Bouchard replaces Kevin Dineen behind San Diego’s bench following three seasons as head coach of the Montreal Canadiens’ primary development affiliate in Laval.
The Anaheim Ducks announced today that the National Hockey League (NHL) club has named Joel Bouchard head coach of the San Diego Gulls, Anaheim’s primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL). With the announcement, Bouchard becomes the third head coach in Gulls AHL history.
Bouchard, 47 (1/23/74), spent the past three seasons as the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens’ primary development affiliate in Laval, guiding the club to an 83-67-24 record. He led the Rocket to a 23-9-4 record in 2020-21, winning the Canadian Division while posting the second-highest points percentage in the AHL (.694).
“We want to thank Kevin Dineen for all he contributed the last two seasons. He was key in maintaining a winning environment in San Diego, including a difficult season during the pandemic,” said Ducks Executive Vice President/General Manager Bob Murray.
“The opportunity to bring in Joel Bouchard as head coach of our American Hockey League club was something that we could not pass up. Joel has a strong track record coaching and developing players at the professional, junior and international level. This is the primary focus for us, and Joel fits the bill perfectly.”
A native of Montreal, Quebec, Bouchard spent seven seasons from 2011-18 as general manager of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), while also serving as head coach from 2014-18. In 272 games behind the Armada bench, he posted a 160-80-32 record, including consecutive QMJHL President Cup Finals appearances in 2017 and 2018. He also served as an assistant coach with the Montreal Junior of the QMJHL from 2008-11 before the franchise relocated to Blainville-Boisbriand in 2011.
Bouchard also served as the general manager of the Canadian National Junior Team for two years, assembling a roster that won a gold medal at the 2018 World Junior Championship and silver in the 2017 tournament.
Selected by the Calgary Flames in the sixth round (129th overall) of the 1992 NHL Draft, Bouchard played in 364 career NHL games with Calgary, Nashville, Dallas, Phoenix, New Jersey, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh and New York Islanders, recording 22-53=75 points. He also appeared in 293 career AHL games, earning 37-108=145 points while being named an AHL All-Star in 1994-95 and 1995-96. Bouchard helped Canada to gold medals at the 1997 World Championship and back-to-back World Junior Championships in 1993 and 1994.
