The Montreal Canadiens are definitely turning to advanced statistics, having announced the hiring, on Friday, of the first director of such a department in its history.

Christopher Boucher, who is of Montreal origin, was thus officially appointed by General Manager Kent Hughes to head the advanced statistics analysis department.

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Christopher Boucher, who is of Montreal origin, was thus officially appointed by General Manager Kent Hughes to head the advanced statistics analysis department.

“Among his responsibilities, Boucher will be called upon to support hockey management and the coaching staff by providing statistical data relevant to player evaluation and strategic decision-making,” the organization said in a press release. .

Boucher has spent the past two seasons with the San Jose Sharks organization as a professional scout. He previously worked for the sports statistics and artificial intelligence analysis company Sportlogiq. Within this firm based in Montreal, Boucher occupied the role of director, services and hockey analyses.

"Christopher is an expert in advanced statistics and we are pleased to add him to our organization," said Hughes. We recognize the importance of advanced statistics in today's NHL and are confident that he is the right person to lead this new department."