Andre Boudrias

André G. Boudrias (born September 19, 1943, in Montreal, Quebec) is a retired professional ice hockey centre who spent 12 seasons in the National Hockey League as well as two more years in the World Hockey Association between 1963 and 1978. He is best remembered for his time with the Vancouver Canucks, where he was the first offensive star in the team's history. Currently he serves as a scout for the New Jersey Devils.
==Playing Career==
Boudrias was signed by his hometown Montreal Canadiens at an early age and starred for the Montreal Junior Canadiens between 1961 and 1964. He would twice lead the Jr. Canadiens in scoring, including the 1963–64 team which featured future Hall of Famers Yvan Cournoyer, Jacques Lemaire and Serge Savard. He had an explosive start to his NHL career in a four-game callup during the 1963–64 season, notching 4 assists and 5 points. 
When he turned pro in 1964, Boudrias was projected to have a great future for the Canadiens, but his career would stall while former teammates like Cournoyer became stars. He would see just three games of NHL action over the next three seasons, recording a single assist, while buried in the Canadiens' deep farm system. One of the reasons for Boudrias' slow promotion was the fact there were three great centres ahead of him on the Canadiens - Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard, and Ralph Backstrom.
However, the NHL's expansion in 1967 would prove to be a great opportunity for players like Boudrias, and he was dealt to the Minnesota North Stars on the day of the 1967 Expansion Draft. He would go on to a terrific rookie NHL season in 1967–68, leading the North Stars in assists with 35 and finishing 2nd in points with 53 in their inaugural season. However, he would struggle the following season, posting just 13 points in 53 games before being dealt to the Chicago Black Hawks. He would have a strong finish to the season in Chicago, but was lost to the St. Louis Blues in the intra-league draft that summer. Boudrias would endure another disappointing season in St. Louis, as he recorded just 3 goals in 50 games, and was demoted to the minors for 19 games. However, he would notch 6 points in 14 games in helping the Blues to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they would lose on Bobby Orr's famous goal. 
Boudrias' career would finally take off when he was dealt to the expansion Vancouver Canucks for the 1970–71 season. He would quickly become the team's top offensive player, leading the team with a career-high 66 points. He would ultimately lead the team in scoring in 4 of their first 5 seasons, and only trailed Bobby Schmautz by a point the other year.
In Vancouver, Boudrias would earn the nickname 'Superpest' for his tremendous skating and forechecking abilities. Despite being a top-notch offensive centre, he was also a tremendous defensive player who could give opposing players fits with his buzzing presence all over the ice pressuring the puck. He would become one of the young franchise's most popular and identifiable players, and would be the team's first real offensive star. 
Boudrias would set franchise records for assists and points in 1973–74, and break both his own records in 1974–75. His 62 assists that year remained the franchise record for more than three decades until it was broken by Henrik Sedin in 2006–07. He helped Vancouver to their first-ever playoff appearance in 1975, the only player from the inaugural squad in 1970 to do so. 
For the 1975–76 season, Boudrias was named the team's captain, but slumped to his lowest totals as a Canuck, finishing with just 7 goals and 38 points as he began to be used in a more exclusively defensive role. 
Now in his mid-30s and with his NHL career on the decline, Boudrias left the Canucks following the 1975–76 season to return closer to home, signing with the Quebec Nordiques of the WHA. He would spend two more successful seasons in Quebec, helping the Nordiques to the WHA Championship with a strong playoff performance in 1977, before retiring in 1978. 
Boudrias finished his NHL career with 151 goals and 340 assists for 491 points in 662 games, along with just 216 penalty minutes. He also notched 22 goals and 48 assists for 70 points in 140 WHA games. 
Following his career, Boudrias would go on to become one of the game's most respected scouts with Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey. In 1986 and 1993, he won the Stanley Cup with Montreal Canadiens as assistant general manager/director of scouting. He then joined New Jersey in summer of 1994. A long-time employee of the New Jersey Devils, Boudrias served as one of the team's pro scouts and has helped build the team which won Stanley Cups in 1995, 2000 and 2003.
==Career Statistics==
  	  	  	 	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
1961–62 	Montreal Junior Canadiens	OHA 	 	50 	34 	63 	97 	0 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1962–63 	Montreal Junior Canadiens	OHA 	 	50 	12 	43 	55 	0 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1963–64 	Montreal Junior Canadiens	OHA 	 	55 	38 	97 	135 	0 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1963–64 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	4 	1 	4 	5 	2 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1964–65 	Quebec Aces 	AHL 	 	14 	4 	9 	13 	43 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1964–65 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	2 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1965–66 	Quebec Aces 	AHL 	 	1 	2 	0 	2 	0 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1966–67 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	2 	0 	1 	1 	0 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1967–68 	Minnesota North Stars 	NHL 	 	74 	18 	35 	53 	42 	 	14 	3 	6 	9 	8
1968–69 	Minnesota North Stars 	NHL 	 	53 	4 	9 	13 	6 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1968–69 	Chicago Black Hawks 	NHL 	 	20 	4 	10 	14 	4 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1969–70 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 	 	50 	3 	14 	17 	20 	 	14 	2 	4 	6 	4
1970–71 	Vancouver Canucks 	NHL 	 	77 	25 	41 	66 	16 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1971–72 	Vancouver Canucks 	NHL 	 	78 	27 	34 	61 	16 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1972–73 	Vancouver Canucks 	NHL 	 	77 	30 	40 	70 	24 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1973–74 	Vancouver Canucks 	NHL 	 	78 	16 	59 	75 	18 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1974–75 	Vancouver Canucks 	NHL 	 	77 	16 	62 	78 	46 	 	5 	1 	0 	1 	0
1975–76 	Vancouver Canucks 	NHL 	 	71 	7 	31 	38 	10 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0
1976–77 	Quebec Nordiques 	WHA 	 	74 	12 	31 	43 	12 	 	17 	3 	12 	15 	6
1977–78 	Quebec Nordiques 	WHA 	 	66 	10 	17 	27 	22 	 	11 	0 	2 	2 	4
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	662 	151 	340 	491 	216 	 	34 	6 	10 	16 	12
WHA totals	WHA totals 	WHA totals	 	140 	22 	48 	70 	34 	 	28 	3 	14 	17 	10
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==Awards==
*1961-62 Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy
*1963-64 Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy
==References==
*
Category:Chicago Blackhawks players
Category:Minnesota North Stars players
Category:Montreal Canadiens players
Category:Quebec Nordiques players
Category:St. Louis Blues players
Category:Vancouver Canucks players
Category:Quebec Aces (AHL) players
Category:Born in 1943
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Montreal Junior Canadiens alumni
Category:NDG Monarchs alumni
Category:Retired in 1978
Category:Houston Apollos players
Category:Omaha Knights (CHL) players
Category:Hull-Ottawa Canadiens players
Category:St. Jerome Alouettes alumni
Category:Hull Canadiens players