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Zach Boychuk

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Zach Boychuk
Boychuk with the Eisbären Berlin in 2022
Born (1989-10-04) October 4, 1989 (age 34)
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 176 lb (80 kg; 12 st 8 lb)
Position Centre
Shoots Left
DEL team
Former teams		 Eisbären Berlin
Carolina Hurricanes
Pittsburgh Penguins
Nashville Predators
Sibir Novosibirsk
HC Slovan Bratislava
Severstal Cherepovets
SC Bern
HC Fribourg-Gottéron
NHL draft 14th overall, 2008
Carolina Hurricanes
Playing career 2008–present

Zachary Boychuk (born October 4, 1989)[1] is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is currently playing for Eisbären Berlin in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round, 14th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and played parts of 7 seasons in the NHL with Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators.

He played major junior with the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Boychuk has had a 3-year career in the KHL with Sibir Novosibirsk and before moving on to Europe having won titles in Switzerland and Germany with SC Bern (2018-19), and Eisbären Berlin (2020-21, 2021-22, 2023-2024) respectively.

He has represented Team Canada at three Spengler Cups - winning the 2017, and 2019 editions.

Playing career

[edit]

Boychuk began his major junior career in 2005–06 with the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL. After recording 51 points in 64 games in his rookie season, he improved to 31 goals and 91 points in 69 games the next season, third overall in the WHL.

In Boychuk's draft year, he finished with 33 goals and 72 points, good for WHL East Second All-Star honours.[2] Leading the Hurricanes to the 2008 WHL Finals – he had 21 points in 18 playoff games – Lethbridge was, however, swept by eventual Memorial Cup winners, the Spokane Chiefs. Heading into the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Boychuk was ranked eighth by the Central Scouting Service among North American skaters.[3] He was chosen fourteenth overall by the Carolina Hurricanes.

After attending the Hurricanes' prospect camp in July, he went into surgery for his left wrist, which he had injured during the 2008 WHL playoffs.[4] He was cleared to play during the 2008–09 NHL preseason and on October 4, 2008, the Hurricanes signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract.[5]

Boychuk during his first game with the Penguins in 2013.

He made his NHL debut against the Los Angeles Kings on October 17, 2008, becoming the first Hurricanes player since Eric Staal in 2003 to make his NHL debut in his draft year. He was returned to Lethbridge after appearing in two NHL games.[6] Upon being sent down, Boychuk completed his fourth season of WHL hockey by registering 57 points (28g, 29a) in 43 regular-season games and leading the team with 13 points (7g, 6a) in 11 playoff contests.

He shared the Harry Ingarfield Memorial Award as Lethbridge's team MVP and won the team's plus/minus award.

He was an assistant captain for Team Canada in the 2009 U-20 World Junior Championship in Ottawa, his second WJC, and helped Canada win the gold medal for the second straight year.

He was reassigned by Carolina from Lethbridge (WHL) to the Albany River Rats on April 10, 2009. At the beginning of the 2009–10 he attended the Carolina Hurricanes training camp. He made his AHL debut with Albany and recorded one assist for his first career professional point at WBS on April 10, 2009.

He registered his first NHL goal Saturday February 13, 2010, against the New Jersey Devils. It was the opening goal of the game and scored against goaltender Martin Brodeur at the 16:47 mark of the first period. Assisted by Brandon Sutter, and Brett Carson. On December 29, 2010, he had his first multi-goal NHL game, with two goals, against the Ottawa Senators.[7]

During the shortened 2012–13 season, on January 31, 2013, he was claimed off waivers from the Hurricanes by the Pittsburgh Penguins.[8] In going scoreless in seven games with the Penguins, he was again placed on waivers and subsequently claimed by the Nashville Predators on March 5, 2013.[9] On March 21, 2013, he was re-claimed by the Hurricanes on waivers. On December 6, 2013, after starting the season in the AHL, Boychuk was recalled by the Hurricanes after an injury to veteran defenseman Mike Komisarek.[10]

On July 7, 2015, Boychuk continued his tenure with the Hurricanes in signing a one-year, two-way contract with the club which paid him $600,000 in the NHL or $200,000 in the AHL, with his salary being guaranteed at $250,000.[11] In the 2015–16 season, Boychuk was directly assigned to the AHL with the Checkers. Boychuk was unable to assert the impact from previous seasons with the Checkers and after producing 25 points in 56 games he was loaned by the Hurricanes to the Bakersfield Condors, an affiliate to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Andrew Miller on March 7, 2016.[12]

As a free agent at the expiration of his NHL contract with the Hurricanes, on September 8, 2016, Boychuk agreed to a professional try-out contract from the Arizona Coyotes to attend their training camp.[13] After NHL, he agreed to his first contract abroad, playing in the Russian-based KHL, one season for Sibir Novosibirsk followed by a season tenure with Slovakian entrant, HC Slovan Bratislava.

