Frank "Raffles" Boucher
Position: C
Shoots: L
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 185 lbs.
Stanley Cup champion: 1928, 1933 [New York]
Stanley Cup playoffs scoring leader: 1928, 1932
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PCHA 1st team all-star: 1923, 1924
WCHL 1st team all-star: 1925
[no NHL all-star teams from 1927-30]
NHL 1st team all-star: 1933, 1934, 1935
NHL 2nd team all-star: 1931
NHL Assists leader: 1929, 1930, 1933
Career Hart Trophy voting placements: 4, 5, 8
Lady Byng Trophy Winner: 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935 [Frank was given permanent ownership of the original Lady Byng trophy]
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Boucher's placement in 7-season VsX (as of 2014-15 end of season):
Rank | Player | Result
1 | Wayne Gretzky | 155.6
2 | Phil Esposito | 130.4
3 | Gordie Howe | 125.5
4 | Mario Lemieux | 119.8
5 | Bobby Orr | 114.8
6 | Jaromir Jagr | 114.2
7 | Bobby Hull | 108.3
8 | Stan Mikita | 107.8
9 | Jean Beliveau | 105.7
10 | Guy Lafleur | 104.5
11 | Ted Lindsay | 104.4
12 | Marcel Dionne | 103.3
13 | Maurice Richard | 102.4
14 | Howie Morenz | 102.2
15 | Sidney Crosby | 101.5
16 | Andy Bathgate | 101.1
17 | Alex Ovechkin | 98.4
18 | Joe Sakic | 97.7
19 | Bill Cowley | 97
20 | Charlie Conacher | 96.2
21 | Bill Cook | 96
22
|
Frank Boucher
|
95.1
23 | Mike Bossy | 94.8
24 | Joe Thornton | 94.1
25 | Bryan Trottier | 93.7
26 | Steve Yzerman | 93.2
27 | Teemu Selanne | 92.7
28 | Martin St. Louis | 92.4
29 | Syl Apps Sr | 92.4
30 | Sweeney Schriner | 91.3
Foster Hewitt said:
The way the Russians play reminds me of the old Rangers, especially the line of Boucher and the Cooks. They were even better than the Russians. When Frank, Bill and Bunny were on the ice, it always seemed to me they had the puck on the string.
Joe Pelletier said:
Often considered to be the Wayne Gretzky of his day because of his superior playmaking skills and understanding of the game, Frank Boucher had the gentility, class and manners rarely matched at such an elite level.
...
He was a genius of a puck handler, with this uncanny ability of drawing defenders to him while the his linemates Bill and Bun Cook raced to open holes. Selflessly, and almost without fail, he would thread the puck through defenders, right on to the stick! He was truly the balance wheel on arguably hockey's best line. He also was credited for perfecting the drop pass so common in today's game.
He debuted in 1921-22 in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators. A native of Ottawa, Boucher grew up playing hockey from dawn to dark on the frozen Rideau River. It was at this early age that he developed his meticulously clean style of play, emulating the great Frank Nighbor - his idol. But soon his hockey journey moved him out to the Vancouver Maroons of the PCHA where he starred for 4 years in the NHL calibre league.
Frank Boucher was quite possibly the greatest NHL playoff performer of the pre-war era. He had one of the best point/game rates of his generation, twice led all playoff scorers, and turned in arguably the most dominant playoff performance of all-time in the 1928 playoffs. Boucher led the 1928 playoffs in scoring with 10 points, double the score of Bill Cook's 5 points, which were good for 2nd place. He scored 4 of the 5 Rangers goals in an extremely tight 5-game Cup finals victory over the Maroons.
24.3.1933 - Vancouver Sun:
Greatest?
Many glamorous athletic figures will step into the playoffs that lead to the league championship and the Stanley Cup finals when play starts Saturday night. But no finer record for efficiency and sportsmanlike play in these classics will be on view than that of Frank Boucher, playmaking centre-ice ace of the New York Rangers.
Picked this season as centre player for the mythical all-star team that is selected by vote of 32 hockey experts in the cities of the National League circuit, Boucher brings into the playoffs this season an amazing record of consistent play in these finals. One of the originals of the Rangers since that team entered competition in 1926-27 he has never missed a playoff since, and leads the great Cook-Boucher-Cook forward line into the playoff action for the seventh straight time. Boucher's own playoff record is remarkable.
