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TOP 25 IN THE LAST 25 YEARS: BRIAN BOUCHER
Goaltender Brian Boucher holds the distinction of having three separate NHL stints with the Flyers as well as a stint on an AHL contract with the Philadelphia Phantoms. Overall, his Flyers and career legacy is one of a hard-battling if streaky netminder who had a spectacular rookie year he could never quite duplicate. When he got on a roll, however, Boucher could perform at a high level for lengthy stretches.
During his Flyers career, Boucher played in 179 regular season games, posting a 2.50 goals against average, .904 save percentage, eight shutouts and a record of 73-68-7 with 12 ties prior to the NHL's adoption of the shootout. For his Flyers playoff career, Boucher appeared in 44 games, posting a 2.36 goals against average, .911 save percentage, two shutouts and a 21-17 record.
The Flyers selected the Woonsocket, RI, native in the first round (22nd overall) of the 1995 NHL Draft. Boucher was the first of a series of goaltenders the Flyers chose in the early rounds of the Draft. The organization would subsequently go on to take Jean-Marc Pelletier with the 30th overall pick of the 1997 Draft (the Flyers' first pick of that year's Draft as they did not hold a first-rounder) and Maxime Ouellet in the first round (22nd overall) of the 1999 Draft. Combined with 1998 sixth-round pick Antero Nittymäki, these four goaltenders were all touted as potential long-term "Goalie of the Future" options for the Flyers and their pool of goalie prospects was considered the deepest in the NHL.
Ultimately, Boucher and Niittymäki were the two who had the best pro careers. However, for a short period of time in the late 1990s, Pelletier seemed to be on the brink of working his way up to the top spot before a disastrous NHL debut and subsequent regression as a prospect. In the very early 2000s, Ouellet was hyped by pundits as a potential franchise goalie but struggled once he reached the pros.
Between Boucher and Niittymäki, it was Boucher who had the superior Flyers' career while Niitymäki had the better career when AHL and international hockey are also factored int the assessment. This was at least partially owed to Niittymäki developing chronic hip issues that ultimately led to him undergoing hip replacement surgery and retiring at age 33. Be that as it may, Boucher's NHL accomplishments outpaced those of the Finn with the exception of Niittymäki's remarkable career 17-0-0 record against the Atlanta Thrashers.
Prior to reaching the NHL, Boucher was a member of the Calder Cup winning 1997-98 Philadelphia Phantoms. There, he formed a capable tandem with veteran Neil Little while working his way up to the NHL over two seasons.
Boucher's best NHL season was his rookie year of 1999-2000 when he earned a spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team and took over as the Flyers' starting goaltender from veteran John Vanbiesbrouck. That year, Boucher was stellar in the playoffs and backstopped the Flyers to within one won of reaching the Stanley Cup Final.
In 35 regular season appearances as a rookie, Boucher posted a 20-10-3 record, 1.91 goals against average, .918 save percentage and four shutouts. In the postseason, he played in 18 games, boasting an 11-7 record, 2.03 GAA, .918 save percentage and one shutout.
Boucher was the winning goaltender in the Flyers' epic five-overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Four of the 2000 Eastern Conference Semifinal. He also performed well in the Eastern Conference Final against the New Jersey Devils despite the Flyers ultimately losing the series in seven games after holding a three games to one lead. Boucher's twisting save on Patrik Elias in Game Three of the Conference Final ranks among the most spectactular stops in Flyers history. The Flyers lost Game 7, 2-1, as Elias scored the series winner with 2:32 left in the third period.
Boucher struggled mightily in his second NHL season and was eventually supplanted as starter by 29-year-old Czech import Roman Cechmanek. On June 12, 2002, Boucher was the centerpiece of a trade that brought Michal Handzus and Robert Esche to the Flyers from the Phoenix Coyotes. While a member of the Coyotes, he set a new NHL record for the longest shutout streak by a goaltender. Boucher went unscored upon for an incredible 332 minutes (the equivalent of roughly five-and-a-half regulation games).
After playing for Phoenix, Calgary and Columbus, Boucher returned to Philadelphia in the summer of 2007 on an American Hockey League contract with the Phantoms. He returned to the NHL by the end of the season, signing a contract with the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 26, 2008.
