Philippe Boucher

Position	Defenceman
Shoots	Right
Nickname(s)	Boosh
Height Weight	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 212 lb (96 kg/15.1 st)
NHL Team F. Teams	Dallas Stars Buffalo Sabres Los Angeles Kings
Nationality	Canada
Born	March 24 1973 (1973-03-24) (age 35), St. Apollinaire, PQ, CAN
NHL Draft	13th overall, 1991 Buffalo Sabres
Pro Career	1992 – present

Philippe Boucher (b. March 24, 1973 in St. Apollinaire, Quebec, Canada) is a French Canadian professional hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League.

Playing career

Amateur

Philippe Boucher began his high-level hockey career with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Granby Bisons in 1990. Boucher enjoyed immense success in his first season, producing at a nearly point-per-game average and winning the QMJHL Rookie of the Year award. He was also named a second-team QMJHL All-Star. His second season came with just as much success, as Boucher notched 77 points in 65 games with Granby and the Laval Titan, once again being named a second-team All-Star. Boucher spent one more seasons in the QMJHL, splitting time between Granby, Laval, and later two professional teams.

Professional

The Buffalo Sabres drafted Boucher in the first round, 13th overall, in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. A year later, Boucher would begin his professional career, starting the 1992-1993 season as a defenceman for the Sabres. Despite some solid outings, and even a game where Boucher posted a +5 plus/minus rating, Boucher ended the season with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League. After three somewhat disappointing seasons with the Sabres, Boucher was dealt to the Los Angeles Kings during the 1994-1995 season. In Los Angeles, Boucher produced better numbers, but still proved unreliable to finish a complete 80+ game season in the NHL. Criticisms aimed at Boucher also claimed he was not as defensively reliable or physical as other professional defencemen his size. Even so, Boucher was a consistent blueliner for the Kings for eight seasons, and played a career-high 80 games in the 2001-2002 season. In 2002, Boucher signed as a free agent with the Dallas Stars, reuniting with the former special teams coach of the Kings, Dave Tippett. On November 28, 2003, late in the third period of a game against the New Jersey Devils, an errant puck hit Boucher on the left side of his face, breaking his left orbital bone. Boucher had surgery on December 1 to repair the bone, putting him on the injured list for weeks. Since the injury, Boucher has worn a visor. In the 2006-07 NHL season, Boucher had a breakout year, tying the Stars' franchise record for most goals by a defenseman in a regular season, with 19 goals. Boucher was selected by the NHL to play in the 55th National Hockey League All-Star Game in Dallas on January 24, 2007. Since Scott Niedermayer, one of two defensemen on the starting lineup chosen by the fans, was injured at the time, Western All-Star coach Barry Trotz named Boucher on the starting lineup as Niedermayer's replacement. This decision was influenced by the fact that Boucher's father was on his deathbed, proudly watching Boucher play in his first career All-Star Game. Boucher's father passed away in the following weeks.

Career statistics

Awards

• QMJHL Rookie of the Year - 1990-91
• OMJHL second-team All-Star - 1990-91 and 1991-92
• NHL All-Star Team - 2007

External links

• Boucher's profile at the official Dallas Stars website
• Philippe Boucher's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database