Rest is a weapon

Rest is a weapon was the mantra of former Ottawa Senators head coach Guy Boucher. Boucher (who has a degree in sports psychology) believed that rest was more beneficial for his players than excessive drills and practices. As a result, the Boucher-coached Senators often abstained from scheduling optional practices, instead giving players days off.

Fans and media began to speculate that once the Senators began to struggle and fall in the standing following the 2016-17 season, Guy Boucher's "rest is a weapon" precedent began to conflict with general manager Pierre Dorion's vision for the team and subsequent rebuild. Dorion stated in April of 2018: "'Rest is a weapon.' If I hear that one more time, I'll go crazy". Guy Boucher was fired near the end of the 2018-19 NHL season. Senators goalie Craig Anderson took this opportunity to take a shot at Boucher's mantra, saying “Well they say rest is a weapon. I think we can use that term again here”.