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Brian Boucher

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Brian Boucher
Boucher with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2011
Born (1977-01-02) January 2, 1977 (age 47)
Woonsocket, Rhode Island, U.S.
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Left
Played for Philadelphia Flyers
Phoenix Coyotes
HV71
Calgary Flames
Chicago Blackhawks
Columbus Blue Jackets
San Jose Sharks
Carolina Hurricanes
EV Zug
National team  United States
NHL draft 22nd overall, 1995
Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career 1997–2013

Brian Boucher (/buːˈʃeɪ/ boo-SHAY;[1] born January 2, 1977) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender who is a game analyst on national TNT games and also Philadelphia Flyers games on NBC Sports Philadelphia. He played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, and Carolina Hurricanes.

He led the league in goals against average for the 1999–2000 NHL season. He currently holds the NHL's modern record for the longest shutout streak at 332:01, set while he was a member of the Phoenix Coyotes during the 2003–04 NHL season.

Playing career

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Early Philadelphia years

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Boucher was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, 22nd overall. He began play with the Flyers during the 1999–2000 season, taking the starting position from veteran John Vanbiesbrouck and helping the team secure the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division regular season titles while leading the NHL in goals against average (GAA) at 1.91. In the 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs, he backstopped his team to the Eastern Conference Finals. En route, he recorded several memorable moments, including a five-overtime victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins[2] and a sprawling save against Patrik Eliáš of the New Jersey Devils, which thereafter became known as a "Boosh" among goaltenders.[3] Although the Flyers were ahead three games to one in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Devils, and despite the return of the injured Eric Lindros, Boucher and the Flyers lost in seven games to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Devils. In the 2000–01 season, a weak start to the season saw him lose his starting position to Roman Čechmánek.

Phoenix/Shutout streak

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Boucher playing for the Phantoms in 2007–08.

On June 12, 2002, Boucher was traded (along with multiple draft picks) to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for Michal Handzuš and Robert Esche. In the 2003–04 season, Boucher broke the modern-day NHL record for the longest shutout streak by a goaltender, going unscored upon for 332 minutes, or five-and-a-half games. On February 1, 2006, he was traded to the Calgary Flames (along with Mike Leclerc) in exchange for Steven Reinprecht and Philippe Sauvé.

Chicago/Columbus

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Boucher began the 2006–07 season with the Chicago Blackhawks. On February 27, 2007, he was acquired on waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Boucher arrived hours prior to the Blue Jackets-Colorado Avalanche game that evening. During the game, he wore Ty Conklin's number 35 sweater. On March 3, 2007, Boucher made his Blue Jackets debut against his former team, Phoenix. His first game was a 4–3 win.

San Jose Sharks

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On July 23, 2007, Boucher signed an American Hockey League (AHL) contract with the Philadelphia Phantoms, the Philadelphia Flyers' AHL affiliate. He played with the Phantoms until he signed a one-year contract with the San Jose Sharks on February 26, 2008.[4]

Boucher playing for San Jose in 2007–08.

On June 25, 2008, stating how much he liked the San Jose atmosphere, he signed another one-year contract with the Sharks, worth US$650,000.[5] He recorded consecutive shutouts in each of his first two games of the 2008–09 season for the Sharks before allowing a goal in his third game.

Return to Philadelphia

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On July 1, 2009, Boucher agreed to a two-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers to be the steady, veteran backup to the starting goaltender Ray Emery. However, when Emery incurred an injury midway through the season, Boucher was thrust into the spotlight with mediocre results. A hand injury soon pushed Boucher to the sideline, and he was replaced by third-string goaltender Michael Leighton. Leighton excelled in Boucher's absence, and once healthy, Boucher found himself backing-up Leighton. Upon the return of Emery, Boucher was further demoted to the press box, with Leighton now the backup. Emery soon re-injured himself, giving Boucher a chance to back-up Leighton, who once again was playing well. Near the end of the season, with only 13 games left, Leighton went down with a high-ankle sprain, and Boucher was back into the spotlight for the Flyers once again. After a 2–1 shootout victory in the final game of the season against the New York Rangers, Boucher and the Flyers advanced to the playoffs.

