Canadian Guy Boucher became the new coach of HC Avangard

Canadian Guy Bouchet became the new head coach of the Omsk hockey club (HC) "Avangard". As the press service of the team reports on November 27, the mentor signed a contract until the end of the season 2025-2026.

"53-year-old specialist will arrive in Omsk and take the team in the first half of December. <...> Sergei Zvyagin will act as head coach until the arrival of Guy Bouchet," - indicated on the club's website.

It is noted that Boucher began his coaching career in the late 1990s in the QMJHL and QMAAA leagues, first as an assistant head coach and then head coach of various teams. He was head coach of the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs, and then led the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning.

In 2013, he accepted an invitation from Swiss club Bern. After returning to the NHL and spent three seasons as head coach of the Ottawa Senators (2016-2019). He spent the 2023/24 season as an assistant head coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Earlier, on November 26, HC Avangard defeated the reigning Gagarin Cup winner HC Metallurg from Magnitogorsk in a shootout with a score of 2:1. The game was held in Magnitogorsk in the regular championship of the Continental Hockey League (KHL). Thus, "Avangard", having scored 28 points, won a third consecutive victory and takes eighth place in the Eastern Conference of the KHL, adds "Sport-Express".

Before that, on November 18, the KHL announced the launch of the hockey championship in a new format 3x3. It was noted that in the first season of the tournament will take part eight teams from three countries - Omsk "Avangard", Kazan "Ak Bars", Magnitogorsk "Metallurg", Ufa "Salavat Yulaev", Novosibirsk "Sibir" and Chelyabinsk "Traktor", as well as Astana "Barys" and Minsk "Dynamo". The regular championship will last until June 2025, 312 matches will be played.