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Bouchard discusses season/playoffs, WJC and potential SHL draft destinations 2x media
#1

(4,200 words, ready to be graded, double media week)
We, here at the SHL Network were lucky enough to be granted a rare interview with Swedish born defenseman from the St. Louis Scarecrows and upcoming Season 59 SHL draft prospect, Ethan Bouchard. We were able to chat with Bouchard about many things, including his SMJHL draft experience as well as his thoughts on the season with the Scarecrows in St. Louis and the SMJHL playoffs. Bouchard also spoke to us about his selection to the Team Sweden World Junior Championships team and the tournament itself as well as his thoughts on each possible SHL draft destination where he could eventually be drafted to.

Reporter: Hello Ethan, how are you doing today?

Bouchard: Not so bad, and yourself?

Reporter: Good, good. You were a bit late in declaring yourself eligible for the Season 58 SMJHL Entry Draft but still made it in time to be a part of that draft class. How was your SMJHL draft experience?

Bouchard: Yeah. I had a little bit of a hard time getting all my papers sorted out from Sweden to be able to make the journey over to North America, but luckily, it was all sorted out in time. The draft experience was a fun one with a lot of the teams coming to me for interviews prior to the draft as well as the draft combine. It was very enjoyable for sure and on draft night, I really could not predict where I would be selected, which makes it that much more exciting. Eventually, I would be selected sixth overall by the St. Louis Scarecrows as a part of the first round. I was ecstatic when I heard my name called, as my agent, John McBride told me great things about the Scarecrows franchise. His previous client, Noah Gallagher, was also drafted by St. Louis and had a great time with the Scarecrows. The rest, as they say, is history!

Reporter: Very interesting Ethan, now you and your St. Louis teammates finished the season with a record of 19-40-7 for 45 points. That was good for fifth place in the East division and eleventh in the SMJHL, just a single point behind the Anaheim Outlaws, who finished last place in the West. Can you tell us your thoughts about the regular season, individually as well as in terms of team play?

Bouchard: Sure. As far as my individual play is concerned, I think I put up a decent rookie campaign in the J. I was averaging nearly twenty minutes on the ice per night and was able to light the lamp five times with seven helpers, for twelve points on the season. I put 77 shots on goal for nearly a 7% shooting percentage and defensively, I am happy with my 57 body checks and 18 takeaways as well as 24 shot blocks. There are some aspects I still need a lot of work on though, such as my -33 rating (seventh worst in the SMJHL) and 47 giveaways as well as 59 penalty minutes showing that I need to be more disciplined. As far as team play is concerned, I think we did a lot better than many people expected us to do. Sure, we finished third from last in league standings but we fought all season long and came close in a lot of games that we ended up on the wrong side of the score on. Our offense was very good, scoring 170 goals in the 66 games, sixth among SMJHL teams and our defense was what set up back a bit, allowing a league-worst 254 goals. We went into our playoff series with the Anchorage Armada feeling that we had a decent chance to upset them in the opening round.

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Reporter: Speaking of the playoffs, how about we discuss that for a moment? Obviously, you and the rest of your Scarecrow teammates were not able to make that upset of Anchorage come to fruition as they went on to advance all the way to the 4 Star Cup Finals, where they would eventually fall to the Quebec City City Citadelles. How was your experience in the SMJHL playoffs?

Bouchard: Yeah. Many people wrote us off and did not give us any chance of competing with Anchorage in that playoff series but we silenced many of those when we came in and made it an exciting and competitive series! We were able to pull of a big win in game one on the road by a score of 5-2, which was a huge boost for our group and in game two, we came so very close to taking both games in Anchorage but it was not to be as the Armada pulled off the 4-3 overtime win. With a series split coming back home to St. Louis, we lost a close one in front of our hometown crowd by a 3-1 score in game 3 but pulled off the upset in game 4 in front of our fans by the same 3-1 score. With the series down to a best of three, we came very close in game 5 again but dropped a 5-4 decision on the road to the Armada and in what would be the deciding game, dropped a 4-3 decision in front of our hometown crowd in game 6. Of course it is disappointing to lose in the opening round of the playoffs but we fought hard each and every game and I am proud of what our group was able to accomplish in the playoffs. We were never out of any game and it easily could have gone the other way with us landing the upset series win. We will be back and even stronger next season, ready for a longer playoff run!

