Nick Boucher

Last updated
Nick Boucher
Born (1980-12-29) December 29, 1980 (age 42)
Leduc, Alberta, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Left
Played for Basingstoke Bison
Elmira Jackals
Muskegon Lumberjacks
Pee Dee Pride
Sydney Bears
Tilburg Trappers
Wheeling Nailers
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Fort Wayne Komets
NHL Draft 280th overall, 2000
Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career 20032012

Nick Boucher (born December 29, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Fort Wayne Komets of the CHL.

Contents

Playing career

Boucher started his career playing for the Cowichan Valley Capitals of the BCHL in 1997. Midway through the 1998-99 BCHL season, Boucher was traded to the Fort Saskatchewan Traders of the AJHL.

Boucher would later commit to Dartmouth College, where he became the starting goaltender. Although Boucher would only win 8 games in his freshman season, the Pittsburgh Penguins made him their final pick of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, choosing him 280th overall. Boucher's totals would improve in his remaining years with Dartmouth, winning 16, 9, and 17 games respectively. He would leave Dartmouth holding several records, including, but not limited to, career wins (50), career games by a goalie (105), career saves, and wins in a season.

Signing to play with the Penguins farm team, Boucher would start his professional career with the Wheeling Nailers, the ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, with a late season recall to Pittsburgh's primary minor league affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins of the AHL . Boucher would record 20 wins in his rookie season and was named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team. He finished 4th in the ECHL Rookie of the Year voting. Due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout, many pros that would normally have played in the NHL chose to play in the AHL, forcing pros in the AHL down to the ECHL. As a result, Boucher was left out of the Penguins plans and he became an unrestricted free agent [1]

Boucher would remain in the minors for several years, playing in Pee Dee (Florence, SC), Elmira and Muskegon before traveling to Europe. Boucher would split his 2006–07 season between the Basingstoke Bison of the EIHL and the Tilburg Trappers of the Eredivisie in the Netherlands, where he won his first championship. He would return to North America for the 2007-08 IHL season as a member of the Fort Wayne Komets. With the exception of an 18-game stint with the Sydney Bears of the Australian Ice Hockey League, Boucher has remained with the team, being named the team's MVP in the 2008-2009 and 2011–2012 seasons, the IHL's Goalie Of the Year and First Team All Star in 2008–09, as well as runner up for the league MVP (winner was Todd Robinson). He has since won 4 championships with the Komets (3 in the IHL and 1 in the CHL).

In his second CHL season with the Komets, he was named the starting goalie for the CHL All Star Game held in Prescott, Arizona, and was named a finalist for goaltender of the year.

In May 2013, Boucher retired from professional hockey. [2] On October 26, 2013, the Fort Wayne Komets permanently retired Boucher's number "33", along with the number "1" of Chuck Adamson, in a pre-game ceremony at the Allen County War Memorial. [3] He is the youngest former Komet player to have his jersey number retired.

Awards

Records

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Wayne Komets</span> Professional minor league ice hockey team in Fort Wayne, Indiana

The Fort Wayne Komets are a minor league ice hockey team in the ECHL. They play their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This team was previously a member of the Central Hockey League (CHL), the original International Hockey League (IHL), and the second International Hockey League (UHL/IHL). Founded in the original IHL They have won four post-season championship titles in the original IHL in 1963, 1965, 1973, and 1993, four in the UHL/second IHL in 2003, 2008, 2009, and 2010, one in the CHL in 2012, and one in the ECHL in 2021. In all of North American professional hockey, only the Original Six teams of the NHL and the Hershey Bears of the AHL have played continuously in the same city with the same name longer than the Komets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cincinnati Cyclones</span> Professional ice hockey team

The Cincinnati Cyclones are a professional ice hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The team is a member of the ECHL. Originally established in 1990, the team first played their games in the Cincinnati Gardens and now play at Heritage Bank Center. The Cyclones are a minor league affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres and the Rochester Americans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Sims</span> Canadian ice hockey player and coach

Allan Eugene Sims is a Canadian former professional hockey player and head coach in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played ten seasons in the NHL between 1973 and 1983 with the Boston Bruins, Hartford Whalers, Los Angeles Kings. He featured in three Stanley Cup Finals with the Bruins.

