1970 NHL Amateur Draft Pick
Round Overall
2 27
Dan Bouchard
Selected by Boston from London (OHA)
Boston Bruins London Knights
Dan Bouchard
 

6-foot-0, 175 pounds

Left-hand catcher

Goaltender

Pre-Draft Statistics

Year Team League GP W-L-T GAA SO SV%
1967-68 Sorel QJHL 25 -- 5.36 0 --
1968-69 Sorel QJHL 25 -- -- - --
1969-70 London OHA 41 19-17-5 3.89 2 n/a

Pre-Draft Notes

QJHL Plante Trophy (GAA) in 1968-69. ... Played for Sorel in 1969 Memorial Cup.
Canadian • Born December 12, 1950 in Val d'Or, Quebec • Hometown: LaSalle, Quebec

Career Vitals

First contract: June 15, 1970
Debut: October 8, 1972
(Atlanta at Buffalo)
Final NHL game: April 9, 1986 (playoffs)
(Winnipeg at Calgary)
Retired: 1987
Stanley Cup: Never won
Numbers worn: 30 (Atlanta/Calgary);
35 (Quebec); 35 (Winnipeg)

Career NHL Statistics

Team: Atlanta/Calgary, Quebec, Winnipeg
Years: 1972-1986. Playoffs: 1974-1986

Regular Season
  GP W-L-T GAA SO SV%
14 years 655 286-232-113 3.26 27 n/a
 
Stanley Cup Playoffs
GP W-L GAA SO SV%
8 years 43 13-30 3.46 1 n/a
 
Complete statistics available at NHL.com

Career Highlights

Played on 1971-72 Boston Braves team that won AHL regular-season title. ... Led AHL in wins (27), shutouts (4), and minutes played (2,915) with Boston Braves in 1971-72. ... Co-winner (shared with Ross Brooks) of AHL Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award as goalie on team that allowed fewest goals with Boston Braves in 1971-72. ... Named to AHL All-Star First Team with Boston Braves in 1971-72 ... Played on first Atlanta Flames team in Atlanta-Calgary franchise's inaugural 1972-73 season and made his NHL debut in team's second game, taking the first loss in team history when Flames fell to Buffalo 5-3 despite his 31 saves. ... Made 46 saves for Atlanta in 2-0 shutout win at Detroit on Dec. 13, 1972. ... Had .907 save percentage in 34 games for expansion Atlanta Flames in 1972-73. ... Finished fifth in voting for 1972-73 Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of Year and was rookie only goaltender to finish in the balloting's top 20. ... Stopped 53 shots in Atlanta's 3-3 tie at Toronto on  Dec. 29, 1973. ... Became the first goaltender in Flames franchise history to win at Boston on March 24, 1974. ... Set Flames single-season record (since broken) with 20 wins in 1974-75. ... Finished third in NHL with 2.54 goals-against average for Atlanta in 1975-76. ... Became first Flames goaltender to stop a penalty shot when he denied Hartland Monahan on Feb. 9, 1978, at Los Angeles. ... Went 14-3-8 over his last 25 starts with Atlanta in 1977-78. ... Set Flames single-season records (since broken) for games played by a goalie (58), minutes (3,340), wins (25), assists by a goaltender (3), and unbeaten streak (11 games, 6-0-5). ... Named to IIHF World Championship tournament's All-Star Second Team in 1978 after starting six games for Canada's bronze medal-winning team. ... Became first goaltender in Flames history to register two consecutive shutouts when he beat Phladelphia 3-0 on Nov. 1, 1978, and then beat Pittsburgh 2-0 on Nov. 3. ... Started 27 consecutive games for Atlanta to open 1978-79 season. ... Set Flames single-season records (since broken) for games played by a goalie (career-high, league-leading 64), minutes (3,624), wins (32), and winning streak (10 games) in 1978-79. ... Was last member of the original Flames squad still with team in 1979-80. ... Played on first Calgary Flames team after Flames relocated to Calgary on June 24, 1980. He was the only member of the first Atlanta team to also be part of the first Calgary team in its inaugural 1980-81 season. ... Became the first starting goaltender in Calgary Flames history, beating Quebec 5-3 at home on Oct. 9, 1980. ... Left Calgary in 1981 with franchise records (all since broken) for career games played by a goaltender (398), minutes (22,853), career wins (168), career losses (139), (career shutouts (20), wins in one season (32), shutouts in one season (5, shared record), and games played by a goaltender in one season (64, shared record). ... Went 19-5-5 to finish 1980-81 regular season after joining Quebec in January 1981. ... Finished third in NHL with 29 wins in 1983-84. ... Ending his NHL career as the league's fourth-oldest active player at age 35 years, nine months.

