Gabriel Bourque

Gabriel Bourque
Bourque with the Nashville Predators in 2014
Born	(1990-09-23) September 23, 1990 (age 33) Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	206 lb (93 kg; 14 st 10 lb)
Position	Left wing
Shoots	Left
AHL team Former teams	Laval Rocket Nashville Predators Colorado Avalanche Winnipeg Jets
NHL Draft	132nd overall, 2009 Nashville Predators
Playing career	2010–present

Gabriel Bourque (born September 23, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger for the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League (AHL). He was selected in the fifth round, 132nd overall, by the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Bourque has also previously played for the Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets.

Playing career

Early career

As a youth, Bourque played in the 2003 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Baie-Comeau Petit Drakkar minor ice hockey team. ^[1]

Bourque began his major junior ice hockey career with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar during the 2007–08 season. In his final season of junior, Bourque was traded to the Moncton Wildcats on December 19, 2009. ^[2] The Wildcats won the President's Cup by defeating the Saint John Sea Dogs in six games. Bourque was awarded the Guy Lafleur Trophy as playoff MVP, where he recorded 19 goals and 29 points. ^[3]

Professional career

Nashville Predators

Bourque was selected by the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL) in the fifth round, 132nd overall during the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. ^[4] On April 15, 2010, the Predators signed Bourque to a three-year, entry level contract.^{[ citation needed ]} Bourque spent his first professional season with the Predators' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. He played in 78 games with the Admirals, scoring 18 goals and 36 points. ^[5] In his first playoff game with the Admirals, Bourque tied a team-record five points in a playoff game versus the Texas Stars. ^[6]

Bourque played his first NHL game on December 28, 2011 against the Minnesota Wild and scored his first NHL career goal on January 5, 2012 against the Dallas Stars. ^[7] On April 11, 2012, Bourque scored his first NHL Stanley Cup playoffs goal when the Predators beat the Detroit Red Wings in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarter-Finals. ^[8] He finished his rookie year with seven goals and 19 points in 43 games. He signed a two-year contract extension with the Predators on September 14, 2012. ^[9] The following season, the NHL was shut down due to a lockout and Bourque began the season with Milwaukee. He suffered a knee injury in the AHL and was still going through rehab when the lockout ended. Bourque managed to get into 34 games with the Predators, scoring 11 goals and 16 points before re-injuring the same leg and ending his season. He played on a line with Patric Hornqvist and David Legwand. ^[10] During the 2014–15 season, Bourque had three goals and 13 points in 69 games. As a restricted free agent at season's end, he accepted his qualifying offer of a one-year contract. ^[11] In his fifth season within the Predators organization in 2015–16, Bourque was limited to just 22 games due to illness and injury. He was assigned to Milwaukee to recover from his injury on February 16. ^[12] As a restricted free agent at the end of the season, Bourque was not tendered a qualifying offer to remain in Nashville, releasing him to free agency. ^[13]

Colorado Avalanche

Unable to attain an NHL contract over the off-season, Bourque agreed to attend the Colorado Avalanche training camp on a professional try-out contract on September 1, 2016. ^[14] After a successful training camp and preseason, Bourque agreed to a contract with the Avalanche in signing a one-year, two-way deal on October 10, 2016. ^[4] Bourque was placed on waivers and went unclaimed. ^[13] Bourque split the 2016–17 season between Colorado ^[15] and the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. ^[16] He spent the majority of the season with San Antonio, scoring 33 points in 61 games and getting into only six games with the Avalanche. On July 18, 2017, the Avalanche re-signed Bourque to a one-year extension. ^[17] Bourque played 58 games for the Avalanche, recording five goals and 11 points. On May 24, 2018, the Avalanche re-signed Bourque to a one-year, $950,000 extension. ^[18] A key penalty killer for the Avalanche, he appeared in 55 games scoring two goals and eight points in the 2018–19 season. ^[19]

Winnipeg Jets

On August 26, 2019, Bourque signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Winnipeg Jets. ^[19] In the 2019–20 season, Bourque made the opening night roster for the Jets out of training camp in a fourth-line specialist role. Bourque scored his first goal with the Jets in a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks on November 1, 2019. ^[20] He missed four weeks due to a lower-body injury beginning in November. ^[21] He returned December 10 in a 5–1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. ^[22] On February 6, 2020, Bourque played in his 400th NHL game, a 4–2 win over the St. Louis Blues. ^[23]

