André Boudrias

André Boudrias
Born	André Gerard Boudrias (1943-09-19) 19 September 1943 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Died	5 February 2019(2019-02-05) (aged 75)
Other names	"Superpest"
Occupation(s)	Ice hockey centre, scout
Years active	1963–1978 (player)
Known for	Vancouver Canucks inaugural offensive standout; NHL and WHA player; scout for Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils

André Gerard Boudrias (September 19, 1943 – February 5, 2019) was a Canadian ice hockey centre who competed professionally for 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and two seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA) between 1963 and 1978. He gained recognition as the Vancouver Canucks' inaugural offensive standout and subsequently served as a scout for the New Jersey Devils.

Playing career

Boudrias was initially signed by his native Montreal Canadiens and twice led the Montreal Junior Canadiens in scoring from 1961 to 1964, playing alongside future Hall of Famers Yvan Cournoyer, Jacques Lemaire, and Serge Savard. His NHL debut was notable, accumulating 5 points over four games during the 1963–64 season.

Although promising at first, Boudrias spent the majority of the following three years within Montreal’s extensive farm system, appearing in only three NHL contests. The NHL expansion in 1967 opened new doors, resulting in his trade to the Minnesota North Stars on draft day. In Minnesota’s inaugural 1967–68 campaign, he led the team with 35 assists and ranked second with 53 total points. However, his production waned the next season, culminating in a mid-season trade to the Chicago Black Hawks.

Following a strong conclusion to that season with Chicago, Boudrias was claimed by the St. Louis Blues through the intra-league draft but struggled again, managing just three goals across 50 games and spending time in the minor leagues. During playoffs, he added six points as the Blues advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Boudrias’ career revitalized upon joining the Vancouver Canucks for their first NHL season in 1970–71. He rapidly became Vancouver’s top scorer, leading the team in points four times over five seasons and earning the nickname 'Superpest' due to his relentless skating and defensive tenacity. He established franchise records for assists and total points in consecutive years (1973–74 and 1974–75), with his mark of 62 assists standing until Henrik Sedin surpassed it during the 2006–07 season. Additionally, he guided Vancouver to its maiden playoff berth in 1975.

Appointed team captain for the 1975–76 season, Boudrias’ offensive numbers declined as he transitioned into a more defensive role. Nearing his mid-thirties, he departed Vancouver to play two productive seasons with the Quebec Nordiques of the WHA, contributing to their WHA Championship victory in 1977 before retiring in 1978.

Throughout his NHL tenure, Boudrias tallied 151 goals and 340 assists for a total of 491 points over 662 games while accumulating only 216 penalty minutes. In his WHA career, he added 22 goals and 48 assists amounting to 70 points in 140 contests.

Later life

Following retirement from playing, Boudrias earned respect as a scout with both the Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils. He played a significant role as assistant general manager and director of scouting during Montreal’s Stanley Cup triumphs in 1986 and 1993. Joining New Jersey in 1994, he contributed as a professional scout to assembling Devils teams that won Stanley Cups in 1995, 2000, and 2003.

Boudrias passed away on February 5, 2019, at age seventy-five.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1958–59	Saint-Jérôme Alouettes	MMJHL		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1959–60	Montreal NDG Monarchs	MMJHL		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1960–61	Hull Canadiens	IPSHL		—	15	17	32	—		—	—	—	—	—
1961–62	Montreal Jr. Canadiens	OHA-Jr.		50	34	63	97	54		6	2	3	5	4
1961–62	North Bay Trappers	EPHL		1	0	3	3	2		1	0	0	0	0
1962–63	Montreal Jr. Canadiens	OHA-Jr.		50	12	43	55	72		10	3	4	7	18
"1963–64	"Montreal Jr. Canadiens	"OHA-Jr.		"55	"38	"97	"135	"48		"16	"11	"26	"37	"18
"1963–64	"Montreal Canadiens	"NHL		"4	"1	"4	"5	"2		"—	"—	"—	"—	"—
Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Quebec Aces | AHL | 14 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
Omaha Knights | CPHL | 52 | 15 | 49 | 64 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 2 |
Houston Apollos| CPHL| 70| 27| 46| 73| 53| —| —| —| —| —|
Montreal Canadiens| NHL| 2| 0| 1| 1| 0| —| —| —| —| —|
Houston Apollos| CPHL| 67| 16| 48| 64| 58| 6| 1| 2| 3| 6|
Minnesota North Stars| NHL| 74| 18| 35| 53| 42| 14| 3| 6| 9| 8|
Minnesota North Stars / Chicago Black Hawks | NHL |73 |8 |19 |27 |10 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"	St. Louis Blues / Kansas City Blues | NHL / CHL |69 |10 |30 |40 |36 |14 |2 |4 |6 |4 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"	Vancouver Canucks | NHL |380 |118 |270 |388 |140 |6 |1 |7 |8 |2 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"		Quebec Nordiques | WHA |140 |22 |48 |70 |34 |28 |3 |14 |17 |10 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"	NHL totals !662 !151 !340 !491 !216 !34 !6 !10 !16 !12 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"			CPHL/CHL totals !208 !65 !159 !224 !137 !12 !2 !9 !11 !8 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"			WHA totals !140 !22 !48 !70 !34 !28 !3 !14 !17 !10 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"			AHL totals !15 !6 !9 !15 !4 !— !— !— !— !—