Rene Bourque

Rene Bourque
A hockey player with short dark hair looks to his right as he skates. He is in a white uniform with red and blue trim, the number 27 on his arms and a stylized "CH" logo on his chest.
Born (1981-12-10) December 10, 1981
Lac La Biche, Alberta, Canada[1]
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 217 lb (98 kg; 15 st 7 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams		 Free Agent
Chicago Blackhawks
Calgary Flames
Montreal Canadiens
Anaheim Ducks
Columbus Blue Jackets
Colorado Avalanche
National team  Canada
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 2004–present

Rene Gary Wayne Bourque (born December 10, 1981) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who is currently an unrestricted free agent who most recently played for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). An undrafted player, Bourque was signed by the Chicago Blackhawks as a free agent in 2004 and made his NHL debut in 2005–06. He spent three years in Chicago before a 2008 trade sent him to the Calgary Flames where he established himself as a key offensive player. He was traded to the Montreal Canadiens before stints with the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets.

Bourque is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, where he played four seasons of hockey and served as a co-captain in his senior year. He turned professional in 2004 when he joined the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL). He won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the league's rookie of the year in 2004–05 before beginning his NHL career. Bourque has played for the Canadian national team at the 2010 IIHF World Championship.

Of Métis heritage, Bourque has initiated several charitable causes dedicated to encouraging aboriginal children and helping youth from rural Northern Alberta afford the cost of playing hockey.

Early life

Bourque was born December 10, 1981 and spent his early childhood in Edmonton.[2] His father, Gary, works in the Canadian oil patch near Fort McMurray, while his mother, Barbara, is a social worker in Lac La Biche.[3] Bourque has a fraternal twin sister, Chantal, and two elder sisters, Kim and Nadia, who are also fraternal twins.[2] He is of Métis heritage,[3] and his first cousin, Wayne Bourque, is a three-time North American native boxing champion.[4][5]

The family returned to Lac La Biche when Bourque was seven. As his father was sometimes away from home for weeks at a time due to his job, Bourque's mother raised the kids while also studying for her diploma in social work and later working full-time for the Alberta Government.[2] He grew up in a community with many Metis children.[6] His parents encouraged him in hockey, and after a season of minor hockey in Fort McMurray, he attended the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame south of Regina, Saskatchewan, where he was an honours student.[3] He was recruited to play major junior hockey for the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League (WHL), though he declined to join the Blades as it would have cost him his eligibility to play for a National Collegiate Athletic Association school.[7] Bourque felt that his education was paramount, and it wasn't until he had earned a full scholarship to play at the University of Wisconsin–Madison that he believed he could make a career in hockey.[2] At Wisconsin, he earned a degree in Consumer Behaviour and Business.[8]

Playing career

Junior, college and minor-professional

Instead of the WHL, Bourque opted to play one season of Junior A hockey with the St. Albert Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), retaining his NCAA eligibility. He scored 44 goals and 81 points to finish second in team scoring in 1999–2000. He was named to the AJHL All-Rookie team and finished as a runner-up for the rookie of the year award.[9] In spite of this, he went undrafted by any National Hockey League (NHL) team.[3]

Bourque then moved onto the college game, playing four seasons with the Wisconsin Badgers. He led the Badgers in goals (19) and points (27) as a junior in 2002–03 and was named the team's most valuable player.[10] He again led the Badgers in scoring with 16 goals and 34 points in 2003–04 as Wisconsin reached the regional final of the 2004 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. He was named the recipient of the Ivan B. Williamson Scholastic Award as the team's scholastic player of the year.[11] He served as a tri-captain of the team in his final year and reached a double-digit goal total in each of his four seasons with the Badgers.[12]

Following his graduation, on July 29, 2004, Bourque signed a free agent contract with the Chicago Blackhawks.[13] He was assigned to the Hawks' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, for the 2004–05 season. He scored a franchise record 33 goals for the Admirals, also leading the team with 60 points,[9] and was named the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award winner as the AHL's rookie of the year.[14] Additionally, he made the All-Rookie Team and played for Team Canada at the 2005 AHL All-Star Game where he won the hardest shot competition.[9]

National Hockey League

Bourque joined the Blackhawks to start the 2005–06 season, and scored his first NHL goal against goaltender J. S. Giguere in his first game, a 5–3 loss to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.[15] He finished his rookie season with 16 goals and 34 points,[16] good for fourth place in team scoring.[9] The Hawks subsequently signed Bourque to a two-year contract extension.[17] He endured an injury-plagued season in 2006–07, appearing in only 44 games and scoring 7 goals.[16] He was rushed to hospital during a November 12, 2006, game against the Columbus Blue Jackets after suffering a deep cut to the neck from Nikolai Zherdev's skate during a scrum in the crease.[18] The Blackhawks announced that he would miss 3–6 weeks following surgery to repair the laceration.[19] Bourque considered himself fortunate that the injury was not worse, stating upon his return to action four weeks later that he might not have survived if the cut was a couple of millimetres deeper.[20]

