When Bruce Boudreau joined Vancouver as their head coach, he brought along Scott Walker as one of his assistants. However, while Boudreau will be sticking around, Walker won’t be as the bench boss indicated on The Bob McCown Podcast (audio link) that Walker won’t be back behind the bench and the team has already started to look for a replacement.
This is now the second time that Walker has left Vancouver in his post-playing days as he had served in a development role for three seasons before departing to be a special assistant to the GM in Arizona in 2019. However, that role was short-lived and he was back to working with OHL Guelph as their President of Hockey Operations last season.
Boudreau and Walker have some history as Walker finished his career playing for Boudreau while Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston mentions Boudreau nearly hired Walker back in 2016 when he was coaching in Minnesota. The two were also set to coach internationally for Canada at the Channel One and Spengler Cups alongside Boudreau but those plans changed when Vancouver came calling. With that working relationship and how well the Canucks performed in the second half of the season, Walker’s departure certainly comes as a bit of a surprise.
There will be plenty of coaches (both head and assistants) changing places in the coming months and Vancouver can now be added to the list of those that will have someone new behind the bench in the fall.
Kind of missing an important part of the story in your write up. Walker was hit in the head with a puck while on the bench and never returned. He suffered a concussion and has had post-concussion symptoms ever since.
This is also the third time he’s left the organization. Drafted and played with the team until being selected by Nashville in the expansion draft.
Maybe he will run for governor of Wisconsin!?