Jay Bouwmeester

Infobox Ice Hockey Player


image_size =
team = Florida Panthers
former_teams =
league = NHL
position = Defence
shoots = Left
height_ft = 6
height_in = 4
weight_lb = 212
nationality = CAN
birth_date = Birth date and age|1983|9|27|mf=y
birth_place = Edmonton, AB, CAN
draft = 3rd overall
draft_year = 2002
draft_team = Florida Panthers
career_start = 2002

Jason "Jay" Bouwmeester (born September 27, 1983 in Edmonton, Alberta) is a professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League.

Playing career

After playing minor hockey for his hometown team in Edmonton of the Alberta Midget Hockey League, Bouwmeester joined the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League for 8 games in 1998-99. After recording 61 points in 61 games in his final season with Medicine Hat, he was named to the WHL East First All-Star Team. That summer, Bouwmeester was drafted third overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Florida Panthers behind Rick Nash and Kari Lehtonen.

Upon being drafted, Bouwmeester made his NHL debut with the Panthers the following season, playing in all 82 games and recording 16 points. He scored his first NHL goal on November 11, 2002, against the Chicago Blackhawks – a game-tying goal on the powerplay with 8:44 remaining in regulation. [citeweb|title=Chicago vs. Florida|url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/scores102/102315/20021111NHL--FLORIDA---0nr.htm|accessdate=2008-07-28|date=2002-11-11|publisher=USA Today]

Due to the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Bouwmeester played his third professional season in the American Hockey League with San Antonio and Chicago. As NHL play resumed the next season in 2005-06, Bouwmeester broke out with 46 points in 82 games and was named to Team Canada's 2006 Olympic squad in replacement of injured defenceman Scott Niedermayer. In 2006-07, he played in his first NHL All-Star Game and recorded 42 points.

Following a career-high 15-goal season in 2007-08, Bouwmeester agreed to a 1-year, $4.875 million contract as a restricted free agent with the Panthers on July 28, 2008. [citeweb|title=Panthers sign RFA Bouwmeester to a one-year deal|url=http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=244659&lid=headline&lpos=topStory_main|accessdate=2008-07-28|date=2008-07-28|publisher=TSN] Throughout the season, he served as an alternate captain for Florida. Prior to Bouwmeester's contract extension, long-time team captain Olli Jokinen was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes, leaving Bouwmeester as a candidate to take over as Jokinen's successor.

International play

During his junior career, Bouwmeester represented Team Canada three times at the World Junior Championships. In 2000, he became the youngest player to play for Canada's under-20 team at sixteen years old. [citeweb|title=This week in the WHL|url=http://www.canoe.ca/WHLNews9900/dec20_this.html|date=1999-12-20|accessdate=2008-07-28|publisher=CANOE] Canada earned bronze, defeating the U.S. in a bronze-medal game shootout. Bouwmeester then earned bronze again with Canada in 2001, defeating Sweden. After two consecutive bronze medals, Bouwmeester made it to the gold medal game with Canada in 2002 against the Russians. However, leading 3-1 in the third period, Canada lost the gold medal to Russia 5-4.

At the end of his rookie season with the Florida Panthers, he made his senior international debut with Team Canada at the 2003 World Championships, tallying 7 points en route to a gold medal victory over Finland.

In 2004, Bouwmeester won gold again with Team Canada at the World Championships. Several months later, in September, he played at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. Bouwmeester played in four games and captured another gold medal.

On February 8, 2006, Hockey Canada announced Bouwmeester would be added to the 2006 Olympic lineup in place of injured defenceman Scott Niedermayer. Team Canada was, however, eliminated in the quarter-finals by Russia.

Career statistics

International statistics

ee also

*List of Florida Panthers players
*List of NHL seasons
*List of NHL players

External links

*TSN-NHL-profile|2876
*hockeydb|46419
* [http://brickhockeyhighlights.com/content/view/43/27/ Jay Bouwmeester Minor Hockey Video]