Jan 9--Bruce Boudreau

Bruce Boudreau

Selected by Toronto Maple Leafs round 3 #42 overall 1975 NHL Amateur Draft

Selected by Minnesota Fighting Saints round 1 #14 overall 1974 WHA Amateur Draft

Boudreau could not agree with Toronto on a contract and joined the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the WHA, making his professional debut in 1975. He was a talented offensive centre whose size worked against him getting the ice time he wanted in the NHL. The diminutive pivot signed on with the Leafs in 1976-77 and scored seven points in 15 games. He played most of his hockey that year with the Dallas Black Hawks and led the CHL with 37 goals. He played 40 games for Toronto as an injury replacement in 1977-78 but remained a farmhand through the 1982-83 playoffs. His best performance in the minors during this time came in 1981-82 when he scored 103 points in 63 games for the Cincinnati Tigers and was placed on the CHL second all-star team.

Boudreau played seven games for the Chicago Black Hawks in 1985-86 after signing as a free agent but was chiefly a minor league stalwart until retiring in 1992.

While playing for the Johnstown (Pa.) Jets in 1975, he appeared in first hockey scene of the movie Slap Shot, wearing No. 7 for visiting team, the Presidents. Paul Newman's apartment in the movie was actually Boudreau's real apartment, picked because it was the most dingy of all the players’ apartments.

CAREER NHL STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1977-1985 Toronto, Chicago 141 28 42 70 46

CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1977-1983 Toronto 9 2 0 2 0

 

Received these blue ink signed cards IP at the NHL SloPitch tourney in Niagara Falls. I have a I think funny story about Gabby there but my wife says I shouldn't reveal it. Happy wife, happy life.