Boucher aims to put run of injuries behind him
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Many eyes were focused on Tyler Boucher as the Senators rookies and prospects took to the ice at the Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday.
The right winger, who was drafted 10th overall in 2021, has been riddled with injuries over the past few years.
Last season, Boucher missed rookie camp after tweaking his groin during an off-ice training session. The forward was expected to be back on the ice for main camp a week later, however the injury was more severe, and he didn’t end up dressing for AHL Belleville until late December.
Boucher ended up playing in just 21 games in the AHL in 2023-24, tallying two goals and five points. A left shoulder injury suffered in February required surgery in late March – Bouchard’s second shoulder surgery in less than 15 months. The first occurred just after the 2023 World Juniors, where Boucher represented Team USA. Boucher needed surgery on his right shoulder after suffering a torn labrum during the tournament.
“It’s pretty hard, not gonna lie to you. It takes a toll on me,” Boucher said following Thursday’s training session. “Through [the injuries] I’ve learned a lot, learned about what I need to do. I’m back and healthy. It’s in the past and I’m not looking back, so I’m feeling good.”
Now the forward is looking beyond those health issues as he comes into camp healthy.
“It’s a big year – every year is a big year,” Boucher said. “But for me, just being healthy again is something I’m excited about. I know what I can do when I’m healthy, and if everything stays fine, I’m not worried about anything.”
Boucher knows the demands of making Ottawa’s NHL roster will be tough, but he thinks the adversity he’s dealt with has better prepared him for the Senators camp. “
“A big part of pro hockey is being able to be mentally strong, [and] deal with hard stuff. I never planned on getting hurt, I never do. …I gain confidence from overcoming that sort of stuff.”
Belleville coach David Bell noted that Boucher will “100 per cent” be in the lineup for the prospects first game against New Jersey at the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo this Friday. Bell will be coaching the prospects team for the road trip.
“We’d all like him to have more games played. You can’t teach experience. Where he is in the head space, he’s in a great spot, he’s in great shape,” Bell said. “He’s going to get the opportunity right away here in rookie camp to play these games. Just a guy that, [we’re] not going to push him, but he’s not going to get days off to rest. He’s full go, ready to go, and now it’s up to him what he does.”
Boucher said he changed his workout routine this past summer. At the suggestion of strength and conditioning coach Matt Nichol, the 21-year-old Arizona native added Pilates to his fitness routine and says he “saw some big changes in my flexibility.”
The last time Boucher stepped on to the ice for a game with Belleville was Feb. 14, so he’s going to use the upcoming games in Buffalo as a way of re-acclimating to professional hockey.
“This weekend is nice because I kind of get a warm up before main camp. That’s what’s really important to me. Just to get my feet wet, shake off the rust and hit the ground running,” Boucher said.
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One player who ended the AHL season on a high note is Stephen Halliday.
The centre started the 2023-24 season playing with the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he had 36 points in 38 games. After the conclusion of the NCAA season, Halliday collected five points in 10 outings with Belleville. Then he got hot during Belleville’s playoff run, and had two goals and seven assists in seven games.
Bell is looking to players like Halliday, who is 22 years old, to “be a leader” and set the tone for the rest of the prospects.
“They’ve got to light it up, and I expect him to be real good here early and hopefully it carries over to main camp,” Bell said of Halliday.
This will be Halliday’s first Senators training camp. He’s asked other players for advice on what to expect.
“They just said to have fun. Use [rookie camp] as a tune up, make sure you’re playing good hockey going into camp,” Halliday said. “A lot of us at rookie camp that are going into main camp are using it as a tool, almost like a leg up going into main camp.”
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Many are also wondering if right-shot defenceman Carter Yakemchuk, the Senators seventh-overall pick this year, has a shot at cracking the roster.
Bell says his message to the blueliners is simple: “just survive.”
Last year with the Calgary Hitman, Yakemchuk led all Western Hockey League defenceman with 30 goals. He’s used to playing against older, stronger players, but Bell has warned Yakemchuk it’s going to be an adjustment.
“It’s going to be a little bit scrambly at this tournament, but as [Yakemchuk] builds and goes through to the main camp, he’s going to have to learn that things close off faster,” Bell said. “Guys are stronger, and he’s just gonna have to learn to survive his first training camp and watch and learn from the veterans guys and see how they act and how they play.”
There’s also the added pressure of living up to the expectations of being a first-round pick.
“He’s a high pick, so he should expect to be one of the better players at this camp,” Bell noted. “You don’t have to take the world by storm. If you’re a puck-moving defenceman that can join the rush, then do that. He doesn’t need to go out there and smash guys around and fight. Just play his game, play within his limitations. But most of all, go in there with his eyes open and watch and learn from other guys.”
The Senators have nine defencemen at rookie camp, and they bring some size. Seven of the nine are listed above 6 feet, with Gabriel Eliasson and Djibril Toure listed at 6-foot-7.
“I know I’m not a big guy,” said Bell who stands at roughly 5-foot-11, “but jeepers, those guys on the back end, that’s a bunch of trees back there. The big fella there, the Swede [Eliasson], I’m interested to watch him play with his aggressive style what he does out there.”
The Senators are scheduled to play New Jersey on Friday, Pittsburgh on Saturday and Columbus on Monday in Buffalo.