Frank Boucher: The Gentleman

It wasn’t easy for Frank Boucher, connected with the New York Rangers for nearly 30 years as a player, coach and general manager. The Rangers definitely did have some success during the Boucher era but it was a battle. Frank did his battling in complete regard to the rule book. Seven times over the first eleven years the Lady Byng Trophy existed, it was Boucher’s name engraved.

Frank Boucher – Player

Boucher, one of four brothers that played in the National Hockey League, played 548 regular season games and 54 playoff games in the league between 1921-22 and 1943-44. The bulk of his action came between 1926-27 and 1937-38 with the Rangers. However, he got his start in the NHL in 1921-22 with the Ottawa Senators before spending the next four years with the Vancouver Maroons. Frank made a 15 game comeback with New York in 1943-44.

Over his 548 game career (keep in mind, this was the age of the 44 and 48 game NHL schedule), Boucher scored 161 and assisted on 262 for 423 points. Over that time, he sat just 118 minutes in the penalty box. Another thing to keep in mind is that the assist was not as often handed out until the 1929-30 season.

Over his 54 playoff games with the Rangers, Frank scored 16 goals and totalled 36 points while being flagged for just six minor penalties. In just his second year with the club, 1927-28, he led the team in scoring during the regular season and playoffs. New York captured the Stanley Cup championship with a three games to two victory over the Montreal Maroons in the finals.

That year, Frank scored 23 and assisted on 12 for 35 points while playing the full 44 game schedule for the Rangers. He placed fourth in the NHL for goals, fourth for assists and third in points, behind Howie Morenz and Aurel Joliet of the Montreal Canadiens.

Boucher’s best offensive season came in 1929-30. Over 42 games, he scored 26 and assisted on 36 for 62 points. He led the National Hockey League in assists and was second in points behind Cooney Weiland of the Boston Bruins. Weiland exploded for 73 points that year.

The Rangers have won the Stanley Cup four times in their history. The first two times, Frank Boucher was a star player on the team. As mentioned above, he was there for the 1927-28 championship. He also played a big role in New York defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 1932-33 Stanley Cup. He would be behind the bench as head coach the next time the Rangers won.

Three times during his playing career, the Rangers were Stanley Cup finalists. In 1928-29, the team was swept by the Boston Bruins in a best of three series. In 1931-32, New York was swept again, this time by the Toronto Maple Leafs in a best of five series. In 1936-37, the Rangers fell to the Detroit Red Wings in the final, three games to two.

Frank was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958. That year, he was one of 15 players inducted in a HHOF free-for-all. Boucher passed away in 1977 at the age of 76.

Frank Boucher – Coach

Boucher got his start as a head coach with the New York Rovers of the EAHL in 1938-39. the Rovers were a farm team of the Rangers and finished first overall in the four team league. The team also won the Hamilton B. Wills Trophy, awarded to the the winner of a series between senior champs from Canada and the United States.

The following year, 1939-40, Frank was behind the bench as head coach of the Rangers. New York finished second in the seven team league during the regular season. New York won the Stanley Cup championship with a four games to two victory over Toronto in the finals. Three games, including the final two of the series, were decided in overtime. It was the last time the Rangers won the Stanley Cup until 1993-94.

Boucher stood as head coach of the Rangers between 1939-40 and 1948-49 but the team did not win a single playoff series under Frank after that first season. 1943-44 was a lesson in futility with New York winning just six games and tying five while losing 39 of the total 50 games. The Rangers placed last, of course, 26 points behind fifth place Boston and 66 points behind first place Montreal. The Rangers won two games against both Boston and Toronto and one game each against Detroit and Chicago. Against the Canadiens, the Rangers went 0-9-1.

After being replaced as head coach midway through the 1948-49 season, Boucher carried on as general manager, a role he’d taken on in 1946-47, until 1953-54.

Frank Boucher – Rookie Card

The Frank Boucher rookie card is regarded as number 16 in the 1936-37 World Wide Gum V356 set. He is mysteriously absent from any of the other mainstream 1930’s sets by O-Pee-Chee or Ice Kings.