Pierre-Marc Bouchard (born April 27, 1984) is a Canadian former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
player. Bouchard played his junior hockey with the
Chicoutimi Saguenéens
The Chicoutimi Saguenéens are a Canadian junior ice hockey team which plays in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The team is based in Chicoutimi, Quebec, and owned by the City of Saguenay. The team plays its home games at th ...
in the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL; , LHJMQ), formerly the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The league includes teams in Quebec ...
(QMJHL), and is the older brother of
François Bouchard. Bouchard was selected eighth overall in the
2002 NHL Entry Draft by the
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confer ...
and also played with the
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...
. He is the cousin of
P. A. Parenteau
Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau (born March 24, 1983) is a Canadians, Canadian former professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), right winger.
In the National Hockey League (NHL) he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, New York Isla ...
.
Playing career
As a youth, Bouchard played in the 1998
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament
The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament () is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, and give an opportunity for international competition to p ...
with the College-Français Rive-Sud
minor ice hockey
Minor ice hockey or minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body c ...
team from
South Shore, Montreal.
Bouchard appeared in professional play for the first time in the
2002–03 NHL season
The 2002–03 NHL season was the 86th regular season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup winners were the New Jersey Devils, who won the best of seven series 4–3 against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
League business Entry draft
...
in which he posted 7 goals and 13 assists for a total of 20 points in 50 games for the
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confer ...
. During the
2004–05 NHL lockout
The 2004–05 NHL lockout was a labor lockout that resulted in the cancellation of the National Hockey League (NHL) season, which would have been its 88th season of play.
The main dispute was the league's desire to implement a salary cap to ...
, he played for the Wild's
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
(AHL) affiliate, the
Houston Aeros. Within this time period, Bouchard vastly improved his game. This was proved in the
2005–06 NHL season
The 2005–06 NHL season was the 89th season of operation (88th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). This season succeeded the 2004–05 season which had all of its scheduled games canceled due to a labor dispute with the Na ...
, 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
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...
goaltender
Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Alexandrovich Khabibulin (; rus, Николай Александрович Хабибулин, p=xəbʲɪˈbulʲɪn, born January 13, 1973) is a Russian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Known by the nickname "The Bulin Wall", h ...
. 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. 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. 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
The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and ...
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
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The ...
.
On July 5, 2013, Bouchard signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...
. On February 6, 2014, he was traded to the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...
(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
The Rockford IceHogs are a professional ice hockey team based in Rockford, Illinois. They are members of the American Hockey League (AHL), having begun play in the League starting in the 2007–08 season. The team plays their home games at the ...
.
On July 8, 2014, Bouchard signed a one-year contract with Swiss club
EV Zug of the
National League A
The National League (NL) is a professional ice hockey league in Switzerland and the highest level of the Swiss league system. Prior to the 2017–18 season, the league was known as National League A. During the 2018–19 season, the league h ...
(NLA). The contract also included an NHL out clause if he could reach a deal with a club prior to July 15. 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. Team captains and coaches of the NLA teams voted Bouchard MVP of the 2015–16 regular season.
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.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards
*
CHL Player of the Year – 2001–02
*
NHL YoungStars Game –
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
*
NLA top scorer – 2015–16
2015-16 NLA MVP of the regular season
/ref>
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bouchard, Pierre-Marc
1984 births
Living people
Bridgeport Sound Tigers players
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in Switzerland
Canadian ice hockey right wingers
Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL) players
EV Zug players
Houston Aeros (1994–2013) players
Ice hockey people from Sherbrooke
Minnesota Wild draft picks
Minnesota Wild players
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
NHL first-round draft picks
New York Islanders players
Rockford IceHogs (AHL) players
21st-century Canadian sportsmen