and next, taking over a team that's third in the Chemyshev Division with a record of 13-16. Boucher led the Sens to their most recent Stanley Cup Playoff appearance, taking them to the Eastern Conference Final in 2017 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48MDCrwDG5s]. The following year, the Sens fell apart and missed the playoffs, and the year after that, Boucher was fired in mid-season. It was uncanny how similar it was to his time in Tampa Bay. He took the Lightning to the Eastern Conference Final in 2011. The following year, the Lightning fell apart and missed the playoffs, and the year after that, Boucher was fired in mid-season. [https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/last-place-senators-fire-guy-boucher-151820418.html] Boucher was Sheldon Keefe's assistant coach in Toronto last season. When Keefe was fired [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/we-determined-a-new-voice-is-needed-why-sheldon-keefe-was-fired-as-head-coach-of-the-toronto-maple-leafs], his replacement Craig Berube filled out his own staff and Boucher wasn't part of it. Keefe didn't take Boucher with him when he landed the gig in New Jersey either. So after a five month rest (and rest is a weapon), Boucher is returning to coaching by heading for the KHL to coach the same team that Hawkesbury's Bob Hartley coached for four seasons. Hartley won a championship with the club in 2021. He also won a Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2001, the Ray Bourque Cup. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmQMbMs8_7U] Boucher guided Canada to gold at the 2015 Spengler Cup, [https://www.tsn.ca/canada-runs-table-to-win-2015-spengler-cup-1.416250] and also coached three years in Switzerland. In 2009-10, he worked for Sens owner Michael Andlauer [https://theahl.com/news/boucher-appointed-top-dog-in-hamilton] as head coach of the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs, posting a 52-17 record, which caught the eye of the Lightning who hired him the following season. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/boucher-takes-over-as-coach-of-the-lightning-promises-to-build-winning-culture]
