June 24, 2008

Feature: Former Dartmouth Star Continues Career in Pro Hockey

The following article featuring former Dartmouth standout Nick Boucher appeared in the June 24 issue of The Dartmouth.com.

By Ryan Karr
The Dartmouth Staff

Nick Boucher ‘03, a former four-year starting goalie for the Dartmouth men's hockey team, has continued his successful playing career beyond Dartmouth and entered into the professional ranks. After some tough luck begining his professional career in the NHL minor league system, Boucher has led the Tilburg Trappers of the Dutch Superliga and the Fort Wayne Komets of North America's International Hockey League to championships.

Boucher was drafted in the ninth round of the 2000 NHL Draft with the 260th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins after his freshman campaign between the posts for Dartmouth. After graduating from Dartmouth, Boucher was in the Penguins' farm system for a year and had what he considered one of his best years playing hockey. After the season, however, the 2004 NHL lockout was announced. As a result, the NHL players decided to play in the minor league system and forced recent draftees like Boucher out of the mix.

"The walk-out really hurt me, as it did a lot of players," Boucher explained. "You only have a small amount of time to make your mark and establish yourself as an NHL prospect. It's a tough sport, and my window of opportunity closed pretty quickly."