The spectacular part of this record is the almost complete lack of penalties. Five straight playoff series, with all the strain that these entail, without a penalty at all, two penalties in another, testify to the value of this player, always on the ice, always available.
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Although he was known as a gentlemanly player, Boucher, the former Mounty, was not soft, and seems to have been more than capable of looking out for himself.
7.2.1935 - The Toledo News-Bee:
Boucher, Cook Brothers Set Great Pace with Rangers
But with all his clean play, Boucher is an aggressive player. He is the brains behind the manuevers which place the puck in scoring position. The former Northwest Mounty, whose slogan is "keep a level head at all times," can wield his fists with the same precision as he does a hockey stick, and few pucksters go out of their way to tangle with him.
26.1.1936 - The Milwaukee Journal:
The cleanest player! In nine years he has spent only 104 minutes in the penalty box; Eddie Shore of Boston served 165 in a single season. Frank Boucher's average penalty in a year is 11 1/2 minutes; that of the leading offenders is 129.
All of which would mean little if Frank were a mediocre or a timid player. But he is neither. As to his playing ability - in the nine seasons he has only once finished out of the first ten in scoring, and he is universally considered one of the greatest centers of all time.
...
"But they taught us in the Mounted to let no one get the drop on us, and I would have fought somebody that night, sure, as a warning. It just happened to be Bill Phillips."
After that, he had no trouble?
"Oh, surely - had some and gave some. But one night early next season something happened. I got bumped hard and I saw red, but suddenly another thing they teach in the Mounted came to me: 'Don't shoot until you have to - be slow on the draw!' and somehow, instead of going for the man I took after the puck. I was so mad I stickhandled it up the whole rink before I knew what I was doing, but I scored. It's been that way ever since - when I get mad I take it out on the puck." And he added, with his quiet smile: "That's why I always like to get a good bumping at the start of a game."
Vancouver Years:
26.10.1922 - Ottawa Citizen:
Frank Boucher, who was one of the best second string men in the National Hockey Association, will leave for Vancouver at 1:40 tomorrow morning...
Coming from the west last fall, he was secured by Ottawas, and from the first of the season showed promise of being a noted addition to the ranks of the famous family. Used at center ice, a real opportunity never really came his way till Frank Nighbor was put out of the game for ten days when Sprague Cleghorn cut loose in the memorable Canadien game here. Stepping into the poke check wonder's place, Frank immediately went in solid with the local fans, and his aggressive and consistent play earned him a high place in the N.H.A. lists.
While his passing to Vancouver is regretted by Ottawa fans, every good luck goes with him, and the only thing we cannot wish him is that he may help Vancouver beat Ottawa for the Stanley Cup next spring. A clever stick-handler, a good shot, a rugged check, and with plenty of speed, he has all the necessary requirements of a first-class big leaguer, and there is no reason why he should not make good with a vengeance in the Coast aggregation.
12.12.1922 - Vancouver Sun:
In a thrilling three-reel film, starring the juvenile Frank Boucher, the Vancouver Maroons last night advanced into sole tenancy of second place in the coast hockey circuit over the rugged opposition of the Victoria Cougars. The score was 2 to 1. Boucher skated right into the hearts of the fans within half a minute of the start, when he stole the puck at the Victoria blue line, wormed his way close in on xxxxxx and flipped the gutta percha into the strings from a hard angle.
From then on he continued to be the star of the piece. His stickhandling was a revelation to the paid attendance and a constant knife under the ribs of the opposition, who allowed their resentment to show itself in efforts to rough-house the youngster out of his stride. But Frankie stood up under the punishment and still kept standing the Cougars on their heads. He skated back all the way with his check, repeatedly hooked the rubber away and dashed into enemy territory, where he wriggled through time after time and spanked the pill dead on the nets. Nice stops by xxxxxx, however, robbed him of any further scores.
In the final period Boucher played chiefly on the defense, where his poke-checking broke up a dozen attacks. Altogether the young Ottawan turned in a pretty flossy exhibition and the fans whooped for him from start to finish in a way that left no doubt that he was elected.
