Guy Boucher gives his view on advanced statistics to Habs fans
One of the things I take from Kent Hughes' speech is the fact that he wants to understand why when it doesn't work with a player, which has talked a lot to former Tampa Bay and Senators head coach Guy Boucher, who has done the same during his career, as well as his life. It is at the heart of any intervention, no matter the individuals you have at hand.
Terms that Guy Boucher loves, he who dissected the whole last week via the excellent « On jase » podcast. He made a fundamental clarification about hockey players.
«Players are not numbers, they are cattle, they are not wages, they are humans, and that is what interests me!» - Boucher
In the case of advanced statistics, Boucher used them, but that was not his number one priority, of course. He also stressed not to fear the advanced statistics, a facet highlighted by Hughes, since they were already well used by the Habs.
«It's normal now. The idea of advanced statistics is not new to the Canadiens. But he (Hughes) will bring them in his own way, at his own angle, that's what will make the difference. You have to be careful, it's not new to the Canadiens, it's not true, it's not true. All teams use advanced stats!» - Boucher
For Boucher, advanced statistics are not as important as human beings. You can't base a player's playing time only on their advanced statistics, it won't work. We must not forget that these statistics are a thing of the past. These numbers give a certain part of the answer, but if a coach only relies on those, he is wrong, according to Guy Boucher!
