Pierre Bouchard

Who is Pierre Bouchard?

Pierre Émile Bouchard is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals. He was selected by the Canadiens in the first round of the 1965 NHL Amateur Draft.

Bouchard played an important role, along with Bill Nyrop, as steady defensive-defensemen to the Canadien’s offensive “superstar” trio of Robinson, Savard and Lapointe who dominated the NHL blueline in the 70s.

Bouchard's NHL career began after the Montreal Canadiens had missed the playoffs in the 1969–70 season, unacceptable for a franchise which had not missed post-season play in 22 years, and among the changes that were made were to bring Bouchard along with Guy Lapointe up from the minors. So in just his rookie year 1970–71, Bouchard was part of the Canadien team that upset the powerful, record-breaking Boston Bruins in the first round and went on to win the Stanley Cup. In all Bouchard was on five Stanley Cup winning teams with the Canadiens in eight seasons.

Prior to the 1978–79 season, a failed manipulation of the waiver system by the Canadiens led Bouchard's rights to unintentionally move from Montreal to Washington.