Boucher isn't worried about being fined after calling out QMJHL officials at Memorial Cup

QUEBEC CITY — Quebec Remparts head coach Philippe Boucher lashed out at officials on Wednesday night. And on Thursday morning, he wasn’t backing down from the criticism.

The brunt of his ire was directed at the referees from the Quebec Major Junior League - Olivier Gouin and Jonathan Alarie – who worked Game 6 between the Remparts and Rimouski Oceanic. In that game the Oceanic went 2-for-6 on the power play.

In his post-game comments he took a shot at Richard Trottier, the QMJHL’s director of officiating. There’s no question Boucher will be fined for his outburst, but he’s not concerned.

“I’m fine with that,” said Boucher of the impending financial sanction. “It’s something I had to get off my chest. We’re threatened by a $5,000 fine in our league if we say anything so it muzzles us. So we can’t really say anything in the playoffs, because we’re threatened to be fined - major fines – all the time.”

UPDATE: On Thursday night, Boucher was fined $10,000 for comments the CHL deemed "unacceptable" and "detrimental to the best interest" of the CHL and Memorial Cup.

At the 2012 Memorial Cup in Shawinigan, Que., Saint John Sea Dogs then-coach Gerard Gallant was fined $500 for also criticizing QMJHL officiating.

“I've been in the Quebec league for three years and I've been complaining for three years,” said Gallant after a loss. “We always get the short end of the stick and I'm tired of it, I really am.”

There was also history between those particular officials and Boucher as the tandem also worked the QMJHL final between the same two teams in which the Remparts were assessed a tripping penalty in double overtime during Game 7 of the final. Rimouski scored on the ensuing power play and won the league championship.

“We played a lot of games and (have) seen them,” said Boucher of working with the QMJHL officials. “Things get personal. There was a guy from the Ontario league and a guy from the Western league here (on Wednesday) and they could have been on the ice with no prejudgment.”

Boucher said he had asked Trottier to keep one of the officials from officiating any of Quebec’s games at the tournament.

“I didn’t tell the league what to do,” said Boucher. “I just told the league what I felt about a certain ref and if it was possible, that maybe he shouldn’t be on the ice when we’re there. That was my opinion and that obviously wasn’t the league’s opinion.”

When asked if he worried he and team could become targets for officials in the future because of the critique. Boucher was blunt.

“I don’t really care,” said the former NHLer. “I’m OK with that. I’m here to do a job and protect my players and they’re here to do a job, so they shouldn’t take sides in any of that stuff.”

In his press conference a night earlier, Boucher had called the officiating, a “job de bras.” He was asked by the English media if the term “screw job” would be a fitting translation for the term.

“Something like that,” said Boucher. “I don’t want to take a chance and get fined again.”

He also noted that top forwards Anthony Duclair and Jerome Verrier would be in the lineup on Thursday night for their rematch with the Oceanic in the tiebreaker. The pair was injured in the third period during Wednesday’s game and did not finish. Boucher’s players spent most of the morning working with team athletic therapist Steve Bélanger.

“Our trainer Steve Belanger obviously brought a lot of ice bags and ultrasounds to get our guys ready for tonight,” said Boucher. “Everybody should be there (for the game).

“They’re proud athletes and they’re going to give us everything they’ve got.”