12.31.1922 - The Vancouver Sun:
My second impression is that Canada has the knack of breeding a peculiar race of men, each man having grown one arm reaching to the ground. The aforementioned sporting editor has tried to kid me that that which I have recognized as a long arm is in reality a simple piece of spruce, a mere stick, I don't believe it. Why, d'you mean to tell me that Lloyd Cook or xxxx, or that chap Boucher, while moving with the speed of 40 express trains, could caress that puck so lovingly with a bit of lifeless wood? No siree!
Frank Boucher was a playoff star for the Vancouver Maroons in the PCHA before ever making it to the NHL
17.3.1923 - The Morning Leader:
The fans were much interested to watch the fraternal duels in skating and stickhandling staged by the brothers Boucher, for the Maroons and Senators, respectively. George was trickier, perhaps, but Frank showed the greater speed and worried brother George and his fellows all evening with his hook-check.
27.3.1923 - Vancouver Sun [Stanley Cup Finals game report]:
Ottawa's victory was decisive, convincing and alibi-proof. The Senators skated as fast as their opponents, combined play better, back-checked more closely and shot harder and more accurately. The 5-1 score was perhaps a bigger margin that the play warranted, but there was no doubt in the minds of the 8000 fans present that the better team won. A long shot by George Boucher from the left boards, away out by the blue line, that Lehman touched with his arm but failed to stop, put Ottawa one to the good seven minutes from the start...
Vancouver failed to show the stuff that beat out Victoria and Seattle for the coast title. Frank Boucher, Harris and xxxxx all played up to their best form, but MacKay was lost in his unaccustomed position at right wing, where he replaced the injured Skinner. Duncan failed to put the finishing touch to his rushes that marked his work last week. Cook was fair, but not as good as he has been at times. Lehman was far from the form that won him the sobriquet of "Eagle Eye". Corbett Denneny made some nice efforts when he got a couple of fairly long spells on the ice.
Frank Boucher was the best of the local forward line. He was back at his old game of hook-checking and stealing, and his back-checking was excellent. More than once he whizzed back on the defense in time to avert goals, and on the attacking end he contributed a number of clever passes and an occasional stinging shot. Harris and Duncan both slammed a number of hot ones at the nets, but with one exception, Benedict handled them all to perfection.
Boucher seems to have been the standout star for Vancouver in their 1924 run to the Cup finals.
8.3.1924 - Calgary Daily Herald:
Frank Boucher, the clean playing, clean-limbed centre star for Vancouver, broke up the greatest athletic contest ever staged in the city of Vancouver when he took a pass from Bostrum just on the centre ice side of the blue line, tricked two men and beat Happy Holmes in 14 minutes overtime last night, giving Vancouver a 2-1 victory, or 4-3 on the round. It was a million dollar shot. It smashed the hopes of the fighting Mets, sent Pete Muldoon away screaming "offside!" and shoved the Maroons into the Stanley Cup finals with Calgary Monday night, a trip east and all the kopecks attaching to the tast of battling mid-west and east for the world's honors in hockey.
11.3.1924 - Calgary Daily Herald:
BOUCHER, BATTLING WONDER
Frank Boucher, the battling boy wonder, found on the wilds of the prairies in the neighborhood of Lethbridge by the Patricks a few years back, made more trouble for the Tigers than a thousand motorists for an armless traffic cop. He was stick-handling like a circus wizard and hook checking so closely that the Tiger pucks flew to his club like to a magnet. He was a demon checker all through. It was a mystery how any of them got by out there in centre ice. In the third period he was summoned back to play guard along with Cook and Duncan, because the Maroons had snared a couple of marks to Calgary's one, and they wanted to protect it. Boucher was set up at the nose of the barricade where he sucked in the force of many Tiger drives, and invariably the puck evaporated when it struck his twisted pole.
17.3.1924 - Calgary Daily Herald:
Boucher and MacKay were mighty annoying and they drew all kinds of attention. Boucher's hook checking was extremely clever, and he worried the Tigers when they swung into position for attacks.
19.3.1924 - Montreal Gazette:
For Vancouver, Frank Boucher, of the noted hockey family, and Hughie Lehman, coast net guardian, were the bright performers. Frank Boucher was the most consistent player on the ice. He broke up rush after rush with a long poke check that brought visions of Frank Nighbor at his best for Ottawa Senators, while his stickhandling through a sturdy defense was always smartly performed.
