Brian Boucher can currently be found broadcasting games for the Philadelphia Flyers on NBC Sports Philadelphia as well as nationally on both ESPN and TNT. His success is all an offshoot of a long National Hockey League career, mostly spent with the Flyers. And what a long, strange, winding journey it was.
Brian Boucher's longtime Flyers history remains to this day
The Flyers drafted Boucher in the first round back in 1995, making him the third goalie taken in that year's draft after Jean-Sebastian Giguere and another future Flyer/NHL broadcaster, Martin Biron. From there, Boucher had a standard slow goalie development path, which included two more years of junior hockey and a couple of AHL seasons with the Phantoms. Then, during his first taste of NHL action in 1999-2000, he wrested away the starter's job from veteran John Vanbiesbrouck, kicking off a fairly successful career full of big moments.
Boucher finished his rookie campaign with a fantastic 1.91 goals against average in support of his 20-10-3 record and four shutouts. Curiously, it was only enough to help him to a sixth-place finish in Calder Trophy voting as top rookie, though he also finished ninth in Vezina voting.
In the playoffs that spring, Boucher sustained his high level of play, highlighted by his win in the team's 5-overtime epic in Pittsburgh and a legendary save against Patrik Elias of the Devils in the conference final. Alas, the Flyers fell in that round and also absorbed perhaps the most devastating moment in franchise history along the way. At least they seemed set in the crease for years, however, thanks to Boucher.
Boucher was the Flyers' unquestioned starter to begin the next season, but 29-year-old rookie Roman Cechmanek came out of absolutely nowhere to take the job from him in much the same way that Boucher had done to Beezer the year before.
While the man they call 'Boosh' struggled to the tune of a wretched .876 save percentage and 3.27 goals against average on the year, Cechmanek put up sterling marks of .921 and 2.01 and rode it to a second-place finish in Vezina voting and fourth-place in voting for the Hart Trophy as NHL Most Valuable Player. And just like that, Boucher's future with the Flyers was very much in question.
The Flyers showed some confidence in Boucher, though, and he largely split time with Cechmanek the following year. Once again, however, Cechmanek put up the better numbers, and the Flyers moved Boucher in the offseason to the Coyotes along with a pick in exchange for goaltender Robert Esche and center Michal Handzus.
Boucher stuck with the 'Yotes for parts of three seasons, with the high point being an amazing streak where he posted five straight shutouts and didn't allow a goal for 332:01 of game time, establishing an NHL record in the process. On the flip side, he was also victimized by rookie Alex Ovechkin in one of the most highlight-reel worthy goals of all-time.
From Phoenix, it was on to stops in Calgary, Chicago, Columbus, and San Jose for Boucher, as he largely played the role of backup. This time frame did include a return engagement with the Phantoms, however, where he played 42 games during the 2007-08 season. Finally, the Flyers "brought him home" and signed him back to the big club in 2009 to back up new acquisition Ray Emery.
Unfortunately, Emery suffered a serious injury, pressing Boucher into more playing time than was expected, and he would split time with journeyman Michael Leighton for a large chunk of the 2009-2010 campaign. The team reached Game 82 of the season with a playoff spot hanging in the balance as they faced the New York Rangers. The game went to a shootout that nobody ever expected the Flyers to win, but it was Boucher sealing the deal in the crease to send the Orange and Black to the playoffs.
In that year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, Boucher led the team to a first-round win over New Jersey before seeing the Flyers sink in an 0-3 hole to start the second round versus Boston. He remained in goal for an OT victory in Game 4, then produced a shutout in Game 5 to extend the series even further. But he suffered an injury in the game and was sidelined as Leighton finished off the improbable comeback with victories in Games 6 and 7.
His only other action for the remainder of the postseason came in back-to-back appearances in relief of the struggling Leighton in the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final. We all know how that series ended, and Boucher was watching from the bench when it did.
Boucher was back with the Flyers in 2010-11, spending the campaign backing up rookie Sergei Bobrovsky. But when 'Bob' struggled in the first round of the playoffs against the Sabres, Boucher again stepped in with strong play, and he was able to backstop the team to a Game 7 win that turned out to be the only one of his career. Following a second round exit where the team was swept by Boston, Boucher signed with Carolina that summer, and it was finally the end of the line for Boucher and the Flyers.
Except it wasn't, because the Flyers acquired him in a trade with the Hurricanes in 2013. Boucher appeared in four more games with the team, finally hanging up his skates at the end of the 2012-13 season. Boucher ended up amassing 120 regular-season wins for seven NHL clubs, with 73 of those coming for the Flyers. He posted 17 career shutouts, a .901 save percentage, and a 2.71 GAA. He had a playoff mark of 21-18 thanks to a .911 save percentage and 2.37 GAA.
Add it all up, and it seems accurate to call Boucher 'the Forrest Gump of NHL Goaltenders', as he always seemed to be right in the middle of momentous events. There were so many amazing moments and big wins, all packed into a career that was well short of Hall of Fame-worthy, but was nonetheless extremely memorable. Now, as Brian Boucher continues to make his mark as a broadcaster, he seems poised to be around the Flyers and the game of hockey for many more years.