Henry Boucha

Henry Charles Boucha ( born June 1, 1951 in Warroad, Minnesota ) is a retired American professional ice hockey player. He won with the U.S. national team at the Olympic Winter Games in 1972 the silver medal. He then played in the National Hockey League, before he had to prematurely end his career in 1976 due to an eye injury.

Career

Boucha is an Ojibwe Indians. He played in the ice hockey team of Warroad High School. There he was employed both as a defender and as a center. In 1969, he led his team to the finals of the state tournaments, but was eliminated during the 4:5 - final defeat hurt. After his graduation, he played one year for the Winnipeg Jets in the Western Canada Hockey League. He was appointed to the U.S. national team and played the B- and A World Cup 1970 World Cup 1971. 1972 he won with the U.S. team at the Olympic Games in Sapporo the silver medal.

He then signed a contract with the Detroit Red Wings and completed on February 22, 1972 his first NHL use. In the following two years he made mostly with Red Berenson and Bill Collins a line. In August 1974, he joined the exchange with Danny Grant to the Minnesota North Stars. During the season, he was injured in an expired Bank punishment both players on the eye of Dave Forbes connection and had to pause for a long time. Forbes has been banned for ten games and later charged before a court for assault, a conviction, however, did not it.

For the 1975/76 season Boucha joined the Minnesota Fighting Saints in the World Hockey Association. His contract was terminated early at the end of the season and he went back into the NHL with the Kansas City Scouts. He moved with the team to Denver for, but denied in November 1976 his last game and said end of his career. Boucha had suffered in the incident with Forbes in January 1975 permanent damage to his eye and was later never to build on its previous achievements. In the NHL, he scored 53 goals in 247 games and 49 assists, in the WHA he comes to 36 games with 15 goals and 20 assists.

Boucha was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995.