The Boston Bruins have announced they’ve hired Ryan Bourque to fill an assistant coach role with the AHL’s Providence Bruins, per NHL.com’s Mark Divver. Bourque is the son of Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque, who appeared in 21 seasons and 1,518 games with the Bruins between 1979 and 2000, among many accolades.
The junior Bourque will earn the first AHL coaching role of his career in an organization very familiar with his name. He previously played through nine seasons and 585 games in the AHL, during which he notably served as both an assistant captain and captain for the Hartford Wolf Pack. Bourque also racked up a Gold Medal at the World U18 Championship and World Juniors Championship with Team USA during his junior playing days, spent at the U.S. National Team Development Program.
Bourque retired from his playing career following the 2019-20 season, at the age of 29. He was hired as an assistant coach with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays two years later, and supported the team’s run to a second-round playoff exit in the 2022-23 season. Bourque moved on from South Carolina after serving parts of two seasons with the club, and turned his attention towards an assistant role with the USNTDP for the 2023-24 season. He worked with multiple top Americans in his return to the Program, including James Hagens, Cole Eiserman, Cole Hutson, and Trevor Connelly. Bourque supported Team USA to a Silver Medal finish at the 2024 World U18 Championship.
Bourque moved on from a year-long stint on the USNTDP bench by moving into a head coach role with Massachusetts’ Cushing Academy this past season. He led that squad to a state championship in Massachusetts’ high school tournament, with help from top scorer Max Dineen. On the heels of a title win, Bourque will now turn his attention back to the pro ranks. He has vast experience in the AHL from the player side and enters the league as a young coach – only 34 years old.