Joel Bouchard made a big mistake, and he's paying the price

In the category of forgettable decisions, Joël Bouchard officially takes the top prize.

The head coach of the Syracuse Crunch in the American Hockey League tried something new. While his team was leading 2-1 in the first period and enjoying a 5-on-3 power play, he pulled his goalie.

This gave his players a 6-on-3 advantage, and they ended up conceding a goal to tie the game 2-2. We applaud the bold move, but was it a good idea in the end?

It's the first time we've seen this, but a similar situation has happened in the KHL, courtesy of Sergei Fedorov. He pulled his goalie immediately after winning the faceoff in overtime, giving his team a 4-on-3 advantage, and they scored.


The significant difference is that the opposing team couldn't clear the puck without creating a whistle, but that's another story.

Nice try, Joël! It didn't work out, but it was worth a shot!