Alexandre Bolduc facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alexandre Bolduc |
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Bolduc with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2013
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| Born | June 26, 1985 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 197 lb (89 kg; 14 st 1 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Vancouver Canucks Arizona Coyotes Traktor Chelyabinsk Medveščak Zagreb Kölner Haie Nottingham Panthers |
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| NHL Draft | 127th overall, 2003 St. Louis Blues |
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| Playing career | 2005–2020 | ||
Alexandre Bolduc (born June 26, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played as a centre, which is a key position in hockey, helping both attack and defense. Bolduc played in the National Hockey League (NHL), which is the top professional hockey league in North America.
Contents
Bolduc's Hockey Journey
Starting in Junior Hockey
Alexandre Bolduc began his hockey career playing "major junior" hockey in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He played for two teams in this league: the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and the Shawinigan Cataractes. He spent four seasons playing at this level, which is a common path for young players hoping to reach the pros.
After his second season with the Huskies, where he scored 14 goals and 43 points, Bolduc was noticed by NHL teams. He was picked by the St. Louis Blues in the fourth round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. This draft is where NHL teams choose young players from around the world.
Moving to Professional Leagues
Even though he was drafted, Bolduc became a free agent after his junior career. This meant he could sign with any team. He signed with the Bakersfield Condors in the ECHL, which is a professional league below the NHL.
During his first year with the Condors, he also got a chance to play in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Manitoba Moose. The AHL is the main development league for the NHL. In the 2007–08 season, Bolduc had a strong year with the Moose, scoring 37 points. This led to him signing a contract with the Vancouver Canucks, who were the NHL team connected to the Moose.
Playing in the NHL
Bolduc continued to play for the Manitoba Moose, which was part of the Canucks' "farm system" (their group of minor league teams). On November 25, 2008, he was called up to play for the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL. He played his very first NHL game on November 27 against the Calgary Flames. He scored his first NHL goal on January 2, 2011, against Craig Anderson of the Colorado Avalanche.
After his time with the Canucks, Bolduc signed a contract with the Phoenix Coyotes (now the Arizona Coyotes) on July 2, 2011. He played for their AHL team, the Portland Pirates, and also had some games with the Coyotes in the NHL.
In 2013, Bolduc signed a one-year contract with the St. Louis Blues, the team that originally drafted him. He spent that season playing for their AHL team, the Chicago Wolves, where he scored 37 points in 59 games.
He returned to the Coyotes organization in 2014, signing another one-year contract. During the 2014–15 season, he played three games with the Arizona Coyotes. Most of his time was spent as the captain of the Portland Pirates, where he had a great season with 52 points in 62 games.
Playing Overseas
After his time in the NHL, Bolduc decided to play hockey in Europe. On June 3, 2015, he signed a one-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk, a team in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Russia. The KHL is a major professional league in Europe and Asia.
He later moved to another KHL team, KHL Medveščak Zagreb, which was based in Croatia. After that, he played for Kölner Haie in the German Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).
Bolduc also played for the Nottingham Panthers in the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) in the United Kingdom. He finished his career playing for Rivière-du-Loup 3L in a Canadian league called the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH) in 2019.
International Play
Alexandre Bolduc also represented his country, Canada, in international hockey. In 2003, he played for the Canadian Under-18 team at the IIHF World U18 Championships. His team won the gold medal at this important tournament!
See Also
- List of ice hockey players who played in the National Hockey League but not the Stanley Cup playoffs
Images for kids
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Bolduc during the Canucks' 2009 training camp
