Bouchard, 52, was named the Crunch’s general manager on July 7, 2025, taking on the role in addition to his commitment as head coach. He enters his fourth season as head coach of the Crunch after he was hired on June 26, 2023. In his first campaign, Bouchard led the Crunch to a 39-24-4-5 record and guided the team to the North Division Finals for the first time since 2018. Seven players made their NHL debuts and also skated for the Crunch in 2023-24.
In his second season at the helm, Bouchard’s team posted a 37-23-8-4 record and a third place finish in the North Division. Under his guidance, the Crunch finished tied for the fewest goals against in the league for only the second time in team history, and for the first time since 2018-19.
In his third season, the Crunch posted their first 40-win season since 2021-22, finishing with a 41-24-3-4 record for second place in the North Division. Through three seasons, Bouchard has compiled a 117-71-15-13 regular season record, good for a 0.606 points percentage.
Prior to his time in Syracuse, Bouchard spent one season (2021-22) as head coach of the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, leading the team to the Calder Cup Playoffs. He spent the previous three seasons as head coach of the Laval Rocket from 2018 to 2021, posting an 83-67-14-10 record in that span. He led the Rocket to their first division championship in 2020-21 when the team finished 23-9-3-1 to win the Canadian Division. In five previous AHL seasons, Bouchard has compiled an 150-124-22-18 record for a 0.523 points percentage.
He had been the head coach of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for four seasons from 2014 to 2018, during which he posted a 160-80-32 record. The Armada advanced to the their first two President Cup Finals in 2017 and 2018. He also served as General Manager of the Armada from 2011 to 2018.
Bouchard served as General Manager for the Canadian National Junior Team, assembling a roster that claimed a silver medal in 2017 and a gold medal in 2018 at the World Junior Championship.
The Montreal, Quebec native enjoyed a 14-year pro career in the NHL and AHL, beginning in 1994. The defenseman appeared in 364 NHL games for Calgary, Nashville, Dallas, Phoenix, New Jersey, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh and New York Islanders. He also won two gold medals at the World Junior Championships in 1993 and 1994.
Bouchard is the 10th head coach in Syracuse Crunch history, replacing Ben Groulx, who had been the team’s head coach for seven seasons, beginning with the 2016-17 season.