In the 2010 playoffs, Boucher defeated Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils in the first round four games to one. The national media remarked he was the surprise of the playoffs after the first round with his outstanding play in net. The Flyers defeated the Boston Bruins in the second round by overcoming a three-game deficit, but Boucher was injured in Game 5 of that series with knee injuries. Boucher returned from his injuries to serve as a backup to Leighton in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks. He saw game action in Game 1 and Game 5 in relief of Leighton, but the Flyers lost in six games to the Blackhawks.

Boucher playing for the Hurricanes in 2011–12.

In the 2010–11 season, Boucher split time in goal with standout rookie Sergei Bobrovsky after Leighton was demoted to the AHL, in part for hiding an injury. Bobrovsky started most of the games, and was named the Flyers playoff starter. After Game 2 of the conference quarter-finals against the Buffalo Sabres, in which Boucher relieved Bobrovsky and earned the win, Boucher started the next three games. However, he was pulled in Game 5 in favour of Leighton, who was called up as a third goaltender. Leighton played well but lost Game 5 in overtime, nonetheless earning the start for Game 6. However, in Game 6, Leighton allowed three goals in the opening period, and once again Boucher was able to earn the win in relief, making Boucher the only goaltender in NHL history to record two wins in a playoff series when coming in relief. Boucher went on to start Game 7 as the Flyers defeated Buffalo. Boucher started the first three games in the next round against Boston, but played poorly, allowing for deposed starter Bobrovsky to return in Game 4 as the Flyers were ultimately swept.

Carolina Hurricanes and third stint with Flyers

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After the Flyers acquired goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov and decided to keep Bobrovsky as backup, Boucher was the odd man out. On July 1, 2011, Boucher was signed by the Carolina Hurricanes to a two-year contract worth $950,000 per season.[6] He played sparingly as the backup to Cam Ward, and his season ended early due to injury.

On January 13, 2013, after the end of the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Boucher began his third stint with the Flyers, and fourth overall with the organization, when he and defenseman Mark Alt were traded to Philadelphia in exchange for Luke Pither.[7] Three days later, Boucher was waived and sent down to Adirondack, the new home of the AHL Phantoms. Boucher was named the team's starting goaltender, relegating previous starter Scott Munroe to backup duty and sending Phantoms backup Cal Heeter to the Trenton Titans, the Flyers' ECHL affiliate. On February 10, Boucher was recalled by the Flyers after Michael Leighton suffered a lower body injury. He saw action in four games before being sent back down to Adirondack on March 9 after Leighton returned to health.

Broadcasting career

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After he retired from hockey in 2013, Boucher served as a studio analyst for the Philadelphia Flyers' regional telecasts on NBC Sports Philadelphia with host Al Morganti.[8] He also worked on select regional television broadcasts on the network on a rotating basis along with Bill Clement and Scott Hartnell when lead color commentator Keith Jones was unavailable.[9] On September 11, 2023, he was promoted as lead color commentator for the network, replacing Keith Jones.[10][11]

Starting in the 2015–16, Boucher joined NBC Sports as an "Inside the Glass" reporter and studio analyst. From 2018 to 2021, Boucher worked with the lead broadcast team of Mike Emrick and Eddie Olczyk, a role he shares with Pierre McGuire.[12][13][14][15][16][17]

In addition to NBCSN, Boucher was also a studio analyst for NHL Network.

After the conclusion of NBC's last Stanley Cup Finals, Boucher joined ESPN/ABC for its NHL coverage, starting with the 2021–22 season, ESPN/ABC's first season under a 7-year reunion deal, which brought both networks its first set of NHL games since 2004, as their co-lead color commentator, alongside Ray Ferraro.[18][19][20] On nights when at least two games were aired on either network, he mostly teamed up with Bob Wischusen and reporter Leah Hextall on the #2 broadcast team.[21][22]

Before the 2023–24 season, Boucher left ESPN/ABC to join TNT, reuniting with former NBC Sports lead pair of Kenny Albert and Eddie Olczyk as the new lead ice-level analyst, replacing Keith Jones, who left to become the new President of Hockey Operations for the Philadelphia Flyers.[23][24][11]

Personal life

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Boucher has a wife, Melissa, and a son and daughter. He had an older brother, Bruce Boucher, who died suddenly of a heart attack in 2014. His son Tyler is a left winger for the Ottawa 67's and was a first-round draft choice of the Ottawa Senators in 2021.[25] Boucher attended Mount St. Charles Academy in Woonsocket, Rhode Island,[26] and played major junior hockey for the Tri-City Americans.

