Henry Boucha

Henry Charles Boucha (June 1, 1951 – September 18, 2023) was a Native American professional ice hockey center. Boucha played in both the National Hockey League (NHL) and World Hockey Association (WHA) between 1971 and 1977. In the NHL he played for the Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota North Stars, Kansas City Scouts, and Colorado Rockies, while in the WHA he played for the Minnesota Fighting Saints. His career was cut short by an eye injury by Dave Forbes. Internationally Boucha played for the American national team at two World Championships and at the 1972 Winter Olympics, where he won a silver medal.

A full-blooded Ojibwe, Boucha's distant cousin Gary Sargent and his second cousin T. J. Oshie have also played in the NHL.

Amateur career
Boucha played high school hockey for Warroad High School in Warroad, Minnesota, leading his team to the 1969 state tournament where he was injured during a 5–4 overtime loss to Edina. He is considered one of the best players to ever play Minnesota high school hockey.

While serving in the U.S. Army, Boucha joined the United States national ice hockey team on a full-time basis in 1970 as the U.S. won the "Pool B" qualification tournament. He participated in the 1971 Ice Hockey World Championships in Bern, Switzerland where he scored seven goals in ten games for Team USA. Boucha was also one of the biggest stars of the 1972 United States Olympic hockey team which received the silver medal.

Professional career
Boucha was drafted in the second round, 16th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1971 NHL Entry Draft (he was also drafted first overall by the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the rival WHA but chose not to defect to the WHA). Boucha scored a goal in his first NHL game after the Olympics and was voted Detroit rookie of the year in his first full NHL season. The Red Wings sent him to the Minnesota North Stars in exchange for Danny Grant in 1974. Boucha was enjoying a solid year in his home state; on January 4, 1975, he was assaulted in a highly publicized stick incident by Dave Forbes of the Boston Bruins. The attack left Boucha with a cracked bone around his eye and blurred vision. Forbes was prosecuted for aggravated assault. His trial resulted in a hung jury.

Boucha never really recovered from the injury. He attempted a comeback with the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the WHA in 1975–76 and then returned to the NHL as a free agent with the Kansas City Scouts in later 1975-76. In 1976 the franchise moved to Denver, Colorado and became the Colorado Rockies, from whom he retired from professional hockey after only nine games.

Before the NHL required players to wear a helmet, Boucha wore a headband. His nickname was "the Chief".

Post-playing career
Boucha fell on hard times due to his unexpectedly early retirement from ice hockey (his agent was negotiating a four-year contract with the North Stars but the talks were never completed due to the injury). He went through a period of divorce and drug and alcohol abuse before straightening out his life in the 1980s. He re-established himself in his native community and became active in various Native American causes.

Henry Boucha died on September 18, 2023, at the age of 72.

International play

 * Ice hockey world championships, Pool B, 1970 (first, won promotion to Pool A)
 * Ice hockey world championships, Pool A, 1971 (sixth place)
 * Olympic tournament, 1972 (second place)

Awards and achievements

 * Detroit Red Wings rookie]of the year – 1972–73
 * Inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995