On June 1, 2018, Boychuk joined his third KHL club in as many seasons, agreeing to a one-year deal with Russian club, Severstal Cherepovets.[14] In the ensuing 2018–19 season, Boychuk struggled to find his place with Severstal, posting just 4 points in 25 games. On November 19, 2018, he left the KHL and signed for the remainder of the season with Swiss club, SC Bern of the National League.[15] SC Bern won the NL championship in 2019 and Boychuk assisted on the championship winning goal scored by Eric Blum.

On December 27, 2019, Boychuk joined HC Fribourg-Gottéron of the National League (NL) for the remainder of the 2019–20 season as a replacement for injured David Desharnais.[16]

International play

[edit]
Medal record
Representing Canada Canada
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2008 Czech Republic
Gold medal – first place 2009 Canada
Spengler Cup
Gold medal – first place 2017 Davos
Gold medal – first place 2019 Davos

Prior to Boychuk's draft year in 2007–08, he competed in the 2007 Super Series, an under-20 eight-game series between Russia and Team Canada. The series marked the 35th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union. Boychuk contributed 4 goals and 2 assists in 7 games as Canada dominated and eventually won the series 7–0–1.

Boychuk also competed for Team Canada in the 2008 World Junior Championships and 2009 World Junior Championships, helping Canada to a fourth and fifth straight gold medal in the Czech Republic and Canada.

In late December 2017, he helped Team Canada win the Spengler Cup in Davos, scoring one goal in the championship game.[17]

Personal

[edit]

His twin sister Corissa Boychuk was an international trampolinist who won medals at world championships between 2009 and 2013. She retired after the 2013 World Championship.[18] They also have a younger sister Chelsie who does competitive gymnastics.[19]

Boychuk is known for his social media presence, boasting a high number of followers on websites like X and Instagram, and has more followers than several hockey stars despite his limited NHL playing career.[20] He intentionally follows hundreds of thousands of people and follows up to several thousand new people per day on X, under the expectation that following more people will increase the number of followers he has, which he in turn uses to secure sponsorships to promote products as an influencer.[21] Boychuk is also an active cryptocurrency trader.

Career statistics

[edit]

Regular season and playoffs

[edit]
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2004–05 UFA Bisons AAA AMHL 36 13 14 27 18 16 10 5 15 0
2005–06 Lethbridge Hurricanes WHL 64 18 33 51 30 6 0 5 5 2
2006–07 Lethbridge Hurricanes WHL 69 31 60 91 52 — — — — —
2007–08 Lethbridge Hurricanes WHL 61 33 39 72 80 18 13 8 21 6
2008–09 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2008–09 Lethbridge Hurricanes WHL 43 28 29 57 22 11 7 6 13 12
2008–09 Albany River Rats AHL 2 0 1 1 2 — — — — —
2009–10 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 31 3 6 9 2 — — — — —
2009–10 Albany River Rats AHL 52 15 21 36 24 8 3 2 5 4
2010–11 Charlotte Checkers AHL 60 22 43 65 48 16 3 6 9 14
2010–11 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 23 4 3 7 4 — — — — —
2011–12 Charlotte Checkers AHL 64 21 23 44 46 — — — — —
2011–12 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 16 0 2 2 0 — — — — —
2012–13 Charlotte Checkers AHL 49 23 20 43 16 5 3 3 6 4
2012–13 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2012–13 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 7 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
2012–13 Nashville Predators NHL 5 1 1 2 4 — — — — —
2013–14 Charlotte Checkers AHL 69 36 38 74 55 — — — — —
2013–14 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 11 1 3 4 0 — — — — —
2014–15 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 31 3 3 6 4 — — — — —
2014–15 Charlotte Checkers AHL 39 12 12 24 14 — — — — —
2015–16 Charlotte Checkers AHL 56 9 16 25 24 — — — — —
2015–16 Bakersfield Condors AHL 16 3 2 5 16 — — — — —
2016–17 Sibir Novosibirsk KHL 35 7 8 15 20 — — — — —
2017–18 HC Slovan Bratislava KHL 35 11 13 24 38 — — — — —
2018–19 Severstal Cherepovets KHL 25 2 2 4 8 — — — — —
2018–19 SC Bern NL 22 5 6 11 12 8 0 3 3 4
2019–20 HC Fribourg–Gottéron NL 15 3 10 13 2 — — — — —
2020–21 Eisbären Berlin DEL 26 12 13 25 20 8 3 6 9 4
2021–22 Eisbären Berlin DEL 36 15 10 25 32 11 7 2 9 8
2022–23 Eisbären Berlin DEL 56 17 29 46 56 — — — — —
2023–24 Eisbären Berlin DEL 51 23 21 44 61 15 3 8 11 12
NHL totals 127 12 18 30 16 — — — — —