Ultimate Childhood Hero

 Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy inspired a whole generation of goaltenders who grew up in Quebec during the 1980s and 1990s, but Roy had a boyhood hero of his own. When Roy was a boy, the local team in Quebec City was the Nordiques, and young Roy was a die-hard fan. No player on the team meant more to him than their outstanding, dependable goaltender Dan Bouchard. In fact, as a teen-ager, Roy was thrilled to meet Bouchard and receive one of his autographed, game-used sticks -- so thrilled that he slept with the stick every night. Throughout his NHL career, when asked about his own hero, Roy continually mentioned Bouchard, who had the misfortune of spending his greatest years on some very weak teams in Atlanta, Calgary, and Quebec. Ironically, when Roy registered his first NHL shutout at age 20 on Jan. 15, 1986, it came against a Winnipeg Jets team with a 35-year-old Bouchard in net. Roy's Canadiens beat Bouchard's Jets 4-0 at the Montreal Forum in the only NHL game where the two goaltenders ever crossed paths. Roy wasn't the only high-profile goalie to list Bouchard as a childhood hero. Several years after Roy broke into the league, Canadian Olympic women's goaltender Manon Rheaume made headlines when she became the first female to play in an NHL preseason game. Rheaume, who had also grown up in the Quebec City area, listed Bouchard as the goalie she most admired as a girl. Ironically, Bouchard himself was once asked to name his childhood idol, and he didn't even choose a goaltender. Instead he noted that he had grown up idolizing Bobby Hull.

NHL Awards and Honors

1978-79:Wins Leader (32), Goalie Games-Played Leader (64)
1980-81: Playoffs Shutouts Leader (1)

Team Awards and Honors

(with Atlanta)
1972-73: Ellmans Trophy (MVP)

League/Team Records

Calgary Flames Records
Most career ties 75
Most ties in one season 19 in 1977-78

Milestones

500th Game: December 12, 1982
(Quebec at Chicago)
600th Game: October 31, 1984
(Quebec at Hartford)

International Tournaments

1976: Canada Cup (first place)
(spare goaltender, did not play)
1978: World Championships at Prague, Czechoslovakia (bronze medal)

Transaction History

June 6, 1972 -- Claimed by Atlanta from Boston in NHL Expansion Draft. Jan. 30, 1981 -- Traded by Calgary to Quebec in exchange for Jamie Hislop. Oct. 14, 1985 -- Traded by Quebec to Winnipeg in exchange for 1986 seventh-round pick (Mark Vermette) and cash. Oct. 9, 1986 -- Bought out and released by Winnipeg on opening day of 1986-87 season.

Life Outside the NHL

Full Name: Daniel Hector Bouchard
Nicknames: "Butch", "Bouch", "Reverend"
Also Known as: Daniel Bouchard

Other Post-Draft Teams: Hershey, Boston (AHL); Oklahoma City (CHL)

Education: Attended University of Quebec.

Broadcasting Career: Worked as color commentator on French-language radio broadcasts of Stanley Cup playoffs during off-seasong, beginning in 1977.

Career Beyond Hockey: Returned to the Atlanta area after his retirement and became head coach and general manager of the Life University club team while also working to help victims of strokes and brain injuries with their rehab through hockey and other sports.
Bouchard on LinkedIn

Family: Older brother of former minor-league goaltender Guy Bouchard.

Significant Injuries

Missed part of 1977-78 season with bruised cheekbone, suffered when he was hit by a 100mph shot by Garnet "Ace" Bailey during Atlanta's Oct. 26, 1977, game vs. Washington. His last-second turn away from the shot saved his eye from being hit. He did not return until Atlanta's Nov. 2, 1977, game at Montreal. ... Missed part of 1982-83 season with hairliine fracture of right index finger, suffered during Quebec's Nov. 8, 1982, game vs. Edmonton. He did not return until Quebec's Dec. 12, 1982, game at Chicago. ... Suffered career-ending knee injury playing in Switzerland early in 1986-87 season.

Non-Playing Career

COACHING CAREER
Named Fribourg-Gotteron player-goaltending coach prior to 1986-87 season, stopped playing during 1986-87 season, and remained in that position through 1988-89 season. He continued to work with the Fribourg team as a part-time consultant from 1989 to 2001. ... Named Quebec goaltending coach prior to
1991-92 season and remained in that position through 1993-94 season. ... Named head coach of Life University (Atlanta) college club team prior to 1995-96 season and remained in that position through 2001-02 season. ... Named head coach and general manager of Life University college club team in August 2007 and currently holds this position.

Miscellaneous:

Selected by Alberta Oilers in 1972 WHA Draft -- the first-ever WHA Draft, February 1972. Third overall player selected, and second by Atlanta, in 1972 NHL Expansion Draft. Pushed referee Dave Newell while arguing goal in Atlanta's April 10, 1974, playoff game. Refused to do interviews with media after games during 1982 playoffs and 1982-83 season.
Was active in the Christian Athletes Federation during his playing days. Listed New York's Madison Square Garden as his favorite place to play on road in NHL. Had successful 14-hour surgery in Atlanta to remove two brain tumors oon March 21, 1990. Was an outspoken critic of Atlanta Thrashers management when team left for Winnipeg.
SNAPSHOT '70
Total Selected: 115
Forwards: 67
Defense: 36
Goaltenders: 12
Major Junior: 87
College Players: 18
Canadian: 109
Euro-Canadian: 0
American: 6
European: 0
Reached NHL: 62
Won Stanley Cup: 12
Hall of Fame: 3
All-Star Game: 11
Year-end All-Star: 4
Olympians: 2
Picks Traded: 13


OTHERS DRAFTED IN 1970



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