Records

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Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L T OTL MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
1993–94 Mount Saint Charles Academy HS-RI 15 14 0 1 — 504 8 9 0.57 — 4 4 0 180 6 1 1.20 —
1994–95 Wexford Raiders MetJHL 8 — — — — 425 23 0 3.25 — — — — — — — — —
1994–95 Tri-City Americans WHL 35 17 11 2 — 1969 108 1 3.29 — 13 6 5 795 50 0 3.77 —
1995–96 Tri-City Americans WHL 55 33 19 2 — 3183 181 1 3.41 .913 11 6 5 653 37 2 3.40 —
1996–97 Tri-City Americans WHL 41 10 24 6 — 2458 149 1 3.64 .901 — — — — — — — —
1997–98 Philadelphia Phantoms AHL 34 16 12 3 — 1901 101 0 3.19 .888 2 0 0 30 1 0 1.94 .944
1998–99 Philadelphia Phantoms AHL 36 20 8 5 — 2061 89 2 2.59 .911 16 9 7 947 45 0 2.85 .906
1999–00 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 35 20 10 3 — 2038 65 4 1.91 .918 18 11 7 1183 40 1 2.03 .917
1999–00 Philadelphia Phantoms AHL 1 0 0 1 — 65 3 0 2.77 .903 — — — — — — — —
2000–01 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 27 8 12 5 — 1470 80 1 3.27 .876 1 0 0 37 3 0 4.86 .824
2001–02 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 41 18 16 4 — 2295 92 2 2.41 .905 2 0 1 88 2 0 1.37 .939
2002–03 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 45 15 20 8 — 2544 128 0 3.02 .894 — — — — — — — —
2003–04 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 40 10 19 10 — 2364 108 5 2.74 .906 — — — — — — — —
2004–05 HV71 SEL 4 0 4 0 — 235 13 0 3.32 .884 — — — — — — — —
2005–06 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 11 3 6 — 0 512 33 0 3.87 .877 — — — — — — — —
2005–06 San Antonio Rampage AHL 6 2 3 — 0 345 8 0 1.39 .950 — — — — — — — —
2005–06 Calgary Flames NHL 3 1 2 — 0 182 15 0 4.95 .854 — — — — — — — —
2006–07 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 15 1 10 — 3 827 45 1 3.26 .884 — — — — — — — —
2006–07 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 3 1 1 — 0 142 9 0 3.80 .866 — — — — — — — —
2007–08 Philadelphia Phantoms AHL 42 23 16 — 1 2288 94 4 2.47 .917 — — — — — — — —
2007–08 San Jose Sharks NHL 5 3 1 — 1 238 7 1 1.76 .932 1 0 0 2 0 0 0.00 —
2008–09 San Jose Sharks NHL 22 12 6 — 3 1291 47 2 2.18 .917 — — — — — — — —
2009–10 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 33 9 18 — 3 1742 80 1 2.76 .899 12 6 6 656 27 1 2.47 .909
2009–10 Adirondack Phantoms AHL 1 1 0 — 0 60 2 0 2.00 .935 — — — — — — — —
2010–11 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 34 18 10 — 4 1885 76 0 2.42 .916 9 4 4 422 22 0 3.13 .904
2011–12 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 10 1 6 — 1 546 31 0 3.41 .881 — — — — — — — —
2012–13 Adirondack Phantoms AHL 16 6 8 — 1 910 39 0 2.57 .905 — — — — — — — —
2012–13 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 4 0 2 — 0 144 6 0 2.50 .891 — — — — — — — —
2013–14 EV Zug NLA 5 — — — — 309 14 0 2.72 .925 — — — — — — — —
NHL totals 328 120 139 30 15 18,219 822 17 2.71 .901 43 21 18 2388 94 2 2.36 .911

