Tragedy strikes NHL head coach Bruce Boudreau.

Some very sad news to report on Monday. 

According to Minnesota Wild insider Mike Russo of The Athletic, head coach Bruce Boudreau of the Minnesota Wild has suffered a terrible family tragedy, losing his brother unexpectedly over the week-end.

Boudreau was absent from the Wild's preseason game on Sunday and now we know that is because he was back in Toronto following the news of his brothers passing. Boudreau went back to visit his mother who he is now very concerned about. 

“You worry about your mother now,” Bruce Boudreau told The Athletic on Monday morning. “She’s now all alone up here [in Ontario], so we have to talk about that because Bryan was the one who visited her once a week. She’s a healthy, crusty old woman. Now that me and [wife] Crystal are here for a couple days, she’s — other when she’s by herself – chipper.

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“But I’m worried about when we leave.”

According to Russo's report Boudreau will now also miss Tuesday's exhibition game, however he is expected to make his return behind the bench on Thursday when his Wild face off against the St. Louis Blues. 

Our thoughts are with Bruce and his family in this most difficult time.