Shot Left Died October 17, 1960 Career end 1933 Role Ice hockey athlete Career start 1915 | Name Georges Boucher Weight 77 kg Playing career Height 1.75 m Position Defenseman | |
Born August 19, 1896
Ottawa, ON, CAN ( 1896-08-19 ) Played for Ottawa Senators
Montreal Maroons
Chicago Black Hawks | ||
John Georges "Buck" Boucher (August 19, 1896 – October 17, 1960) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Ottawa Senators, Montreal Maroons, and Chicago Black Hawks in the National Hockey League. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Buck was one of six brothers. His brothers Frank, Bobby and Billy all played in the NHL. Their father Tom Boucher, played rugby football, winning the Canadian championship in 1894, 1896, 1897 and 1901. Boucher started his professional athletic career in football as halfback for the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League. After three years of football he switched to hockey.
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Personal life
Georges was one of six sons born to Tom Boucher and Annie Carroll. His paternal grandfather, Antoine Boucher was French while his other grandparents were Irish in descent. His brothers Billy, Bob and Frank would also become professional ice hockey players. There were two other brothers, Carroll and Joseph, and two sisters, Irene and Lily. Their father played rugby football, winning the Canadian championship in 1894, 1896, 1897 and 1901.
Buck's son, Sgt. Frank Boucher, was the head coach of Canada's 1948 Olympic gold medal winning ice hockey team - the Ottawa RCAF Flyers.
Hockey career
He played as an amateur with the Ottawa Aberdeens and the New Edinburghs and Royal Canadians of the Ottawa City Hockey League teams. He started play with the Senators, then of the NHA, in 1915. At the time, he played as a forward.
Boucher would soon switch to play as a defenceman where he would gain fame as an excellent stick handler. He would play with stars such as Eddie Gerard, Horrace Merrill, Sprague Cleghorn, Lionel Hitchman and King Clancy.
Boucher helped lead the Senators to four Stanley Cups between 1920 and 1927. He played in the NHL from 1917 to 1932, scoring 117 goals and 87 recorded assists in 449 games. An extremely tough customer, he also had 838 penalty minutes, including 115 in just 44 games in 1926–27. At his retirement in 1932 he ranked 11th among NHL career points leaders.
He would go on to coach in the NHL in Ottawa, Boston, St. Louis and Chicago. He would coach the Ottawa Senators of the Quebec Hockey League to the Allan Cup in 1949.
He suffered from throat cancer for six years and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1960, just three weeks before he died.