Just over two weeks after his return, Bourque was again sidelined when he suffered a cracked bone in his ankle on December 31, 2006.[21] He returned to action on February 21, 2007, after missing nearly two months.[22] Injuries again hampered Bourque in 2007–08. He missed time early in the season with a groin pull,[23] then was knocked out of the line-up for a month after breaking his thumb in a November game against the Detroit Red Wings.[24] He remained healthy upon his return, finishing the season with 10 goals and 14 assists in 62 games for Chicago.[16]

A player stares into the distance. He is wearing a red uniform with black and yellow trim and a stylized black C on his chest.
Bourque set career highs of 27 goals and 58 points with the Flames in 2009–10.

On July 1, 2008, Bourque was traded to the Calgary Flames in exchange for a second round selection at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.[25] The Flames quickly signed the restricted free agent to a two-year contract.[26] He enjoyed a career year in Calgary that included his first hat trick, against the Ottawa Senators, on December 27, 2008.[27] He suffered a high ankle sprain that sidelined him for the final two months of the regular season.[28] Although he was limited to 58 games, he topped the 20-goal plateau for the first time (21) and scored a career high 40 points.[16] He returned in time to play in the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Blackhawks, though he missed one game in the series after re-aggravating the injury.[29] Following the season, he opted for surgery to repair the damage to his ankle.[30]

Bourque continued to provide offence for the Flames early in 2009–10; he was leading the Flames in scoring in late November when he was again knocked out of the line-up by an undisclosed injury.[31] He returned to action after two weeks, having missed six games.[32] Bourque remained an offensive catalyst throughout the season, amassing a new career high in goals (27), assists (31) and points (58), and a +7 rating. Following the season, he was invited to play for Team Canada at the 2010 IIHF World Championship. He scored one goal and one assist in seven games for the seventh-place Canadians.[33][34]

Signing him to a six-year contract extension worth $3.3 million per season in February 2010,[35] the Flames looked to Bourque to be a top player for the organization. Though prone to inconsistent play, he was considered one of the Flames' top offensive threats, and a player looked at as potentially succeeding captain Jarome Iginla as the team's scoring leader.[36] He played in the 2011 Heritage Classic, scoring two goals in a 4–0 win over the Montreal Canadiens,[37] and finished the season second on the team with 27 goals.[38]

Bourque was a frequent lightning rod for attention in 2011–12. Following a slow start to his season offensively, Bourque was criticized on national television by Hockey Night in Canada commentator Kelly Hrudey, who questioned the player's dedication and suggested Bourque didn't care about the game. Bourque expressed his offence at Hrudey's comments, while his teammates spoke out in his defence.[39] He was then suspended twice within a month for illegal hits. He received a two-game ban on December 19, 2011, for a check from behind against Chicago's Brent Seabrook,[40] and then earned a five-game suspension on January 4, 2012, for an elbow to the head of Washington's Nicklas Bäckström.[41] It was the last game he played with the Flames. Bourque was sent to Montreal with prospect Patrick Holland and a second round draft pick on January 12 in exchange for Michael Cammalleri, Karri Rämö and a fifth round draft pick.[42]

Combined between Calgary and Montreal, Bourque's 18 goals and 24 points were his lowest totals in four seasons.[16] His start to the 2012–13 season was delayed by injury. Bourque suffered an abdominal wall tear during off-season training that required surgery to repair.[43]

On November 9, 2014, goalless and 13 games into the 2014–15 season, Bourque was placed on waivers by the Montreal Canadiens[44] after recording 2 assists and a -9. After clearing waivers on November 10, 2014, Bourque was subsequently sent to Montreal's AHL team, the Hamilton Bulldogs[45] Bourque's tenure with the Canadiens came to an end when he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Bryan Allen on November 20, 2014.[46] Bourque featured in 30 games with the high-flying Ducks, but struggled to regain his scoring touch in producing just 2 goals. After clearing waivers upon the trade deadline, Bourque was included in his second trade for the season along with William Karlsson and 2nd-round pick in 2015 to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for James Wisniewski and a third-round selection in 2015. Bourque was then immediately assigned to AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons on March 2, 2015. Before appearing with the Falcons, Bourque was recalled to the Blue Jackets as a replacement for injury.[47]

At the conclusion of his long-term contract after the 2015–16 season with the Blue Jackets, Bourque went through the off-season as a free agent before agreeing to a professional try-out offer to join the Colorado Avalanche training camp on August 25, 2016.[48] After a successful training camp and pre-season Bourque solidified his position on the roster and extended his NHL career in signing a one-year, one-way deal for the 2016–17 season on October 10, 2016.[49] Bourque experienced a productive start to his Avalanche career, scoring 8 goals in his first 19 games. Bourque later cooled off offensively with the decline of the Avalanche over the course of the season, he still however, finished with a respectable rebound year in compiling 12 goals and 18 points in 65 games.

