Pierre-Marc Bouchard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for over a decade. He was born on April 27, 1984, in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Bouchard began his hockey career playing for the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) from 2000 to 2003.
In 2002, Bouchard was selected eighth overall by the Minnesota Wild in the NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut in the 2002-2003 season and played for the Wild for the majority of his career. Bouchard was known for his playmaking abilities and was a skilled forward who could score goals and set up his teammates.
During his time with the Wild, Bouchard played in over 500 games and recorded 347 points (106 goals and 241 assists). He was a key player for the team and helped them make the playoffs in four of his first five seasons. In the 2007-2008 season, Bouchard had a career-high 63 points (13 goals and 50 assists) and was named the team's MVP.
Bouchard's career was unfortunately plagued by injuries, including multiple concussions. He missed significant time during the 2009-2010 season due to a concussion and was limited to just 59 games the following season. In 2012, Bouchard suffered another concussion that caused him to miss the remainder of the season.
After the 2012-2013 season, Bouchard became a free agent and signed with the New York Islanders. He played in just 28 games for the Islanders before being placed on waivers and eventually being sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL). Bouchard played for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers for the remainder of the season before becoming a free agent again.
Bouchard signed a one-year contract with the Florida Panthers for the 2014-2015 season but was released from the team during training camp. He then signed with the EV Zug in Switzerland's National League A but played in just 15 games before retiring from professional hockey.
Overall, Bouchard had a successful career in the NHL, despite being limited by injuries. He was a skilled player who was known for his playmaking abilities and was a key player for the Minnesota Wild for many years.
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