International

[edit]
Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2006 Canada Pacific U17 4th 6 1 3 4 4
2006 Canada IH18 1st place, gold medalist(s) 4 0 2 2 4
2007 Canada WJC18 4th 6 4 3 7 4
2008 Canada WJC 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 0 0 0 2
2009 Canada WJC 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6 3 4 7 0
Junior totals 29 8 12 20 14

Awards and honours

[edit]
Award Year
WHL
East Second All-Star Team 2007, 2008 [22]
AHL
Second All-Star Team 2013–14 [23]
NL
Champions (SC Bern) 2019
DEL
Champions (Eisbären Berlin) 2021, 2022, 2024 [24][25][26]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Zach Boychuk player profile". Hockey's Future. October 13, 2023.
  2. ^ "WHL Announces Conferences All-Stars and Award Finalists". Canadian Hockey League. Archived from the original on January 1, 2009. Retrieved March 3, 2009.
  3. ^ "CSS Final Rankings announced". New York Islanders. April 24, 2008. Retrieved July 7, 2008.
  4. ^ "Boychuk gets the go-ahead". The News & Observer. September 23, 2008. Archived from the original on September 26, 2008. Retrieved October 5, 2008.
  5. ^ "Carolina Hurricanes sign 2008 first-round draft pick Zach Boychuk to contract". Canadian Press. October 4, 2008. Retrieved October 5, 2008.[dead link]
  6. ^ "Hurricanes return Boychuk to WHL". CBC. October 20, 2008. Retrieved October 21, 2008.
  7. ^ "NHL – New Jersey Devils/Carolina Hurricanes Box Score Saturday February 13, 2010 – Yahoo! Sports". Yahoo! Sports. February 13, 2010.
  8. ^ "Penguins claim forward Boychuk off waivers from Hurricanes". The Sports Network. January 31, 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  9. ^ "Nashville Predators Claim Zach Boychuk on Waivers". Nashville Predators. March 5, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  10. ^ "Canes Recall Forward Zach Boychuk". Carolina Hurricanes. December 6, 2013. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
  11. ^ "Canes Agree to Terms with Zach Boychuk". Carolina Hurricanes. July 7, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  12. ^ "Checkers acquire Miller from Bakersfield". American Hockey League. March 7, 2016. Archived from the original on June 13, 2016. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
  13. ^ James Mirtle (September 8, 2016). "More players offered PTO's". Twitter. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  14. ^ "Zach Boychuk signs contract with Severstal". Severstal Cherepovets (in Russian). June 1, 2018. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  15. ^ "Zach Boychuk joins SCB until end of season". SC Bern (in German). November 19, 2018. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  16. ^ "HC Fribourg-Gottéron signs Zach Boychuk as injury replacement". swisshockeynews.ch. December 27, 2019. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  17. ^ "RENEWED TRIUMPH FOR TEAM CANADA". spenglercup.ch. December 31, 2017. Archived from the original on January 1, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  18. ^ Punkari, Lucas (January 16, 2014). "Airdrie gymnast retires after decade, world championship". airdriecityview.com. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  19. ^ Kuhl, Nic (August 11, 2011). "Airdrie's twin stars have a healthy competition". airdriecityview.com. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  20. ^ Roumelitos, Peter (July 27, 2016). "Social media has its ups and downs for wary NHL players". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  21. ^ Custance, Craig (October 25, 2018). "Zach Boychuk is following you on Twitter, too? There's actually a story behind that". The Athletic. The New York Times. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  22. ^ "Zach Boychuk player profile". legendsofhockey.net. March 15, 2010. Retrieved April 15, 2013.
  23. ^ "First, Second AHL All-Stars named". American Hockey League. March 28, 2014. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  24. ^ "New champion in unique DEL season". IIHF. May 8, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  25. ^ "Belin defend title in DEL" (in German). Deutsche Eishockey Liga. May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  26. ^ "The Eisbären Berlin are German champions 2024!" (in German). Deutsche Eishockey Liga. April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
[edit]
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Carolina Hurricanes first round draft pick
2008 		Succeeded by
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