Boucher's second "official" stint as a Flyer began on July 1, 2009, when he signed with the Flyers as an unrestricted free agent. On the final day of the regular season, Boucher prevailed over Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers in a shootout with a playoff spot at stake for both teams. In the first round of the playoffs, Boucher outperformed Martin Brodeur in a five-game series win for the Flyers.
Boucher played the first four-plus games of the Flyers second-round series with the Boston Bruins until suffering a knee injury in Game Five. Michael Leighton took over as starter for the remainder of the playoffs, as the Flyers went on to recover from a three games to zero deficit to win the series and, ultimately, to come within two wins of the Stanley Cup.
Statistically, Boucher's second-best Flyers season came in 2010-11 as he split time in goal with rookie Sergei Bobrovsky. The veteran played in 34 games, posting an 18-10-4 record, 2.42 GAA and .916 save percentage. In the playoffs, Boucher became the only goaltender in NHL history to record two wins in a playoff series when coming in relief of the starter (Bobrovsky in Game Two and Leighton in Game 6). Boucher went on to start and win Game Seven, as the Flyers defeated Buffalo and former Vezina Trophy winner Ryan Miller.
A roller coaster series against Buffalo finished on a high note for Boucher and the Flyers, but he struggled in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The eventual Stanley Cup champion Bruins swept the second-round meeting. With the Flyers subsequently acquiring Ilya Bryzgalov in June 2011, Boucher departed as an unrestricted free agent. He signed with the Carolina Hurricanes.
The next season, the Flyers reacquired Boucher from the Hurricanes along with defense prospect Mark Alt in exchange for minor league forward Luke Pither. Boucher finished his North American playing career with four appearances for the Flyers in 2012-13 and 16 games in the AHL for the Phantoms.
After playing briefly in Switzerland during the 2013-14 season, Boucher retired. He subsequently began a successful broadcasting career.
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QUICK HITS: AUGUST 16, 2017
1) SHL Preseason Hockey: Mora IK shut out Djurgårdens IF Stockholm, 2-0, on Tuesday. Neither Flyers forward prospect David Kase (Mora) nor defense prospect David Bernhardt (DIF) appeared on the stat sheet. Getting outshot by a 36-21 margin for the game, Mora received a first-period goal by Erlend Lesund set up by former Flyers farmhand Andrew Rowe and added some third-period insurance. Veteran netminder Christian Engstrand earned the shutout victory in goal for Mora.
2) Today in Flyers History: The late Wayne Stephenson's Flyers career came to an end on Aug. 16, 1979 when the team traded him to the Washington Capitals for a 1981 third round pick. Ultimately, the Flyers used the pick on the late Barry Tobobondung, whose unfortunate NHL claim to fame was literally getting stuck in a chair as he made his way down to the floor after the Flyers called his name.
Sitting in the upper level of the Montreal Forum, a beaming Tobobondung was so excited to come down to meet the Flyers' staff that, instead of simply walking downstairs, he tried to climb over rows of seats. Soon, his leg became ensnared in a chair. He could not pry himself loose.
It took Flyers representative Joe Watson and two arena workers nearly two hours to extricate the now-mortified young hockey player. While the maintenance crew worked to free the Flyers' draftee, NHL executive VP Brian O'Neill joked that the player was sure to be in Montreal for every upcoming Flyers road game against the Habs. Finally, the workers were able to unscrew a portion of the chair. Flyers head coach Pat Quiin quipped, "We gotta play this kid. Obviously we can't afford to let him sit."
Tabobondung, who was built like a fireplug at 5-foot-9 and 200 pounds, was a tough and game player. Nicknamed Hawk, he was a full-blooded Ojibway. The effusive Tabobondung became a popular member of the Maine Mariners in the AHL for parts of two seasons but never made it to the NHL. A converted defenseman turned winger, he played 132 games for the Mariners, posting 13 goals, 45 points and 209 penalty minutes.
Tragically, Tabobondung passed away at the age of 39 in an horrific roadside accident in the Wasausking First Nation on July 11, 2000.
Tobobondung, who was working with the road crew, brought along his eight-year-old son, Tommy. As the two rode in the cab of a road grader, Tommy fell out of the vehicle. The father jumped out of the cab to rescue his son before he got run over. Barry saved Tommy's life, but got trapped under the vehicle's back tires. Barry was pronounced dead at the hospital. His son survived with a broken leg.
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