The Tampa Bay Lightning have named Joel Bouchard as general manager of the Syracuse Crunch. He will continue to serve as head coach as well.
Bouchard, 51, joined the organization on June 26, 2023, and has guided the Crunch to a record of 76-47-12-9 as well as back-to-back appearances in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Montreal native previously served as GM of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL from 2011 to 2018. In addition to his duties as general manager, he also worked behind the bench as head coach of the Armada from 2014 to 2018. Bouchard also served as the general manager of the Canadian National Junior Team for two years, assembling rosters that won a gold medal at the 2018 World Junior Championship and silver in the 2017 tournament.
Bouchard has coached in 386 career AHL games with the Crunch, San Diego Gulls and Laval Rocket, posting a 187-147-30-22 record. As a player, Bouchard skated for 15 professional seasons, including 364 National Hockey League games with Calgary, Nashville, Dallas, Phoenix, New Jersey, the N.Y. Rangers, Pittsburgh and the N.Y. Islanders. Bouchard also appeared in 293 games in the AHL with the Saint John Flames, Albany River Rats, Hartford Wolf Pack, Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Hamilton Bulldogs, and was an AHL All-Star in 1995 and 1996.
