Bruce Boudreau Fired by Ducks: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

The Anaheim Ducks fired head coach Bruce Boudreau on Friday, two days after the Nashville Predators eliminated the Ducks in the first round of the NHL playoffs.

Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register passed along the news. Curtis Zupke of the Los Angeles Times provided a statement from general manager Bob Murray: "This was a very difficult decision to make. Bruce is a good coach and character person and we wish him the best of luck in the future."

Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com added some insight into the next step for Anaheim:

Boudreau joined the Ducks around a quarter of the way through the 2011-12 campaign. The Washington Capitals fired him amid a sluggish stretch, and Anaheim wasted no time pursuing him, reaching an agreement just two days later.

He finishes his time with the organization sporting a 208-104-40 record across five years at the helm. The Ducks qualified for the postseason in each of his final four seasons behind the bench, but an appearance in the Western Conference Final last season marked their best playoff showing.

Anaheim got off to a miserable start to the 2015-16 season due to almost nonexistent offensive production for the first couple of months, but Boudreau orchestrated a major turnaround during the second half, leading the team to a Pacific Division title.

He explained to Corey Masisak of Sporting News that a more complete effort was key: "It is a weird thing. You can call it what you want, but when I'm talking to my wife it seems like a neat situation. I think the players play hard for me, and that's what it shows in the results."

However, the tremendous finish to the season may have played a role in his downfall. Expectations were high heading into the playoffs, which led to even more disappointment when the Ducks were sent packing in Round 1.

Boudreau has put together an impressive resume during his time with the Capitals and Ducks. His overall points percentage (.659) ranks second all-time among coaches of at least 100 games, slightly ahead of the legendary Scotty Bowman, per Hockey-Reference.

The lack of a Stanley Cup triumph while coaching two championship contenders is a glaring void, but Boudreau should get another chance elsewhere, even if it doesn't come as quickly as his last job switch.