Off the ice

Bourque has been involved in many charitable endeavours both in Calgary and Lac La Biche. He says this lifestyle was tough growing up, which is why he started the Bourque Buddies charity to help Metis children have something to look forward to and work towards. “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,” Bourque says.[6] He started the Rene Bourque Hockey Fund with the goal of providing hockey equipment to underprivileged kids, and has appeared as a spokesman for Native Americans in sport at youth symposiums.[50] His fund led to the donation of 50 sets of equipment to underprivileged children in Northern Alberta during the 2008–09 season,[51] and over 100 sets in 2010–11.[52] Also in 2010–11, he started a program called "Bourque's Buddies" that rewards kids from the Tsuu T'ina Nation who have made positive contributions in their schools with tickets to Flames games.[2]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1999–00 St. Albert Saints AJHL 63 44 41 85 113 — — — — —
2000–01 Wisconsin Badgers WCHA 32 10 5 15 18 — — — — —
2001–02 Wisconsin Badgers WCHA 38 12 7 19 26 — — — — —
2002–03 Wisconsin Badgers WCHA 40 19 8 27 54 — — — — —
2003–04 Wisconsin Badgers WCHA 42 16 20 36 74 — — — — —
2004–05 Norfolk Admirals AHL 78 33 27 60 105 6 1 0 1 8
2005–06 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 77 16 18 34 56 — — — — —
2006–07 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 44 7 10 17 38 — — — — —
2007–08 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 62 10 14 24 42 — — — — —
2008–09 Calgary Flames NHL 58 21 19 40 70 5 1 0 1 22
2009–10 Calgary Flames NHL 73 27 31 58 88 — — — — —
2010–11 Calgary Flames NHL 80 27 23 50 42 — — — — —
2011–12 Calgary Flames NHL 38 13 3 16 41 — — — — —
2011–12 Montreal Canadiens NHL 38 5 3 8 27 — — — — —
2012–13 Montreal Canadiens NHL 27 7 6 13 32 5 2 1 3 10
2013–14 Montreal Canadiens NHL 63 9 7 16 32 17 8 3 11 27
2014–15 Montreal Canadiens NHL 13 0 2 2 6 — — — — —
2014–15 Hamilton Bulldogs AHL 4 2 2 4 4 — — — — —
2014–15 Anaheim Ducks NHL 30 2 6 8 12 — — — — —
2014–15 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 8 4 0 4 4 — — — — —
2015–16 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 49 3 5 8 38 — — — — —
2016–17 Colorado Avalanche NHL 65 12 6 18 56 — — — — —
NHL totals 725 163 153 316 584 27 11 4 15 59

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2010 Canada WC 7th 7 1 1 2 14
Senior totals 7 1 1 2 14

Awards and honours

Award Year
Junior
AJHL All-Rookie Team 1999–00 [9]
American Hockey League
Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award 2004–05 [53]
AHL All-Rookie Team 2004–05 [9]

