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Better yet, if they could get someone who had worked with several of Washington's current defensemen and who had also worked with several in the team's system, well, that would be just right.
Those criteria narrowed the search considerably. As a matter of fact, they narrowed it to one name, Hershey Bears head coach Bob Woods.
And McPhee and Boudreau so knew what they would be getting with Woods, they didn't even interview him. They just asked him if he wanted the job.
He did.
So, the Capitals gain an assistant coach and the Bears lose a head coach, one who had helped Hershey win a Calder Cup just 10 days ago.
"We went with a guy that I am very familiar with," said Boudreau in a conference call. "I think it's a really good fit."
McPhee was not on the conference call Monday and Boudreau said he didn't know whether there was a timetable for naming a new head coach for the Bears. Mark French has been Woods' assistant in Hershey ever since he took over for Boudreau in Hershey in November of 2007.
With the Capitals, Boudreau is hoping to copy the success he has had with Woods at his side in previous seasons.
Boudreau coached the Mississippi Sea Wolves to an East Coach Hockey League title in 1999 with Woods serving as a player/assistant coach. Boudreau and Woods were the braintrust when Hershey won the Calder Cup in 2006 and when the Bears advanced to the finals in 2007.
"Our communication is really good together," Boudreau said. "Plus, he's a defenseman by trade so he's going to be able to help our defensemen in many ways."
Woods, 41, compiled an 83-47-15 record in 145 regular-season games with Hershey and was 17-10 in 27 Calder Cup playoff games. Along with assisting Boudreau in Mississippi, Woods was the head coach there from 2001-05 and compiled a 169-94-25 regular-season record.
Although excited about his new opportunity, Woods said it was difficult to leave Hershey.
"It's a special place," he said. "But it's a privilege to get to the NHL. It took me almost 20 years to get there and I'm excited to finally make it and again to be back with Bruce."
In Washington, Woods will be reunited with some of the defensemen he coached in Hershey, such as Mike Green and Jeff Schultz. He has also coached players who may soon be Caps, including Karl Alzner, Tyler Sloan, Sami Lepisto and John Carlson.
"We have a talented group of defensemen who I've loved to work with when I've had the chance," Woods said. "I'm excited to be working with them at a higher level."
Woods, from Leroy, Saskatchewan, was selected in the 10th round, 201st overall in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils. He played 13 seasons of professional hockey, including 10 in the ECHL.
He retired from competitive play after the 2001 season and at that time was the ECHL's all-time leader in games played with 559 (that record has since been broken). He played 141 games in the AHL, 61 with the Bears.
He is the only person in the 71-year history of the Bears to win the Calder Cup as a player, assistant coach and head coach.
Note: The Caps will retain Boudreau's other assistant coach, Dean Evason, who has been with the team for four seasons.
E-mail: kfreeman@lnpnews.com
