Hockey Canada has pair of NHL veteran coaches on standby as Plan B

With COVID-19 cases circulating around the league, particularly with Ottawa's recent outbreak and the current one the New York Islanders are dealing with, it's making many people wonder, will the NHL go to the Olympics?

As of right now, the NHL fully intends on sending their players to the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February, and they have an opt-out date of January 10th if the ever-evolving COVID-19 situation around the league intensifies.

Hockey federations for the twelve participating nations in Beijing have backup plans in case the NHL opts out, and according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Hockey Canada has a pair of veteran coaches on standby.

"Depending on Olympic participation, countries may need a second coaching staff. Hearing Canada will have Claude Julien at the Spengler Cup -- and Olympics if the NHL doesn't go -- with Bruce Boudreau as an assistant. (Assuming neither is hired elsewhere by then.)" Friedman said in a tweet on Thursday.

Julien, 61, has been out of a job since being fired by the Montreal Canadiens eighteen games into the 2020-21 season. During the spring, he was linked to coaching vacancies with the Seattle Kraken and New York Rangers, but nothing materialized, nor was it confirmed that he had an interview with either team. He also has international experience behind the bench and was an assistant coach at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, bringing home the gold medal.

As for Boudreau, he hasn't been behind the bench since the 2019-20 season when he was fired 57 games in. If the NHL doesn't go to the Olympics, it would be Boudreau's first time coaching at the international level.

Depending on Olympic participation, countries may need a second coaching staff. Hearing Canada will have Claude Julien at the Spengler Cup -- and Olympics if the NHL doesn't go -- with Bruce Boudreau as an assistant. (Assuming neither is hired elsewhere by then.)— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 25, 2021

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