Rene Bourque facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rene Bourque
Bourque with the Montreal Canadiens in 2012
Born	(1981-12-10) December 10, 1981 (age 43) Lac La Biche, Alberta, Canada
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	217 lb (98 kg; 15 st 7 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shot	Left
Played for	Chicago Blackhawks Calgary Flames Montreal Canadiens Anaheim Ducks Columbus Blue Jackets Colorado Avalanche Djurgårdens IF
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	Undrafted
Playing career	2004–2018

Rene Gary Wayne Bourque (born December 10, 1981) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played as a right winger in the National Hockey League (NHL). Rene was not picked in the NHL draft. Instead, the Chicago Blackhawks signed him as a free agent in 2004. He started his NHL career in the 2005–06 season.

After three years with Chicago, he was traded to the Calgary Flames in 2008. There, he became a very important player for their offense. Later, he played for the Montreal Canadiens, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Colorado Avalanche. He also played for Djurgårdens IF in Sweden.

Rene Bourque went to the University of Wisconsin. He played hockey there for four seasons and was a co-captain in his last year. He became a professional player in 2004. He joined the Norfolk Admirals in the American Hockey League (AHL). In his first year, he won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the league's best rookie. Rene has also played for the Canadian national team. He played in the 2010 IIHF World Championship and the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Rene is from the Métis community. He has started several charity programs. These programs help Indigenous children and young people from rural Northern Alberta. They help them afford to play hockey. His work has greatly increased how many Indigenous children play sports.

Early Life and Education

Rene Bourque was born on December 10, 1981. He spent his early childhood in Edmonton, Canada. His father, Gary, worked in the Canadian oil industry. His mother, Barbara, was a social worker in Lac La Biche. Rene has a twin sister, Chantal. He also has two older twin sisters, Kim and Nadia. Rene is of Métis heritage. His first cousin, Wayne Bourque, is a famous boxing champion.

When Rene was seven, his family moved back to Lac La Biche. His father was often away for work. So, his mother raised the children. She also studied to become a social worker and worked full-time. Rene grew up in a community with many Métis children. His parents encouraged him to play hockey. After playing minor hockey in Fort McMurray, he went to Athol Murray College of Notre Dame. He was a good student there.

Rene was asked to play major junior hockey for the Saskatoon Blades. But he said no. Playing for them would have made him unable to play for a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) school. Rene believed his education was most important. He only thought about a hockey career after getting a full scholarship to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. At Wisconsin, he studied Consumer Behavior and Business.

Hockey Journey

Starting Out in Junior and College Hockey

Instead of playing in the WHL, Rene chose to play one season of Junior A hockey. He played for the St. Albert Saints in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL). This allowed him to keep his NCAA eligibility. In the 1999–2000 season, he scored 44 goals and 81 points. He was named to the AJHL All-Rookie team. Even with this success, no National Hockey League (NHL) team drafted him.

Rene then moved on to college hockey. He played four seasons with the Wisconsin Badgers. In the 2002–03 season, he led the Badgers in goals (19) and points (27). He was named the team's most valuable player. In 2003–04, he again led the team in scoring with 16 goals and 34 points. Wisconsin reached the regional final of the 2004 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. He was also recognized for his academic achievements. In his last year, he was a co-captain. He scored at least 10 goals in all four seasons with the Badgers.

After graduating, Rene signed a contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 29, 2004. He was sent to the Blackhawks' minor league team, the Norfolk Admirals, for the 2004–05 season. He set a team record with 33 goals for the Admirals. He also led the team with 60 points. He won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL's rookie of the year. He was also named to the AHL All-Rookie Team. He played for Team Canada at the 2005 AHL All-Star Game.

Playing in the NHL

Chicago Blackhawks

Rene joined the Blackhawks for the 2005–06 season. He scored his first NHL goal in his very first game. It was against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He finished his first NHL season with 16 goals and 34 points. This placed him fourth in team scoring. The Blackhawks then signed him to a two-year contract.

He had a tough season in 2006–07 due to injuries. He played in only 44 games and scored 7 goals. In November 2006, he had a deep cut to his neck from a skate during a game. He needed surgery and missed several weeks. He was lucky the injury was not worse. Just a few weeks after returning, he broke a bone in his ankle. This kept him out for almost two months. Injuries also affected him in 2007–08. He missed time with a groin injury and a broken thumb. He finished that season with 10 goals and 14 assists in 62 games.

