Evan Bouchard burst on to the scene during the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs. After his London Knights were eliminated in the Ontario Hockey League Playoffs, Bouchard joined the division champion Condors in their best-of-5 first round series with Colorado. After sitting the first two games on the road, Bouchard was inserted into the lineup at home in Game 3 and promptly registered a three-point night with a goal and two assists. The following game, he scored a third period tying goal with a patented “Bouch Bomb” as the Condors went on to eliminate the Eagles. He quickly became a key factor in the next series against San Diego as well, notching eight points (3g-5a) in eight games during the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs.

WATCH: Bouchard 1-on-1 from 2020

WATCH: Bouchard first AHL goal

The shortened 2019-20 season ended up being Bouchard’s only full AHL campaign as he finished in the top-10 among d-men in scoring, was third among rookie d-men in scoring, and was named to the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic.

After graduating full-time to the NHL, Bouchard has quickly become an elite NHL d-man with the 2023-24 season serving as a breakout season for the now 24-year old. He notched 82 points in 81 games and was third on the Oilers in scoring, only behind Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. His play has taken off even further in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 27 points in 18 games en route to becoming the third fastest d-man to reach 50 playoff points. The others? Bobby Orr and Brian Leetch.