Boucher is the former head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL).
[5] He developed a "1-3-1" defensive system at Tampa that led to a famous incident against the Philadelphia Flyers where the Flyers held back the puck in their defensive zone, refusing to advance, while the Lightning team waited and did not attack the puck carrier, leading to several minutes of no action.
[6] In his rookie year as an NHL head coach, Boucher led the Tampa Bay Lightning to game seven of the Eastern Conference Final.
On March 24, 2013, the team's general manager Steve Yzerman fired Boucher following a 5–3 loss against the Ottawa Senators.
On January 27, 2014, the Swiss ice hockey club SC Bern announced the signing of Guy Boucher as their head coach.
On November 18, 2015, Boucher was fired by SC Bern following a four-game losing streak and a ninth-place finish in the NLA.
In his first season, the club advanced to the Eastern Conference Final, losing in double overtime in game seven to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
[12] On June 15, 2024, the Maple Leafs announced that Boucher won't return to the coaching staff for the 2024-25 season.
[13] On November 27, 2024, Boucher signed a contract as a head coach of Russian team Avangard Omsk of KHL until the end of the 2025–26 season.