Later years

As a free agent from the Jets, Bourque was without a club for the entirety of the pandemic-delayed 2020–21 season. He returned to the professional ranks, in securing a one-year AHL contract with the Laval Rocket, the affiliate to the Montreal Canadiens on June 12, 2021. ^[24] On July 17, 2022, Bourque was re-signed by the Rocket to a one-year contract extension. ^[25] Bourque signed another one-year contract with Laval on July 12, 2023. ^[26] He was named the fourth captain in Laval's history on October 9, 2023. ^[27]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2005–06	Jonquière Élites	QMAAA		2	0	2	2	0		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	Collège Notre-Dame du Sacré-Cœur	QMAAA		43	15	35	50	115		13	8	16	24	14
2007–08	Baie-Comeau Drakkar	QMJHL		65	10	18	28	38		5	0	0	0	0
2008–09	Baie-Comeau Drakkar	QMJHL		60	22	39	61	82		5	0	2	2	16
2009–10	Baie-Comeau Drakkar	QMJHL		30	13	25	38	61		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Moncton Wildcats	QMJHL		25	3	11	14	37		21	19	10	29	18
2010–11	Milwaukee Admirals	AHL		78	18	18	36	19		13	7	6	13	4
2011–12	Milwaukee Admirals	AHL		25	2	14	16	23		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Nashville Predators	NHL		43	7	12	19	6		10	3	2	5	4
2012–13	Milwaukee Admirals	AHL		15	7	5	12	4		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Nashville Predators	NHL		34	11	5	16	4		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	Nashville Predators	NHL		74	9	17	26	8		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Nashville Predators	NHL		69	3	10	13	10		5	0	0	0	2
2015–16	Nashville Predators	NHL		22	1	3	4	18		—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	Milwaukee Admirals	AHL		4	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	Colorado Avalanche	NHL		6	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	San Antonio Rampage	AHL		61	10	23	33	20		—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	San Antonio Rampage	AHL		5	1	1	2	4		—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	Colorado Avalanche	NHL		58	5	6	11	12		6	2	0	2	0
2018–19	Colorado Avalanche	NHL		55	2	6	8	10		12	1	0	1	2
2019–20	Winnipeg Jets	NHL		52	2	4	6	7		3	0	0	0	0
2021–22	Laval Rocket	AHL		67	11	17	28	59		14	2	2	4	4
2022–23	Laval Rocket	AHL		66	14	17	31	26		2	0	0	0	0
2023–24	Laval Rocket	AHL		43	2	9	11	14		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				413	40	63	103	75		36	6	2	8	8

Medal record
Representing   Canada
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
	2010 Saskatoon

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2010	Canada	WJC			6	3	6	9	4
Junior totals					6	3	6	9	4

Awards and honours

Award	Year
QMJHL
Guy Lafleur Trophy	2010

References

1. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
2. "Wildcats Acquire Gabriel Bourque". OurSports Central. December 19, 2009. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
3. "Wildcats claim second President Cup title". Moncton Wildcats. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
4. "Avalanche signs Gabriel and Rene Bourque". Colorado Avalanche. October 10, 2016. Retrieved October 10, 2016– via NHL.com.
5. "Admirals' Bourque is finding his way". Moncton Wildcats. April 26, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
6. Boehler, Dave (April 14, 2011). "Bourque, Mueller lead way for Admirals in series opener". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
7. "Predators sign '09 Draftee's Bourque and Roussel". Nashville Predators. April 15, 2010. Retrieved May 23, 2011– via NHL.com.
8. "Gabriel Bourque scores twice, Predators take Game 1". ESPN . April 11, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
9. "Predators sign Gabriel Bourque". CBC Sports. Associated Press. September 14, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
10. Albert, Hugues (June 21, 2013). "La santé, le souhait le plus cher de Gabriel Bourque" [Health, Gabriel Bourque’s dearest wish]. infodimache (in French). Retrieved November 15, 2023.
11. "Predators sign forward Gabriel Bourque to one-year contract". ESPN. Associated Press. July 2, 2015. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
12. Curtis, Cory (February 17, 2016). "Predators assign Gabriel Bourque to Milwaukee". WRKN News. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
13. Frei, Terry (October 10, 2016). "Both (unrelated) Bourques, Rene and Gabriel, relieved to sign one-year deals with Colorado Avalanche". Denver Post. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
14. "Bourque accepts try-out offer from Colorado". Nashville Post . September 1, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2016.^{[ dead link ]}
15. "Avalanche's Gabriel Bourque: Reassigned to AHL on Monday". CBS Sports. October 31, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
16. Frei, Terry (December 1, 2016). "Sam Henley, Gabriel Bourque jump right into Avalanche lineup against Columbus". Denver Post. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
17. "Colorado Avalanche, Gabriel Bourque agree to one-year deal". Sportsnet. July 18, 2017. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
18. "Avalanche re-sign F Bourque on one-year deal". TSN . May 24, 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
19. "Jets sign Gabriel Bourque to a one-year contract". Winnipeg Jets. Retrieved August 26, 2019– via NHL.com.
20. "Hellebuyck's 51 Saves Lead Jets Past Sharks 3-2". CBS News. Associated Press. November 1, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
21. "Jets' Gabriel Bourque out at least four weeks with lower-body injury". Sportsnet. November 7, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
22. Owen, Judy (December 10, 2019). "Blake Wheeler sparks offence, Jets hand Red Wings 12th straight loss". CBC Sports. The Canadian Press. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
23. "Hellebuyck makes 35 saves to lead Jets over Blues". Sportsnet. Associated Press. February 6, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
24. @RocketLaval (June 11, 2021). "The Laval Rocket announced on Friday that the team has agreed to terms on a one-year AHL contract (2021-22) with Quebec-born forward Gabriel Bourque" (Tweet). Retrieved June 12, 2021– via Twitter.
25. "Rocket agree to terms on a one-year one-way AHL contract with Gabriel Bourque". Laval Rocket. July 17, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
26. "Rocket Agree to Terms on a One-year, One-way AHL contract with Forward Gabriel Bourque". Laval Rocket. July 12, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
27. "Gabriel Bourque devient le 4e capitaine de l'histoire". La Presse (in French). October 9, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com , or  Eliteprospects.com , or  Hockey-Reference.com , or  The Internet Hockey Database