Rangers Ink Former AHL MVP Chris Bourque
Jul 2, 2014New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the team has agreed to terms with free agent forward Chris Bourque.
Bourque, 28, split this past season between Ak Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and EHC Biel of National League A (NLA) in Switzerland. He tallied two goals, along with six penalty minutes in 11 games with Ak Bars Kazan. In 21 contests with Biel, Bourque registered six goals and seven assists for 13 points, along with 14 penalty minutes. He also tallied four goals and four assists for eight points, along with four penalty minutes in 12 postseason contests with Biel. Bourque tied for fourth on Biel in goals during the postseason.
In 51 career NHL games with Washington, Pittsburgh, and Boston, the 5-8, 180-pounder has registered two goals and six assists for eight points, along with 18 penalty minutes. Bourque made his NHL debut as a member of the Capitals on November 6, 2007 at Atlanta, and tallied his first career NHL point with a goal on December 20, 2008 at Buffalo. In 2012-13, Bourque recorded one goal and three assists for four points in 18 games with Boston. He registered the first game-winning goal of his career on February 2, 2013 at Toronto.
Bourque has also tallied 142 goals and 291 assists for 433 points, along with 306 penalty minutes and a plus-54 rating in 437 career games in the American Hockey League (AHL). In 2011-12, he led the AHL in assists (66) and points (93), and was named to the AHL’s First All-Star Team while playing with the Hershey Bears. Bourque has won three Calder Cup Championships (2005-06, 2008-09, 2009-10), and was named AHL Playoffs MVP in 2010 after registering seven goals and 20 assists for 27 points in 21 playoff contests.
The Boston, Massachusetts native was originally selected by Washington in the second round, 33rd overall, of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.