Meet Pierre-Marc Bouchard, a center for the Minnesota Wild.
Pierre-Marc Bouchard grew up in southeastern Quebec, in the town of Sherbrooke. Like many boys growing up in Canada, Pierre-Marc was drawn to hockey at an early age…and his brother followed suit. From the frozen ponds of Canada to the glitzy indoor rinks of the NHL, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and younger brother François have made their mark. Pierre-Marc even busted out a crazy spin-out in an overtime match-up against the Chicago Blackhawks. Later, he attributed the move to François, revealing how much the two brothers learned from each other while patenting admittedly unconventional hockey moves.
The Chicoutimi Saguenéens were Pierre-Marc Bouchard’s junior league team. He started in 2000 at the young age of 16, and instantly earned recognition as a member of the league’s first All-Star Team. After another season in the juniors—and plenty of Rookie awards and honors—Bouchard took his play to the NHL and debuted with the Minnesota Wild in 2002.
During his inaugural Wild season, Bouchard made 7 goals and completed 13 assists—relatively solid standards in the NHL. Though he was bumped down to the Houston Aeros for the 2004-2005 season, Bouchard took that lemon and made some sweet lemonade. In short, he improved his play, maneuvering, and focus. By the time he returned to the Wild in 2005-2006, Bouchard impressed fans with 17 goals, 42 assists, and 59 points across 80 games.
Don’t worry, Minnesota Wild hockey fans. Players like Marian Gaborik may break your heart by leaving the team or losing their Wild spirit. However, Pierre-Marc Bouchard is a solid bet for the future of the Minnesota Wild.
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