Does Georges Buck Boucher Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Georges Boucher aka Buck Boucher was among the very best defencemen of the NHL’s first decade and a half. Where does he rank all time?

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Georges Boucher’s Career

• NHL: 1917-32; 15 seasons, 14 quality (by DPS)
• Totals:
  • 117G (13th All Time at his retirement),
  • 87A (9th) for
  • 204P (10th) in
  • 449 games (2nd);
  • 77.4 PS (3rd)
• Era: Of the 16 players to play in at least 300 games by 1932, Boucher was
  • 11th All Time in GPG,
  • 9th in APG and
  • 10th in PPG at his retirement
• At his retirement, Boucher was 1st All Time in Defensive Point Shares
• 82-game average: 21G, 16A for 37P
• 3-year peak (1925-28): 44-game average of 9G, 5A for 13P
• No possession stats
• Playoffs: 5G, 3A for 8P in 28 games
• Adjusted:
  • Hockey-Reference:
    • 188G, 434A for 622P
    • Adjusted 82-game average: 34G, 79A for 114P
    • Adjusted PG leader-boards: Boucher doesn’t qualify
  • VsX: Boucher doesn’t qualify for the adjustment.
• Trades:
  • Traded near the end of his career for Joe Lamb.
  • Waived in his final season.
• NHA:
  • 2 seasons, both quality by PPG
  • 19G, 6A (possibly as high as 25th All Time) for 25P in 37 games [part of this was as a forward]
  • Boucher is possibly as high ast 21st All Time in APG
  • 20-game average: 10G, 3A for 14P.

Georges Boucher’s Accomplishments

• Back Check MVP (’23)
• Back Check Best Player (’24)
• Best Player (by PS) twice (’23, ’24), Top 5 four times (’20, ’21), Top 10 eight times (’19, ’22, ’25, ’26)
• Best Defensive Player (by DPS) three times (’20, ’26, ‘28), Top 5 eight times (’19, ’21, ’22, ’23, ’24), Top 10 ten times (’25, ’27)
• Set the single season record for DPS in 1919-20 and again in 1925-26
• Top 5 Offensive Player (by OPS) once (’24), Top 10 three times (’22, ’23)
• Goals:
  • Scored 15 goals once (1 of only 7 D to do so at his retirement)
  • Top 10 in Goals twice
  • Top 10 in GPG twice
• Assists:
  • Led the league in Assists once, Top 5 twice, Top 10 seven times
  • Led the league in APG once, Top 10 three times
• Points:
  • Top 5 in Points once, Top 10 thrice
  • Led the league in PPG once, Top 10 three times.
• NHA: No offensive accomplishments.

Georges Boucher’s Great Teams

• NHL:
  • Best D (by points -possibly best skater) on one NHL Stanley Cup Champion (‘21 Senators)
  • Best D (by points) on one NHL Runner Up (’24 Senators),
  • Best D? (by points) on one NHL Stanley Cup Champion (’23 Senators) – led D in scoring in the NHL playoffs but didn’t score a goal in the Stanley Cup finals and there is no information about assists
  • Top 2? D on one NHL Runner Up (’22 Senators) – no scoring by D in NHL playoffs
  • Top 2 D (by points) on one NHL Stanley Cup Champion (‘27 Senators) – King Clancy had points, Boucher didn’t
  • Top 2 D (by points) on one NHL Runner Up (’26 Senators) – only one player scored a point for Ottawa and it was King Clancy
  • Top 4 D (by points) on one NHL Runner Up (’19 Senators) and one Final Four (’30 Maroons)
• NHA:
  • Unknown role on one NHA Runner Up (‘17 Senators)