The cleanest player! In nine years he has spent only 104 minutes in the penalty box; Eddie Shore of Boston served 165 in a single season. Frank Boucher's average penalty in a year is 11 1/2 minutes; that of the leading offenders is 129.
All of which would mean little if Frank were a mediocre or a timid player. But he is neither. As to his playing ability - in the nine seasons he has only once finished out of the first ten in scoring, and he is universally considered one of the greatest centers of all time.
...
"But they taught us in the Mounted to let no one get the drop on us, and I would have fought somebody that night, sure, as a warning. It just happened to be Bill Phillips."
After that, he had no trouble?
"Oh, surely - had some and gave some. But one night early next season something happened. I got bumped hard and I saw red, but suddenly another thing they teach in the Mounted came to me: 'Don't shoot until you have to - be slow on the draw!' and somehow, instead of going for the man I took after the puck. I was so mad I stickhandled it up the whole rink before I knew what I was doing, but I scored. It's been that way ever since - when I get mad I take it out on the puck." And he added, with his quiet smile: "That's why I always like to get a good bumping at the start of a game."
