- Henry Boucha
Henry Charles Boucha (Born -
June 1 ,1951 in Warroad,Minnesota U.S.) is a retired Americanprofessional ice hockey centerman who played 247 games over 6 seasons in theNational Hockey League for theDetroit Red Wings ,Minnesota North Stars ,Kansas City Scouts and Colorado Rockies whose career was cut short by eye injury. His cousinGary Sargent also played in the NHL.Amateur career
A full-blooded
Ojibwa (Chippewa ) native American, Boucha played high school hockey forWarroad High School leading his team to the 1969 state tournament where he was injured during a 5–4 overtime loss to Edina. He is considered to be one of the best players to ever play Minnesota high school hockey. [http://www.mnpuck.com/henry_boucha.htm]While serving in the
US Army , Boucha joined the United States national ice hockey team on a full time basis in 1970 as the US won the "Pool B" qualification tournament. He participated in the 1971Ice Hockey World Championships inBerne ,Switzerland where he scored seven goals in ten games for Team USA. Boucha was also one of the biggest stars of the 1972 United States Olympic hockey team that received the silver medal.Professional career
Boucha was drafted in the 2nd Round, 16th overall by the
Detroit Red Wings in the1971 NHL Entry Draft (he was also drafted first overall by theMinnesota Fighting Saints of the rivalWorld Hockey Association but chose not to defect to the WHA). Boucha scored a goal in his first NHL game after the Olympics and was voted Detroit rookie of the year in his first full NHL season. The Red Wings sent him to theMinnesota North Stars in exchange forDanny Grant in 1974. Boucha was enjoying a solid year in his home state when he was involved in a highly publicized stick-swinging incident withDave Forbes of theBoston Bruins in 1975 which left him with a cracked bone around his eye and blurred vision. The incident resulted in a court case as the State of Minnesota attempted to charge the Boston player with assault.Boucha never really recovered from the injury. He attempted a comeback with the
Minnesota Fighting Saints of the WHA in 1975–76 and then returned to the NHL as a free agent with theColorado Rockies in later 1976 where he retired from professional hockey after only nine games.Awards & achievements
*
Detroit Red Wings rookie of the year, 1972–73
* Inducted into theUnited States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995.International play
*Ice hockey world championships, Pool B, 1970 (first, won promotion to Pool A)
*Ice hockey world championships, Pool A, 1971 (sixth place)
*Olympic tournament, 1972 (second place)Trademark
Boucha (in the days before mandatory helmets) wore a red headband. His nickname was "the Chief".
ee also
*
* [http://www.hockeydraftcentral.com/1971/71016.html Profile at Hockeydraftcentral.com]
*1971 NHL Amateur Draft
*List of members of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
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