International

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Year Team Event GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA SV%
1996 United States WJC 4 3 1 0 220 13 0 3.55 .889
1997 United States WJC 6 4 1 1 357 9 2 1.51 .942
Junior totals 10 7 2 1 577 22 2 2.29 —

Awards and achievements

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WHL

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International

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AHL

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NHL

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References

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  1. ^ Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Longman. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0.
  2. ^ "Primeau gives Flyers win in 5 OT epic". CBC Sports. November 10, 2000. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
  3. ^ Bill Meltzer (February 9, 2011). "Boucher & "The Save"". Philadelphia Flyers. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  4. ^ "San Jose Sharks - News: Boucher Provides Depth in Net - 02/26/2008". Archived from the original on February 29, 2008. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
  5. ^ Pollak, David. "Pavelski, Roenick, Boucher — 4 years, $5 million gets it done", Sharks Blog: Working the Corners, June 25, 2008. Accessed June 25, 2008.
  6. ^ "NHL Free Agent Tracker". The Sports Network. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  7. ^ "Canes Acquire Pither from Flyers for Boucher, Alt".
  8. ^ "COMCAST SPORTSNET PHILADELPHIA ANNOUNCES FLYERS FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF ACTION". NBC Sports Pressbox. April 15, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  9. ^ Barkowitz, Ed (March 9, 2021). "Former Flyer Scott Hartnell feels almost like a player again in his new gig at NBCSP | On the Fly". www.inquirer.com. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  10. ^ "Brian Boucher returns to Flyers broadcasts as primary game analyst". NBC Sports Philadelphia. September 11, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Blumenthal, Jeff (December 13, 2023). "How Brian Boucher went from Flyers goaltender to broadcaster with help from Ron Hextall and Keith Jones". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  12. ^ "Report: Pierre McGuire removed from NBC's No. 1 NHL team in favor of Brian Boucher". Awful Announcing. September 4, 2019. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  13. ^ "Former Flyers goalie Brian Boucher has made the transition to broadcasting look easy". Philly Voice. November 19, 2019.
  14. ^ Schott, Ken (September 6, 2019). "In defense of Pierre McGuire". The Daily Gazette. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  15. ^ Cowan, Stu (September 6, 2019). "NHL analyst Pierre McGuire insists he hasn't been demoted at NBC". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  16. ^ Cowan, Stu (September 4, 2019). "NBC replacing Pierre McGuire on national NHL broadcasts: report". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  17. ^ Haase, Taylor (September 4, 2019). "Report: NBC Sports removes Pierre McGuire from No. 1 coverage team". DKPittsburghSports.com. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  18. ^ Marchand, Andrew (May 10, 2021). "ESPN adding Ray Ferraro, Brian Boucher as NHL analysts". New York Post. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  19. ^ The Athletic Staff. "Ray Ferraro and Brian Boucher to join ESPN as NHL analysts: Sources". The Athletic. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  20. ^ "Dynamic, Diverse and Accomplished Team to Present ESPN's NHL Coverage to Fans". ESPN Press Room U.S. June 29, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  21. ^ Gustafson, Brandon (April 26, 2023). "ESPN NHL analysts on Seattle Kraken pushing defending champion Avs". Seattle Sports. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  22. ^ Zweiman, Benjamin (April 17, 2023). "Who has the broadcast rights for the Stanley Cup Playoffs?". DraftKings Nation. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  23. ^ Marchand, Andrew (August 29, 2023). "Brian Boucher joins TNT's NHL coverage". Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  24. ^ "Brian Boucher to join NHL on TNT as their "between the benches" analyst, reuniting with his former NBC teammates". Overtime Heroics. August 29, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  25. ^ "Tyler Boucher". Elite Prospects. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  26. ^ Allen, Kevin (December 15, 2004). "Swedes a demanding lot". USA Today.
  27. ^ Collins gem Hockey Facts and Stats 2009-10, p.528, Andrew Podnieks, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, Toronto, Canada, ISBN 978-1-55468-621-6
  28. ^ "Flyers History – Player of the Week". Flyers History. Accessed January 31, 2014.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Brian Boucher.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Philadelphia Flyers first round draft pick
1995 		Succeeded by
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