‘He would stand up for me’: Bruce Boudreau says Luke Schenn defended him to Canucks management

Former Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau spoke at length about his coaching career, his various experiences being fired, and his relationships with players in an appearance on The Jeff Marek Show on Friday.

Boudreau specifically praised ex-Canucks defenceman Luke Schenn, who was with the team throughout his entire tenure as head coach. The Canucks traded Schenn to the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the 2023 trade deadline.

While the Maple Leafs haven’t won a playoff series since 2004, Boudreau didn’t hold back in predicting the value Schenn will offer the team in its upcoming matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“Luke Schenn will protect every player on that team. He knows what to do, he’s been around a long time. He knows when to do it, more importantly,” Boudreau said. “He’s good friends with all of those Tampa guys, but when it comes to being on your own team, he’s gonna protect everybody.

“But the one thing about Luke is, he’s not going to go out and initiate it. He’ll be physical, he’ll hit everything that he can, but he’s not going to initiate stupid stuff, but he will be there to back up everybody. He knew that’s what he was in Vancouver. He was our only real guy that could do that, and he’s the guy in Toronto as well.”

Schenn’s willingness to protect his teammates apparently extended to his coach. According to Boudreau, the veteran defender would check in with Canucks management leading up to the team’s very public coaching change last winter.

“He would stand up for me as well as players, every chance he got,” Boudreau continued. “He would go upstairs and talk to management and say, ‘Hey, listen, what are you doing, Bruce is doing a great job.’ So, I mean, this is the kind of character he’s got.”

Schenn, 33, collected three goals and 21 points while averaging 17:11 in 55 games with the Canucks during the 2022–23 regular season. On Feb. 28, the Maple Leafs acquired Schenn from the Canucks in exchange for a 2023 third-round draft pick.

The Canucks ultimately fired Boudreau on Jan. 22, replacing him with former Arizona Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet. The club finished the 2022–23 campaign with a 38–37–7 record and 83 points, enough to finish sixth in the Pacific Division.