St. Catharines OHL team adds another former NHLer to the ranks

First it was the Great One, Wayne Gretzky, who signed on as a co-owner with the Niagara IceDogs after Darren and Michelle DeDobbelaer took over the team in the 2022 off-season.

Next came former NHL goalie Rick Wamsley as a Hockey Consultant to the squad last November.

Now the IceDogs have added former NHL player and long-time NHL coach Bruce Boudreau as a Senior Advisor to the club. It’ll be a father-and-son affair as his son Ben Boudreau was hired as Associate Coach back in early July.

“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. I look forward to one day celebrating a Memorial Cup with the Niagara IceDogs.” said Boudreau.

It’s a homecoming of sorts for Boudreau, who, in his youth, played two seasons in St. Catharines with the now defunct St. Catharines Saints of the American Hockey League.

While he has 634 career games in the AHL, he is best known for playing with both Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks but even more so for his coaching career.

His NHL coaching career lasted 16 seasons across four NHL teams; the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks. During his NHL tenure, Boudreau was awarded the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s Best Head Coach in the 2007-2008 season.