Head Coach Joel Bouchard Looks To Establish Team Identity

Oct 14, 2021

By AJ Manderichio/SanDiegoGulls.com

The Gulls flew south from Orange County, setting up their nest in San Diego for the first time since the shortened 2019-20 season.

The familiar sounds of practice returned to The Rinks – Poway Ice on Thursday morning, a chorus of sticks slapping pucks, skates cutting ice and whistles instructing players to begin and end a drill. With a roster settled – for the time being – head coach Joel Bouchard began the important process of defining how his team will play.

“Style of play,” he said when asked about the focus of today’s practice. “We have guys always last minute in the American Hockey League (added to the team). We just got here yesterday. Guys have been coming back every day. The guys from rookie camp have obviously been hearing the same message. Now, it's new for other guys, so I need to wait until we're all on the same page to kind of move forward. So it's really style of play, habits and identity now. And it's going to take time. I'm not going to call victory after two days and even after the weekend. Let's see how we do, let's debrief after.”

The players also noticed – and appreciated – the passion their head coach brings to the ice.

“I think passionate is the best word to describe him,” defenseman Simon Benoit said. “He's a very passionate coach, and he wants us to get better as people first and then hockey players as well. I think from that, he's going to bring a lot of good stuff to us and help us as hockey players and also as a human being, you know.”

Benoit is one of the handful of late additions to the Gulls roster. The Laval, Quebec native was one of the final cuts from Anaheim’s training camp. He’s adjusting to new teammates and a new coaching system while returning to a place he truly enjoys.

“I've been here since...I think this is my fourth year,” he said. “Last year, we were in Irvine, but my first three years I loved it here. For me, it's just back to the basics. Keep working, put in the gym everyday and just working hard.”

Benoit experienced plenty of career highlights during the 2020-21 season, including his NHL debut on April 28 against the Los Angeles Kings. He played six games with the Ducks, recording two penalty minutes (PIM). He also skated in 38 games with the Gulls, recording 1-7=8 points and 32 PIM.

The defenseman is following an upward trajectory, moving from a camp tryout in 2018 to becoming a regular on San Diego’s blueline with an eye on moving up – and staying with – the Ducks.

“I've worked hard,” he said. “I mean, I didn't get drafted, I got invited here. I started on a one-way in the American (Hockey) League. I worked really hard my first year to get the contract I have right now. I'm just going to keep working. Even though I'm here right now, the job is just starting. Everything I've done before doesn't matter; everything I'm going to do from now on is going to count to be able to go up there. Keep working, keep my head grounded and go for it.”

His progression – and how he can have an impact in Anaheim down the road – will help Bouchard’s identity resonate with the players. His practice today focused on pace – playing and thinking quickly to help players succeed at this level and beyond.

“The pace of the National Hockey League is very fast, so I must push them to play at an NHL pace because when they're going to get called up, an hour-and-25-minutes north, it's not going to get easier for them,” he explained. “Our job is to keep that winning environment, that winning mindset that the scoreboard is important but also that their game is shaped up for the NHL so when they go on the ice, Dallas (Eakins, Anaheim Ducks head coach) can rely on them and know they're going to keep up.”

Bouchard appreciates his time in Orange County and looks forward to beginning to lay the foundation for a successful environment in San Diego.

“It's always good to create the environment, and that's our job here from the coaching staff, management and players,” Bouchard said. “It's to create that environment we want, so it's my job to make sure when we get together in San Diego or when we're together on the road, we have a way of thinking when we're at the rink. We're not wasting time and everything. To be back in San Diego, we're back in our environment, where we can start putting those building blocks every day.”

The flock who journeyed down from Anaheim is a good one. San Diego’s roster is loaded with offensive firepower, strength on the blue line and a top-end goaltender. While names like Sam Carrick, Brogan Rafferty and Lukas Dostal are sure to impress even the casual fan, San Diego’s bench boss knows the team is nothing without an established identity.

“I don't care how good they are now, I care about how good they're going to be in a few weeks,” Bouchard said. “The roster is just a paper for me. Paper means nothing. It's all about what happens on the ice. You can have the best roster on paper, but if the guys don't push together, are not on the same page, it means absolutely nothing. We do have good players, players we like, which is fun. Players that are knocking on the front door of the NHL. Some of them have played good minutes and played really good in the AHL, which is good news. That being said, there's one place you value and it's on the ice. Let's see how we do over the next few weeks.”