Joël Bouchard spoke for a good 15 minutes with Anthony Marcotte, host of 91.9 Sports and voice of the Laval Rocket, before his departure for San Diego, the new challenge he will face in the coming weeks.
During this discussion between two men who respect each other a lot, Bouchard came back on the reasons that pushed him to accept the proposal of the Anaheim Ducks organization, which was quite out of left field. Bouchard was in no way unhappy with the Laval Rocket. He loved his players, there is nothing negative to say about the great Montreal Canadiens organization, but he needed a new challenge.
As a human being, as a hockey guy, you sometimes have to get out of your slippers that are maybe a little too comfortable to help you progress. With the Ducks organization, he will be part of a total rebuild, and that's exactly the scenario that motivates him. The Laval Rocket has become a force in the AHL, so it's less of a challenge in Joel Bouchard's eyes.
Bouchard lives only seven minutes from the Rocket's complex, Place Bell, so his choice shows that he wanted to get out of his comfort zone and progress as a hockey man. Bouchard was also attracted to the culture and philosophy of the Anaheim Ducks organization, which follows a well established plan for the progression of the franchise.
In short, Bouchard would have liked to work with Ducharme, but his mind was made up; he really wanted to experience something else that would allow him to progress. However, his departure hurt him and his former players, who gave him several testimonials.