21.3.1924 - Calgary Daily Herald:
It was well for the Canadiens that Joliat negotiated that trip, for Frank Boucher's tally on Vezina was almost as brilliant shortly afterward when he dodged body drives, eluded hook and poke checks and then passed in a sizzling shot straight against the goal's front, catching the opposide side of the cage.
New York Years:
4.4.1927 - Calgary Daily Herald:
Bruins were the more aggressive throughout. Chabot in goal for New York made 28 stops as against 15 by xxxxx. But the Rangers were the more brilliant in action. The high scoring Bill Cook was too closely checked to be effective, but Frank Boucher, New York centre, was everywhere on the ice, and his work was a spectacle.
25.11.1927 - Ottawa Citizen:
Spectacular Trio
To see this trio charging along is to see how many new rules can be taken advantage of by masters. They are all accomplished in the code. Frank Boucher, who has been a sensation and is the leading scorer in the American section, will pit his skill and poke check against Frank Nighbor. What a duel that should be. These two great rivals, who are puck purveyors par excellence, ply nimble sticks at center ice, and are smart players excelling with headwork.
7.2.1928 - Ottawa Citizen:
Rangers have points of excellence which mark them apart from other clubs. They excel in use of the middle area. Nothing so attractive as the work of the two Cooks and Frank Boucher inside the area is revealed by any club. They even excel Canadiens in this regard. The two Cooks are great skaters who play the western brand instilled into them through years of play in the coast circuit. Both are liable to leave their wings unguarded, and flash through on opposite lanes for scores crisscrossing back and forth as they try to skate through a defense.
Boucher has already shown his class. One of the finest little fellows who ever plied a stick, he really outplayed Frank Nighbor the last time they met. Boucher is a great hook check artist, and has developed a scoring punch of no mean proportions.
24.3.1928 - New York Evening Post:
Center on the second team is Frank Boucher of the New York Rangers. A poke checker of uncanny ability, a great team player, a deadly shot, Boucher, next to Johnson, was the outstanding member of the Patrick troupe. We have picked him over such brilliant centers as Frank Nighbor of Ottawa, Frank Frederickson of Boston, Carson of Toronto, Hib Milks of Pittsburgh, and Normie Himes of the Americans, the latter one of the brightest stars of the second half of the campaign.
2.4.1928 - Montreal Gazette:
New York, April 1 - Sixty minutes of torrid hockey between the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers ended in a 1-1 deadlock here tonight...
Both goals were scored within three minutes of the start of the final period. Frank Boucher, Ranger centre player, connected with a pass from behind the net to beat xxxxx for the first goal. Seventy-two seconds later a three-man Bruins rush tied the score, Harry Oliver, right winger, shooting the puck past Lorne Chabot.
The game, played before a crowd of 18,000 persons, was featured by the brilliant defense of both teams...
The poke-checking of xxxxx and Boucher were outstanding features of the bruising game, and the crowd was not slow to appreciate their work.
5.4.1928 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Out of the welter of preliminary rounds in the National Hockey League battle for the historic Stanley Cup, the world series of the ice world, Frank Boucher, diminutive center ice star of the New York Rangers, has come to stamp himself as one of the greatest players in the game.
Boucher will lead the Rangers on the ice of the Montreal Maroons in the Canadian metropolis tomorrow night for the first of the final five-game series for the professional hockey title...
The brilliance of Boucher stands out above all others in a composite score of the preliminary efforts of the two teams fighting tomorrow night in the championship. Boucher tallied three goals, assisted in the scoring of three others, and spent no time in the penalty box...
Boucher, recipient of the Lady Byng trophy for combining effectiveness with sportsmanship, played through the four games without once incurring the displeasure of the referees. In addition to leading all scorers, Boucher was a tower of strength on the defense, his sweeping poke-check smashed dozens of attacks of Pittsburgh and Boston forwards.
2.4.1931 - Vancouver Sun:
"Raffles" To Be Here
Frank Boucher was named on the second team and is again the winner of the Byng trophy awarded to the cleanest and most useful player to his club in the big league. Boucher is almost as well known in Vancouver as MacKay. He was called "Raffles" with the old Maroons because of his uncanny stickhandling ability and his penchant for hooking the puck from opposing players.
