Former Montreal Canadiens great Emile "Butch" Bouchard died early Saturday morning surrounded by family. He was 92.
Considered to be one of the team's most important players during its first 50 years,
Bouchard was the Habs’ captain for 8 years, starting in 1948 until his retirement. He won four Stanley Cups with the team, two as captain
A giant, monstrous defenseman of his era, or any era for that matter, Butch Bouchard was a standout with some strong Montreal Canadiens teams. The former Habs captain played much like a modern day Derian Hatcher or Zdeno Chara, although he lacked the mobility of the modern game.
A Montreal native, Bouchard never dreamed of playing for the Canadiens. In fact, he never owned his first pair of skates or hockey equipment until he was 16. Growing up very poor in the midst of the Great Depression, Bouchard would rent skates (5 cents) for games and simply would go without equipment other than a stick. If he couldn't find a nickel, he would be the goalie in his boots.
Read the full Butch Bouchard biography
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