Position Centre Name Dave Bolland Spouse Julia Zalucki Website davebolland.com Weight 83 kg | Playing career Height 1.83 m Shoots Right Role Ice hockey player Salary 5.5 million USD (2015) | |
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Born June 5, 1986 (age 37)
Etobicoke, ON, CAN ( 1986-06-05 ) NHL team
Former teams Florida Panthers
Chicago Blackhawks
Toronto Maple Leafs NHL Draft 32nd overall, 2004
Chicago Blackhawks Current team Florida Panthers (#63 / Centerman) Similar People Bryan Bickell, Brandon Pirri, Brian Campbell, Willie Mitchell, Nick Bjugstad Profiles | ||
Dave Bolland's Day With The Cup
David D. Bolland (born June 5, 1986) is a Canadian professional ice hockey under contract to the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL), though he has never played a game for the team. Bolland earned the nickname The Rat for his ability to get under the skin of opponents, similar to the play of Ken Linseman, the first player to have the nickname. Bolland was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Prior to joining the Blackhawks full-time, Bolland played in the American Hockey League (AHL) for the Norfolk Admirals and Rockford IceHogs. While playing junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Bolland helped the London Knights capture the 2005 Memorial Cup. He also competed at the 2006 World Junior Championships, where he helped Canada capture the gold medal. Bolland has won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in both 2010 and 2013.
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Playing career
Bolland was born in 1986 in Etobicoke, a suburb of Toronto, Ontario, and lived in the Mimico neighbourhood. He started playing hockey at the local arena, Mimico Arena, where he played for the Queensway Canadiens. He then played minor hockey for the Toronto Red Wings in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) from 2000 until 2002. The Redwings would go on to win the OHL All Ontario Bantam Championship with Bolland recording four points in the championship game.
Junior
While playing for the Toronto Red Wings, Bolland was selected in the first round, eighth overall, of the 2002 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection by the London Knights. Bolland made his OHL debut with the Knights during the 2002–03 season, where he played 63 games, scoring seven goals and adding 10 assists. During his sophomore OHL season (2003–04), Bolland increased his offensive contributions to the Knights, scoring 37 goals and adding 30 assists, while being named the club's Most Improved Player. Bolland represented the Western Conference at the 2004 OHL All-Star Game and was also chosen to participate in the 2004 CHL Top Prospects Game. Heading into the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Bolland was the eighth ranked North American skater by the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau. Bolland was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round, 32nd overall, of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
Professional
Bolland made his NHL debut versus the Vancouver Canucks on October 25, 2006. Bolland started the 2007–08 season with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL, though spent the majority of his second professional season with the Blackhawks. He recorded his first NHL point on October 31, 2007, against the Dallas Stars and scored his first NHL goal on December 16 against the Florida Panthers. Bolland scored a game-winning overtime goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs on November 22, 2008. On May 22, 2009, Bolland had two assists for the Blackhawks in the first 10 minutes of the 2009 Western Conference Finals against the Detroit Red Wings. On June 9, 2010, Bolland became a Stanley Cup champion when the Blackhawks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers and won the Stanley Cup, ending their 49-year drought. On June 24, 2013, Bolland scored the game-winning goal in the final minute of Game 6 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals over the Boston Bruins, leading the Blackhawks to their second Stanley Cup title in four years.
During the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, the Blackhawks traded Bolland to the Toronto Maple Leafs for three Toronto draft picks: a second-round 2013 pick (Carl Dahlström, selected 51st overall), a fourth-round 2013 pick previously acquired from the Anaheim Ducks (Fredrik Bergvik, selected 117th overall) and a fourth-round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft (Frederik Olofsson, selected 98th overall).
Following one season played with the Maple Leafs, Bolland was unable to agree to a new contract with the team, and on July 1, 2014, the Florida Panthers signed Bolland as an unrestricted free agent for a five-year, $27.5 million contract.
After the 2015–16 season, having largely been unable to perform to contract expectations in two unproductive years with the Panthers, Bolland was traded along with prospect Lawson Crouse to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for two draft picks on August 25, 2016.