References

  1. ↑ "Rene Bourque profile". National Hockey League Players' Association. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Hennessy, Kristi (2010-11-03). "Taking Initiative". Blaze Magazine. Calgary Flames Hockey Club: 15.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Hall, Vicki (2009-02-11). "'Rene always had to start from the bottom'". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2010-12-14.
  4. ↑ "Fight night with Wayne Bourque, cousin of Rene Bourque of the Flames!". Fan590. 2009-12-22. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved 2009-12-22.
  5. ↑ "Boxing athletes of note". Wood Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame Society. Archived from the original on 2009-09-07. Retrieved 2014-11-09.
  6. 1 2 "Visible presence in pros helps develop first nations hockey". The Hockey News. 2017-06-04. Retrieved 2017-06-04.
  7. ↑ Matheson, Jim (2009-10-25). "Bourque knows hockey is a small world". Edmonton Journal.
  8. ↑ Heinen, Laurence (2009-10-01). "Bringing his best: Bourque makes an impact". Blaze Magazine. Calgary Flames Hockey Club: 14.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hanlon, Peter; Kelso, Sean (2009). 2009–10 Calgary Flames Media Guide (PDF). Calgary Flames Hockey Club. p. 34. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
  10. ↑ "Badger hockey team hands out awards". University of Wisconsin. 2003-04-19. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
  11. ↑ "Team Awards Doled Out at Mens Hockey Banquet". University of Wisconsin. 2004-05-10. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
  12. ↑ "Bourque signs with Blackhawks". University of Wisconsin. 2004-07-30. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
  13. ↑ "Blackhawks re-sign Poapst, Robidas". ESPN. 2004-07-29. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  14. ↑ "Bourque is AHL rookie of the year". Virginian Pilot. 2005-04-14. p. C5. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  15. ↑ Foltman, Bob (2005-10-06). "Hawks, Khabibulin fall flat in debut". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 "Rene Bourque player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  17. ↑ "Blackhawks re-sign Bourque to two-year deal". ESPN. 2006-07-13. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  18. ↑ "Boucher stops 28 shots for his first Blackhawks shutout". ESPN. 2006-11-12. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  19. ↑ "Blackhawks' Bourque out 3–6 weeks after neck surgery". ESPN. 2006-11-13. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  20. ↑ Sassone, Tim (2006-12-14). "Bourque eager to get back in lineup". Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
  21. ↑ Foltman, Bob (2007-01-28). "Arkhipov lifts Blackhawks past Flames". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  22. ↑ Foltman, Bob (2007-02-21). "Injury-plagued Bourque set to return". Chicago Tribune. p. S6.
  23. ↑ Sassone, Tim (2007-10-16). "Savard hopeful on Havlat's return". Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
  24. ↑ "Blackhawks' Bourque to miss month with broken thumb". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2007-11-18. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  25. ↑ "Flames pick up Rene Bourque". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2008-07-01. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  26. ↑ Cruickshank, Scott (2008-07-05). "Swift signing surprises Bourque". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  27. ↑ Phillips, Roger (2009-01-02). "Bourque putting up big numbers". National Hockey League. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
  28. ↑ Kimberley, Todd (2009-04-22). "Jokinen looking for wins, not goals". National Hockey League. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
  29. ↑ "Blackhawks strike early to push Flames to brink of elimination". ESPN. 2009-04-25. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
  30. ↑ Cruickshank, Scott (2009-09-17). "Bourque moves step closer to return to Flames". Calgary Herald.
  31. ↑ Hall, Vicki (2009-11-21). "Injured Bourque stays home". Calgary Herald.
  32. ↑ Cruickshank, Scott (2009-12-03). "Bourque confident he will click on top line". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
  33. ↑ "Player statistics by team – Canada" (PDF). International Ice Hockey Federation. 2010-05-21. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
  34. ↑ "Tournament Progress" (PDF). International Ice Hockey Federation. 2010-05-23. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
  35. ↑ "Flames sign Bourque to a six-year deal". The Sports Network. 2010-02-25. Retrieved 2010-02-25.
  36. ↑ Hall, Vicki (2010-11-17). "Flames need some steady heat from Bourque". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
  37. ↑ "Montreal Canadiens 0, Calgary Flames 4". ESPN. 2011-02-20. Retrieved 2012-01-13.
  38. ↑ "Calgary Flames 2010–11 statistics". ESPN. Retrieved 2012-01-13.
  39. ↑ Cruickshank, Scott (2011-11-14). "Flames' Bourque bristles at Hrudey's criticism". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2012-01-13.
  40. ↑ "Flames' Bourque suspended two games for hit on Seabrook". The Sports Network. 2011-12-19. Retrieved 2012-01-13.
  41. ↑ "Flames' Bourque suspended 5 games". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2012-01-05. Retrieved 2012-01-13.
  42. ↑ MacFarlane, Steve (2012-01-13). "Cammy whammy". Calgary Sun. p. S2.
  43. ↑ "Habs' Rene Bourque out 8-12 weeks after abdominal surgery". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The Canadian Press. 2012-08-29. Retrieved 2012-09-03.
  44. ↑ Leahy, Sean (November 9, 2014). "Goalless Rene Bourque placed on waivers by Canadiens". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on November 10, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  45. ↑ "Canadiens Bourque clears waivers, sent down to minors". The Sports Network. 2014-11-10. Retrieved 2014-11-10.
  46. ↑ "Canadiens acquire Allen in exchange for Bourque". The Sports Network. 2014-11-20. Retrieved 2014-11-20.
  47. ↑ "Blue Jackets acquire William Karlsson, Rene Bourque and pick for James Wisniewski". Columbus Blue Jackets. 2015-03-02. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  48. ↑ "Avalanche bring Rene Bourque in for a PTO". NBC Sports. 2016-08-25. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
  49. ↑ "Avalanche signs Gabriel and Rene Bourque". Colorado Avalanche. 2016-10-10. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  50. ↑ "Player programs and initiatives". Calgary Flames Hockey Club. Archived from the original on January 21, 2011. Retrieved 2009-12-22.
  51. ↑ "Bringing hockey home". Calgary Flames Hockey Club. 2009-01-09. Retrieved 2010-12-15.
  52. ↑ "Player programs and initiatives". Calgary Flames Hockey Club. Archived from the original on January 21, 2011. Retrieved 2010-12-15.
  53. ↑ "Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award". American Hockey League. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
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