Alain Raymond is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played one game in the National Hockey League with the Washington Capitals, giving up two goals in the two periods that he played. He played most of his career in the North American minor leagues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cam Ward</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1984)

Cameron Kenneth Ward is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played the majority of his 15-year professional career for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Chicago Blackhawks during his final season before signing a one-day contract to officially retire as a Hurricane in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippe DeRouville</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Philippe DeRouville is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender.

Peter Paul Sidorkiewicz is a Polish-Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Sidorkiewicz played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Hartford Whalers, Ottawa Senators, and New Jersey Devils, representing the Wales Conference in the 1993 NHL All-Star Game. Since retiring as a player, Sidorkiewicz has worked for the Norfolk Admirals of the ECHL as a coach and player personnel director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corey Hirsch</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Corey Hirsch is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender, currently working for Sportsnet as a colour commentator on Vancouver Canucks radio broadcasts. He spent the majority of his National Hockey League career with the Vancouver Canucks. He is the former goaltending coach for the St. Louis Blues, having previously served the Toronto Maple Leafs along with François Allaire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick St. Croix</span> Canadian ice hockey player and coach

Richard St. Croix is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 131 games in the National Hockey League with the Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs between 1978 and 1985. After his playing career he worked as an assistant coach for the Maple Leafs. He also served as a goaltending coach for the Dallas Stars, and an assistant coach and goaltending coach for the Manitoba Moose and St. John's IceCaps of the American Hockey League. He was selected in the fourth round of the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft by the Flyers, and his two sons would also be drafted, though neither played in the NHL.

Bruce Maurice Racine is a Canadian former professional hockey goaltender who played in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Martinson</span> American ice hockey player and coach

Stephen Paul Martinson is an American former professional ice hockey player and coach. He played 49 games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, and Minnesota North Stars between 1987 and 1992. The rest of his playing career, which lasted from 1981 to 1996, was spent in various minor leagues. After retiring as a player he turned to coaching, and his 1,123 career professional coaching wins are the most ever for an American born ice hockey head coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Muse</span> American ice hockey goaltender (born 1988)

John Roger Muse is an American ice hockey goaltender who is currently with Glasgow Clan in the UK Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). Muse was most recently with Rødovre Mighty Bulls in the Danish Metal Ligaen. He also previously played with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Guy Dupuis is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenseman. He is known for playing fourteen seasons with the Fort Wayne Komets of the Central Hockey League. Dupuis was the last active member of the Komets' 1993 Turner Cup-winning team.

Roman Will is a Czech professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing with HC Dynamo Pardubice of the Czech Extraliga (ELH). He has formerly appeared in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Colorado Avalanche.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zachary Fucale</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Zachary Fucale is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract with the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Hartzell</span> American ice hockey player

Eric Hartzell is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He last played abroad for HK Nitra in the Slovak Extraliga (Slovak).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Houser (ice hockey)</span> American ice hockey goaltender (born 1992)

Michael Houser is an American professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing with the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract with the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Nedeljkovic</span> American ice hockey player

Alexander Nedeljkovic is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nedeljkovic was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

Stefanos Lekkas is an American professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing with KalPa in finnish top-tier ice hockey league Liiga

Daniel Murphy is a Canadian retired ice hockey goaltender who was a two-time All-American for Clarkson.

References

  1. Ryan Karr (June 24, 2008). "Former Dartmouth star continues career in pro hockey". thedartmouth.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  2. "Goaltender Nick Boucher ends hockey career". oursportscentral.com. May 20, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  3. "Boucher's Number Not to be Worn Again". ecachockey.com. August 27, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2018.