Pierre-Marc Bouchard
Bouchard with the Minnesota Wild in 2011
Born (1984-04-27) April 27, 1984
Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 173 lb (78 kg; 12 st 5 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for Minnesota Wild
New York Islanders
EV Zug
NHL Draft 8th overall, 2002
Minnesota Wild
Playing career 20022016

Pierre-Marc Bouchard (born April 27, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Bouchard played his junior hockey with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and is the older brother of François Bouchard. Bouchard was selected eighth overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota Wild and also played with the New York Islanders. He is the cousin of P. A. Parenteau.

Playing career

As a youth, Bouchard played in the 1998 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the College-Français Rive-Sud minor ice hockey team from South Shore, Montreal.[1]

Bouchard appeared in professional play for the first time in the 2002–03 NHL season in which he posted 7 goals and 13 assists for a total of 20 points in 50 games for the Minnesota Wild. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, he played for the Wild's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Houston Aeros. Within this time period, Bouchard vastly improved his game. This was proved in the 2005–06 NHL season, where he posted 17 goals and 42 assists for 59 points in 80 games.

During his career, Bouchard was regarded as a creative playmaker and strong team player who often attempted unorthodox techniques during play. An example of one of these techniques was performed during an overtime shootout attempt in which he converted by utilizing a variation of a "spin-o-rama" against Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. He repeated this move several years later, again against Khabibulin, though he did so during regulation play on a breakaway, rather than during an overtime shootout attempt.[2] Bouchard later credited the move to his younger brother François Bouchard.

On July 25, 2008, Bouchard signed a five-year, $20.4 million contract with the Wild.[3] After suffering a hit to the head late in the 2008–09 season, Bouchard missed the rest of that season and all but the season opener of the 2009–10 season with post-concussion syndrome. Bouchard resumed play on December 1, 2010, against the Phoenix Coyotes after a 13-month absence, having missed 112 games. Bouchard scored a goal in his second game back, a 3–2 shootout loss to the Calgary Flames.[4]

On July 5, 2013, Bouchard signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the New York Islanders. On February 6, 2014, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks (along with Peter Regin) in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, and was assigned to the Blackhawks' AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.[5][6]

On July 8, 2014, Bouchard signed a one-year contract with Swiss club EV Zug of the National League A (NLA). The contract also included an NHL out clause if he could reach a deal with a club prior to July 15.[7] In his debut season with Zug in 2014–15, Bouchard's transition was seamless in producing as their top-line centre with 51 points in 49 games. On December 23, 2014, he signed a two-year contract extension with Zug.[8] Team captains and coaches of the NLA teams voted Bouchard MVP of the 2015–16 regular season.[9]

On March 18, 2016, Bouchard announced his retirement from professional hockey. Bouchard, who missed more than a year with concussions during his career, commented on his decision, saying he did not want to risk any further health issues.[10]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1999–2000 Collège Charles-Lemoyne QMAAA 42 28 45 73 20 9 4 8 12 6
2000–01 Chicoutimi Saguenéens QMJHL 6738579520 658130
2001–02 Chicoutimi Saguenéens QMJHL 69469414054 42354
2002–03 Minnesota Wild NHL 507132018 50112
2003–04 Minnesota Wild NHL 614182222
2004–05 Houston Aeros AHL 6712425446 50110
2005–06 Minnesota Wild NHL 8017425928
2006–07 Minnesota Wild NHL 8220375714 51120
2007–08 Minnesota Wild NHL 8113506334 62242
2008–09 Minnesota Wild NHL 7116304620
2009–10 Minnesota Wild NHL 10002
2010–11 Minnesota Wild NHL 5912263814
2011–12 Minnesota Wild NHL 379132218
2012–13 Minnesota Wild NHL 43812208 51120
2013–14 New York Islanders NHL 2845912
2013–14 Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL 20611174
2013–14 Rockford IceHogs AHL 243172010
2014–15 EV Zug NLA 4917345116 63250
2015–16 EV Zug NLA 4912556720 432514
NHL totals 593110246356190 214594

International

Year Team Event GPGAPtsPIM
2001 Canada Quebec U17 40112
2002 Canada WJC18 8481216
2003 Canada WJC 62352
Junior totals 186121820

Awards

References

  1. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Retrieved 2019-02-12.
  2. "Let's Go for a Spin (NHL Video)". NHL.com. Retrieved 2011-02-27.
  3. "Bouchard gets multi-year deal". Star Tribune. 2008-07-26. Archived from the original on 2008-08-15. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
  4. "Bouchard resumes contact drills after concussion". Washington Post. 2010-10-25. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
  5. "New York Islanders - Islanders Acquire Fourth-Round Pick from Chicago". National Hockey League. February 7, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  6. "Chicago Blackhawks acquire Peter Regin, Pierre-Marc Bouchard from New York Islanders". National Hockey League. February 6, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  7. "More than 600 games; Pierre-Marc Bouchard signs with EV Zug". swisshockeynews.ch. 2014-07-08. Retrieved 2014-07-08.
  8. "Bouchard extends with Zug until 2017". EV Zug (in German). 2014-12-23. Retrieved 2014-12-24.
  9. "Bouchard est le nouveau MVP - il devance Matthews..." Bluewin (in Swiss French). Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
  10. "Former Wild forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard retires". Toronto Sun. Associated Press. Retrieved 2016-03-19.
  11. 2015-16 NLA MVP of the regular season
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