Frank Boucher facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frank Boucher
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1958
Boucher with the Ottawa Munitions.
Born	(1901-10-07)October 7, 1901 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Died	December 12, 1977(1977-12-12) (aged 76) Kemptville, Ontario, Canada
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Ottawa Senators Vancouver Maroons New York Rangers
Playing career	1921–1938 1943–1944

Frank Boucher (born October 7, 1901 – died December 12, 1977) was a famous Canadian professional ice hockey player and leader. He played as a forward for teams like the Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers in the National Hockey League (NHL). He also played for the Vancouver Maroons in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) from 1921 to 1938, and briefly again in 1943-1944.

After his playing career, Boucher became a coach and general manager for the New York Rangers from 1939 to 1955. He won the Stanley Cup, hockey's top prize, three times with the Rangers. He won it twice as a player (in 1928 and 1933) and once as a coach (in 1940). Frank Boucher was honored by being added to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958. Interestingly, three of his brothers also played in the NHL, including Georges, who is also in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Frank Boucher's Early Life

Frank's father Tom Boucher playing rugby football in the 1890s.

Frank Boucher was born in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1901. He was the youngest of six sons and two daughters. His family had French and Irish roots. Frank was one of four brothers who played in the NHL. His brother, Georges "Buck" Boucher, was part of the Ottawa Senators team that won four Stanley Cups in the 1920s. His other brothers, Bobby and Billy, also played in the NHL. The Boucher family lived in the New Edinburgh area of Ottawa.

Frank's father, Tom Boucher, was a talented rugby football player. He won Canadian championships with Ottawa College and the Ottawa Rough Riders. Frank got his first skates when he was six, but he fell and didn't use them much after that. Still, he and his brothers played hockey on outdoor rinks, including the Rideau River. They even collected money from neighbors, including Rideau Hall, to buy team equipment. Frank left school at age thirteen and worked for the government during World War I. After the war, he joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and moved west.

Frank Boucher's Hockey Career

While working as a Mountie in Lethbridge, Frank Boucher played hockey for local teams. After a year in Banff, Alberta, he returned home to play for the Ottawa Senators during the 1921–22 season. He even played with his brother George on the Senators.

Because he had played senior hockey out west, his playing rights belonged to the PCHA. He was allowed to play one season for Ottawa, but then had to join the Vancouver Maroons. The Senators were Stanley Cup champions when he joined, but they lost the NHL title that year.

Boucher with the Vancouver Maroons in 1922–23.

Boucher played for the Vancouver Maroons until 1926. In the 1923 Stanley Cup Final, the Maroons played against the Senators, and Frank faced his brother George. This series was special because two different sets of brothers played against each other for the first time in a major championship.

In 1926, the western league closed down. Frank's rights were sold to the Boston Bruins. However, he never played for them. Conn Smythe, who was building the new New York Rangers team, bought Boucher's rights for $1500. Frank Boucher became one of the original players for the New York Rangers.

Playing for the New York Rangers

Boucher played for the Rangers until he retired in 1938. He was the center for a famous line of players called the "Bread Line," with brothers Bill and Bun Cook. Together, they helped the Rangers win the Stanley Cup in 1928 and 1933. They also reached the finals in 1932.

Frank Boucher was known not only as a great player but also as a very fair and gentlemanly one. Lady Byng, the wife of Canada's Governor-General, created a trophy for the NHL's "most gentlemanly player." Frank Boucher won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy seven times in eight years! He was so good that he was given the trophy permanently, and Lady Byng had to donate a new one to the NHL.

Coaching and Managing the Rangers

After retiring as a player, the Rangers hired Boucher to coach their minor-league team, the New York Rovers. This was like a training period for him to become the Rangers' head coach. In 1939, when general manager Lester Patrick retired from coaching, he hired Boucher. Frank led the Rangers to another Stanley Cup win in 1940. This was the last Stanley Cup the Rangers would win for a very long time without Boucher being directly involved.

During World War II, many players joined the military. The Rangers' team became much weaker. In the 1943–44 NHL season, the team was struggling so much that Boucher, at age 42, came out of retirement to play 15 games. He scored 14 points! He was the oldest player in the NHL at the time, a record he held for many years.

Boucher helped introduce the center red line to the hockey rink.

Boucher also helped change hockey rules. In 1943-44, he and Cecil Duncan introduced the center red line to the hockey rink. This change helped open up the game, allowing teams to pass the puck out of their own zone more easily and create faster counter-attacks.

When Lester Patrick fully retired, Frank Boucher took over as the Rangers' general manager. He made some smart trades that helped the team reach the playoffs in 1947-48. He then stepped down as coach to focus on being general manager and hired Lynn Patrick, Lester's son, as the new coach. Lynn Patrick almost won the Stanley Cup in 1950.

In the 1945–46 NHL season, Boucher was the first coach to regularly use two goalies. He would switch between Charlie Rayner and Jim Henry during games, showing how useful it was to have two good goalies.

Frank went back to coaching the Rangers in 1953-54, but the team still couldn't make the playoffs. He then hired Muzz Patrick, another of Lester's sons, to coach. But the team continued to struggle. The Rangers' owner, General John Kilpatrick, suggested that Frank resign as general manager. Frank agreed, ending his 29-year connection with the Rangers.

Later Life and Legacy

Frank Boucher was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958. In 1998, The Hockey News ranked him as the 61st greatest hockey player of all time. His jersey number 7 hangs in the rafters of Madison Square Garden, honoring his contributions to the Rangers.

In 1974, Boucher wrote a book called When the Rangers Were Young. It was about his time with the team. He passed away from cancer on December 12, 1977, in Kemptville, Ontario, at age 76. In 2009, a book called 100 Ranger Greats ranked Frank Boucher as the 9th best player in the history of the New York Rangers.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

Coaching Record