Calgary Flames

On July 1, 2008, Rene was traded to the Calgary Flames. The Flames quickly signed him to a two-year contract. He had his best year yet in Calgary. He scored his first hat trick (three goals in one game) in December 2008. He suffered an ankle injury that kept him out for the last two months of the season. Even so, he scored over 20 goals for the first time (21) and had a career-high 40 points. He returned for the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs. After the season, he had surgery on his ankle.

Bourque set career highs of 27 goals and 58 points with the Flames in 2009–10.

Rene continued to be a strong offensive player for the Flames in 2009–10. He was leading the team in scoring when another injury kept him out for two weeks. He returned and continued to play well. He set new career highs with 27 goals, 31 assists, and 58 points.

In February 2010, the Flames signed him to a six-year contract. They hoped he would be a top player for a long time. He played in the 2011 Heritage Classic, scoring two goals in a 4–0 win. He finished that season with 27 goals, second on the team.

Rene faced some challenges in 2011–12. He was suspended twice in one month for illegal hits. He received a two-game ban for a hit from behind. Then he got a five-game suspension for an elbow to the head. This was his last game with the Flames.

Montreal Canadiens

Rene was traded to the Montreal Canadiens on January 12, 2012. He went to Montreal with another player and a draft pick. In return, the Flames received three players. Between Calgary and Montreal, Rene scored 18 goals and 24 points that season. These were his lowest totals in four seasons.

His start to the 2012–13 season was delayed by an injury. He had surgery to fix a tear in his abdominal wall. On November 9, 2014, Rene was placed on waivers by the Canadiens. He had not scored a goal in 13 games that season. This was the first time in his NHL career he didn't score a goal. After clearing waivers, he was sent to Montreal's AHL team, the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Colorado Avalanche

Rene's time with the Canadiens ended when he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks on November 20, 2014. He played in 30 games for the Ducks. However, he only scored 2 goals.

He was traded again later that season to the Columbus Blue Jackets. This trade also included another player and a draft pick. Rene was immediately sent to the Blue Jackets' AHL team. But he was called back up to the Blue Jackets due to injuries on the team.

After his contract ended, Rene was a free agent. He joined the Colorado Avalanche training camp in August 2016. He had a good camp and signed a one-year contract for the 2016–17 season. He started well with the Avalanche, scoring 8 goals in his first 19 games. He finished the season with 12 goals and 18 points in 65 games.

Playing in Sweden and Retirement

On August 29, 2017, it was announced that Rene had signed a one-year contract with Djurgårdens IF Hockey in the Swedish Hockey League. He was 35 years old. Rene finished his NHL career with 163 goals and 153 assists in 725 games. He played for the Blackhawks, Flames, Canadiens, Ducks, Blue Jackets, and Avalanche. In the 2017–18 season, Rene had a good start in Sweden. He scored 13 goals and 22 points in 35 games. After playing in the Olympics, he was ruled out for the rest of the season due to his son's health. He then announced that this would be his last season as a professional player.

Playing for Canada

Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
Olympic Games
Bronze	2018 Pyeongchang

After the 2009–10 season, Rene was asked to play for Team Canada. He played in the 2010 IIHF World Championship. He scored one goal and one assist in seven games. Canada finished in seventh place.

During the 2017–18 season, Rene was chosen to represent Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. He played an offensive role. He scored 3 goals and 4 points in 6 games. He helped Canada win the Bronze medal.

Off the Ice and Charity Work

Rene Bourque has been involved in many charity efforts. He has worked in both Calgary and Lac La Biche. He says his childhood was tough. This is why he started the "Bourque Buddies" charity. It helps Métis children have something positive to look forward to. "You see the effects of stuff that goes on in small towns or even in reserves and it’s a tough life for a lot of those kids,” Rene says.

He started the Rene Bourque Hockey Fund. Its goal is to give hockey equipment to kids who cannot afford it. He has also spoken at youth events for Indigenous people in sports. His fund donated 50 sets of equipment to children in Northern Alberta in 2008–09. In 2010–11, over 100 sets were donated. Also in 2010–11, he started "Bourque's Buddies." This program gives tickets to Flames games to kids from the Tsuu T'ina Nation. These are kids who have done good things in their schools.

Awards and Honours