| Tyler Boucher | NTDP U17 | USHL | R | F | 6’1″ | 201 | Boston University | 2021 | Paoli, PA | 2003 | 2020-2021: B |
Neutral Zone NHL’s Ian Moran’s comments, June 2021: Tyler plays like a professional power forward right now. He’s energetic, powerful and does not ley anyone off the hook. He has the edge and tenaciousness that makes teams successful in the playoff. In a long series Tyler is the type of player who will wear you down. He doesn’t care who you are because he’s coming like a freight train to say hello. He has a powerful base which allows him to get to full speed quickly when coming out of turns or after body contact. Offensively he’s willing to take the goalie’s eyes away battling for net front ice no matter the situation and he has the quick stick skills to hammer home rebounds. Tyler is a force along the walls and spins off contact with his eyes up looking for an open teammate or open ice. Defensively he has the mindset and skating skills to be a high level killer and play against the other team’s top guys every night. He sets picks, battles through contact and naturally does what it takes to be a pro.
Neutral Zone’s Anthony Walsh, June 2021: Boucher is a physical, strong power forward that skates well and plays a great north/south game. He had a tough year with injuries, which really limited the number of games he was able to play in this year. When he was on the ice the Boston University commit didn’t hesitate to play his style and was aggressive in pursuit of the puck. He consistently finishes his checks and is a noticeable presence every time he steps on the ice. He is extremely effective on the forecheck where his skating and physicality force turnovers which lead to quick transition chances for his team. Boucher is a strong player who has a ton of success in puck battles and does great work in front of the net. He is able to establish himself and then uses his strength to hold his position. He is hungry and aggressive around the puck, always looking for second and third chances. His stick skills are also very good, showing an ability to deflect pucks in front and find ways to put dirty goals into the net. On the rush, Boucher does a great job of making plays with the puck on his stick. He uses his skating to push defenders back and looks to drive the puck hard to the net. If that isn’t available he has a hard, quick wrist shot that he will utilize to pick corners with his feet moving. Overall, he is a strong, physical power forward who plays a fast north/ south game, can create offensively, and has a high ceiling if he can fully recover from his injuries this past year.
NTDP Evaluation Camp Report, March 2019: Boucher wasn’t his best here but he showed enough to solidify a spot given his size, athleticism and translatable game. He’s a fluid, athletic skater, has soft hands, nice zip on his passes and uses his reach and length to his advantage to protect pucks and drive wide on defenders on zone entries. He scored a few goals here showing touch around the net and had a few carries up ice through the neutral zone which showed his long stride, speed and slick hands, particularly on a 1v1 dangle move around Avon teammate Drew Tsakounis. He has some details about his game that are underrated but impressed us here like catching hard passes on his backhand in stride without having to slow down or making smart passes coming off the wall or reading the play before he gets the puck to know what he’s going to do with it. One area that stood out here and is an area of his game he doesn’t get a ton of credit for is his hockey sense and vision; he sees the ice at a high level in the offensive zone and made several crafty passes to the weakside or to late trailers coming in off the rush. We would like to see him be more assertive in the offensive zone and play a more physical game to really hit his potential but with his size, smooth skating, athleticism, skill and hockey sense he has a bright future ahead. College: Boston University
NE Prep: Avon Old Farms Christmas Classic, December 2018: The 2003 finished with two goals and four assists. That includes a four-point performance in the final win over a very good Kent team and a winning gal against Tabor with under two seconds remaining on day two. He played with Miklakos and Heaslip and the entire line carried Avon offensively all weekend. Tyler is unusually mature and is both smart and instinctive on the ice. The 2003 jumps off the ice. He has good size but plays bigger than listed. He is fast, mobile, had great touches and can fire the puck. He sees plays before they happen and has all the tools to back his IQ and instincts. He was dominant at times, threaded passes through, dangles opponents and dragged and fired shots. Without the puck, he was just as good as he was always going to good spots and very willing to crash the net. Tyler was impressive and has an extremely high upside. He is the best prospect and player in NE Prep hockey right now. College: BU
Atlantic District Development Camp, June 2018: We’ve seen Tyler play better but he still stuck out. The size skill combo is high end, he is strong and smart. He sees the ice well and makes plays. Puck protection and the shot are good. He just has to keep working on the feet as he is a tall kid that is still growing. The potential is high end for college and even pro.
Liberty Bell Games, June 2018: Tyler is one of the best 2003 prospects in the USA. He has a pro skill set and long frame with plenty of room to add weight and strength. He was not consistently dominant here but his positives were impressive. Played with tremendous pace on the rush. His stride is long and productive. As he gets stronger, he will get even faster. Used his stick to create with slick dekes and to protect with reach. The puck does not slow him and he does a good job of disconnecting from it to thwart contact and stick checks. Scored a pretty goal as he pushed pace and blew by the defender around the blue line. Flew in the zone and finished with a slick, cross-crease deke. He has lots of tools and showed them off here as a younger player. Pro upside. College: BU
U14: Labor Day Bantams at Mennen (NJ), September 2017: Tyler is a lanky kid, strong, with good hands who understands the game. His skating needs some work and his team was outclassed here but you saw he has a well-rounded game in all three zones with a lot of upside.
2003 Crimson Combine, August 2017: Tyler was one of the bigger kids on the ice, and he used that to his full advantage. He was one of the most skilled players between the two teams, he works hard to win the battles and is crafty when the puck is on his stick. He skates well and gets pucks on net. Good two-way forward.
Mini Chowder Cup, August 2017: Plays at a very high speed, every shift he is making something happen. He creates offense and space for his line-mates by using his size and speed. Has an absolute rocket of a shot that gets on net. He is shifty, slippery and balanced on his skates. Makes him tough to stop. Plays in all three zones and has a lot of quality hockey ahead of him.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images