Francis Bouillon

Francis Bouillon (born October 17, 1975) is an American professional hockey defenseman for the Nashville Predators in the National Hockey League. Nicknames in English for Francis include "Cube" or "Soupy" (as a reference to bouillon cubes), "Frank the Tank", and "Franky B". In French, people call him "le petit guerrier" which means "the little warrior", due to his physical intensity and his small stature.
==Early life==
Bouillon was born in New York City to a French-Canadian mother and a Haitian father. Bouillon moved to Quebec with his mother when he was only 3 years old. He played Junior hockey in the Quebec Junior Hockey League with the Laval Titans and the Granby Predateurs.
==Playing career==
Francis made his professional debut the 1996-97 season in the ECHL with the Wheeling Nailers and played the following season in the IHL with the Quebec Rafales before he was signed as a free agent to an NHL contract by the Montreal Canadiens in 1998.
He played the next 11 seasons, the majority of his career (except for a short stint with the Predators in 2002–03 within the Canadiens organization. At 5'8" and 201 lbs, Bouillon is considered small for an NHL defencemen but is never one to shy away from physical play. According to Pierre Houde, he is one of the strongest players in the NHL, according to official physical tests.
On September 30, 2009, just prior to the 2009–10 season, Bouillon was signed to a one-year contract as a late inclusion to the Nashville Predators after joining the team on a try-out for training camp. In returning to the Predators after an initial four game stint in 2002, Bouillon established himself within the Predators defense as a stay-at-home d-man to appear in 81 games, missing only a single game, for 3 goals and 11 points. On June 18, 2010, he signed a two-year extension to remain with the Predators.
==Personal life==
Francis is married to Ginette and has 2 sons; Michael and Anthony.http://predators.nhl.com/v2/ext/pdf/NashvillePredators_2010MediaGuide.pdf
Bouillon resides in Nashville with his family. He retains his US citizenship.
== Career statistics ==
===Regular season and playoffs===
  	  	  	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1992–93 	Laval Titan 	QMJHL 	 	46 	0 	7 	7 	45 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1993–94 	Laval Titan 	QMJHL 	 	68 	3 	15 	18 	129 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1994–95 	Laval Titan Collège Français	QMJHL 	 	72 	8 	25 	33 	115 	 	20 	3 	11 	14 	21
1995–96 	Granby Predateurs 	QMJHL 	 	68 	11 	35 	46 	156 	 	21 	2 	12 	14 	30
1996–97 	Wheeling Nailers 	ECHL 	 	69 	10 	32 	42 	77 	 	3 	0 	2 	2 	10
1997–98 	Quebec Rafales 	IHL 	 	71 	8 	27 	35 	76 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	Fredericton Canadiens 	AHL 	 	79 	19 	35 	54 	174 	 	5 	2 	1 	3 	0
1999–00 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	74 	3 	13 	16 	38 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	Quebec Citadelles 	AHL 	 	4 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	29 	0 	6 	6 	26 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	Quebec Citadelles 	AHL 	 	38 	8 	14 	22 	30 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	28 	0 	5 	5 	33 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	Nashville Predators 	NHL 	 	4 	0 	0 	0 	2 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	Hamilton Bulldogs 	AHL 	 	29 	1 	12 	13 	31 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	20 	3 	1 	4 	2 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	73 	2 	16 	18 	70 	 	11 	0 	0 	0 	7
2004–05 	Leksands IF 	Swe-1 	 	21 	6 	12 	18 	34 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	67 	3 	19 	22 	34 	 	6 	1 	2 	3 	10
2006–07 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	62 	3 	11 	14 	52 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	74 	2 	6 	8 	61 	 	7 	1 	2 	3 	4
2008–09 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	54 	5 	4 	9 	53 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0
2009–10 	Nashville Predators 	NHL 	 	81 	3 	8 	11 	50 	 	6 	0 	0 	0 	6
2010–11 	Nashville Predators 	NHL 	 	44 	1 	9 	10 	27 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	610 	25 	98 	123 	448 	 	31 	2 	4 	6 	27
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
===International===
Year 	Team 	Comp 	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2003 	United States 	WC 	6 	0	1	1 	0
Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	6 	0	1	1 	0
==References==
==External links==
*
Category:Born in 1975
Category:American ice hockey players
Category:Granby Prédateurs alumni
Category:Laval Titan alumni
Category:Leksands IF players
Category:Memorial Cup winners
Category:Montreal Canadiens players
Category:Nashville Predators players
Category:Quebec Citadelles players
Category:Quebec Rafales players
Category:Wheeling Nailers players
Category:Undrafted