Johnny Boychuk

John Paul Boychuk (born January 19, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Drafted 61st overall in 2002 by the Colorado Avalanche, he played for the Colorado Avalanche, the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). In 2011, he was a part of the Bruins' Stanley Cup championship team. He was traded to the Islanders prior to the 2014–15 season, where he would announce retirement after six seasons with the team.

Playing career As a youth, Boychuk played in the 1997 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Edmonton.

Boychuk was drafted 61st overall in the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2002 Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche. Prior to being drafted, he played with the Western Hockey League's (WHL) Calgary Hitmen. Boychuk made his professional debut with the Hershey Bears in the 2004–05 season. Boychuk spent the next four years in the Avalanche organization playing primarily for their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliates. He made his NHL debut in the 2007–08 season on January 5, 2008, against the New York Islanders. Boychuk made his debut as a forward playing on the wing rather than his usual defenceman position.

On June 24, 2008, Boychuk was traded to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Matt Hendricks. He was assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins, to start the 2008–09 season and in his first week was named "AHL Player of the Week." On December 1, 2008, Boychuk was recalled to Boston and made his Bruins debut in a 3–1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on December 4, 2008. Boychuk was then returned to Providence for the rest of the season, where he played a break-out season, capturing the Eddie Shore Award by leading the league with 20 goals and 45 assists among defenceman and being named to the AHL's First All-Star Team.

On July 1, 2009, Boychuk secured his first one-way contract when he re-signed with the Bruins for the 2009–10 season. After initially making the Bruins opening night roster, Boychuk was primarily a healthy scratch in the first months of the season. After returning from a conditioning assignment in Providence, he established himself within the Bruins as a two-way defenceman to finish with 15 points in 51 games to earn a two-year contract extension on June 24, 2010.

He was a member of the Bruins when they defeated the Vancouver Canucks to win the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals.

The following season, Boychuk was rewarded with a three-year contract extension to remain a fixture on the Stanley Cup-winning Bruins blueline. Despite an inability to successfully defend the Stanley Cup, Boychuk produced 15 points in 77 games.

During the 2012–13 NHL lock-out, Boychuk ventured to Europe and signed a temporary contract in Austria with EC Red Bull Salzburg of the EBEL on November 16, 2012. He scored two goals and posted eight points in 15 games before he returned to the Bruins for the shortened 2012–13 season.

On October 4, 2014, due to salary cap constraints, Boychuk was traded to the New York Islanders in exchange for two second-round draft picks in the 2015 (previously acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers, later used to select Brandon Carlo) and 2016 NHL entry drafts (used on Ryan Lindgren), as well as a conditional third-rounder in the 2015 Draft (condition was never met). In his Islanders debut, Boychuk scored a goal and two assists against the Carolina Hurricanes. On March 12, 2015, he signed a seven-year, $42 million contract extension with the Islanders, lasting through the 2021–22 season.

On November 25, 2020, the Islanders announced that Boychuk would be retiring due to an eye injury that he suffered in a game against the Montreal Canadiens on March 3, 2020.

In a salary cap move, the Buffalo Sabres acquired Boychuk's remaining contract from the Islanders on November 4, 2021.

Post-playing career Shortly after his retirement from the NHL, Boychuk was hired in a player development role for the New York Islanders.

Personal life In the summer of 2011 John married Sheena Burletoff. John Quenneville, who was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the 2014 NHL entry draft, is his nephew by marriage.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1999–2000 MLAC AAA AMHL 35 6 17 23 59 — — — — — 1999–2000 Calgary Hitmen WHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2000–01 Calgary Hitmen WHL 66 4 8 12 61 12 1 1 2 17 2001–02 Calgary Hitmen WHL 70 8 32 40 85 7 1 1 2 6 2002–03 Calgary Hitmen WHL 40 8 18 26 58 — — — — — 2002–03 Moose Jaw Warriors WHL 27 5 17 22 32 13 2 6 8 29 2003–04 Moose Jaw Warriors WHL 62 13 20 33 71 10 1 9 10 9 2004–05 Hershey Bears AHL 80 3 12 15 69 — — — — — 2005–06 Lowell Lock Monsters AHL 74 6 26 32 73 — — — — — 2006–07 Albany River Rats AHL 80 10 18 28 125 5 1 1 2 4 2007–08 Colorado Avalanche NHL 4 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2007–08 Lake Erie Monsters AHL 60 8 18 26 63 — — — — — 2008–09 Boston Bruins NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2008–09 Providence Bruins AHL 78 20 46 66 61 16 3 5 8 19 2009–10 Boston Bruins NHL 51 5 10 15 43 13 2 4 6 6 2009–10 Providence Bruins AHL 2 1 0 1 0 — — — — — 2010–11 Boston Bruins NHL 69 3 13 16 45 25 3 6 9 12 2011–12 Boston Bruins NHL 77 5 10 15 53 7 1 2 3 4 2012–13 EC Red Bull Salzburg EBEL 15 2 6 8 2 — — — — — 2012–13 Boston Bruins NHL 44 1 5 6 12 22 6 1 7 10 2013–14 Boston Bruins NHL 75 5 18 23 45 12 1 1 2 2 2014–15 New York Islanders NHL 72 9 26 35 14 7 0 2 2 2 2015–16 New York Islanders NHL 70 9 16 25 31 11 0 0 0 4 2016–17 New York Islanders NHL 66 6 17 23 19 — — — — — 2017–18 New York Islanders NHL 58 6 12 18 30 — — — — — 2018–19 New York Islanders NHL 74 3 16 19 25 4 0 1 1 0 2019–20 New York Islanders NHL 64 2 9 11 14 3 0 0 0 0 NHL totals 725 54 152 206 331 104 13 17 30 40

International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 2002 Canada WJC18 6th 5 1 0 1 8 Junior totals 5 1 0 1 8

Awards and honours Award YearAHL First All-Star Team 2009 Eddie Shore Award 2009 NHL Stanley Cup 2011