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Reporter: Yes. The Scarecrows sure surprised many critics who believed that it would be an easy four game sweep for Anchorage. Now next on the agenda will be the World Junior Championship. You were selected to represent Team Sweden at the tournament. What are your thoughts on the international play and the tournament itself?

Bouchard: Yeah, it is always an honour when you are able to represent your country on the international stage, just playing for pride. In this tournament, you get to meet and play on the same side as some guys that maybe you don't know all that well or have played on the opposite side of in the past. That is kind of nice and as far as the tournament goes, I think we have a good shot and being one of the most competitive teams in the tournament. From the looks of the roster and meeting all of the guys selected to the team, I believe that we could be in medal contention for this tournament. The goal is always to bring home a medal for your country, preferably a gold one and I will put forth my best effort to make that happen for myself, my teammates and all of Sweden! If it does not go down that way, I will still be very proud to have been one of the chosen ones to represent my country on the international stage of competition.

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Reporter: The Season 59 SHL Entry Draft is just hours away now. You must be very excited to find out which one of the 18 SHL franchises will call you up to the podium and select you as one of their draft selections on draft night. Do you have any thoughts on where you will be selected in the draft and have any of the general managers approached you on the possibility of joining their club? Are there any teams you would like to play for or any you would rather not play for?

Bouchard: Yeah, it is an exciting time me myself and the rest of the Season 59 SHL draft class, that is for sure. There have been a few teams that I have been in contact with and some of those talks have been more promising than others. I do have some idea where I will be selected in the draft but I will not reveal that information here, you all will just have to tune into the draft later tonight to find out . Yeah, I will give my input and interest of each SHL franchise, in no particular order.

Calgary Dragons
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I have nothing against the management or the players and prospects in the Calgary Dragons system, but this is a destination that I would not like to be drafted to. There are quite a few names here that I recognize and that it would be nice to be teammates with but that still does not change my stance on Calgary. The management team definitely knows what they are doing and how to build a championship caliber team and the Dragons do have a lot of history here in the SHL. If I were to be drafted by the Calgary Dragons, I likely would refuse to sign a contract and they would have wasted a draft pick on me but they do not have a draft selection until late in the second round, so it is not likely that they would be able to land me anyways.

Edmonton Blizzard
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The Edmonton Blizzard, formerly the Edmonton Comets  are one of the first expansion teams in the league, joining in Season 2. They have a rich history of winning and a very long list of hall of fame players and award winners. The management team is one of the best among SHL teams in the form of Keygan and TommySalami. On the Edmonton roster, there are a few names that I recognize and would love the chance to be teammates with as well as some names that are not familiar with who I would like to have a chance to get to know. If I would to be drafted here, I think that I would have a great chance at excelling and eventually become an SHL superstar. I was reached out to by Blizzard management but that's as far as it went, so I do not think that they are all that interested in adding me to their prospect pool.

Los Angeles Panthers
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The Los Angeles Panthers are a team that would not mind suiting up for at all. There are quite a few players in the Panthers organization that I am very familiar with as well as some new faces to me, who I would like to have a chance to get to know. The Panthers general manager is someone who was a teammate of mine in St. Louis with Gallagher and I enjoyed my time winning a 4 Star Cup with them. Although Los Angeles has not won a Challenge Cup since Season 17, it always seems that they are in the mix and a Challenge Cup contender, year after year. They did go to the finals in Seasons 39 and 41 but were not able to complete their goal. Although the Panthers make the playoffs most seasons, they seem to have trouble winning a series lately. With some good drafting and development, Los Angeles could become a very competitive team once again and I would be happy to help out in bringing a much needed championship to Los Angeles but they are not selecting until 15th overall so I am not sure that I would fall to them.

Minnesota Monarchs
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The Minnesota Monarchs, who were known as the Minnesota Chiefs for most of their existence are a team that I would love to go to. I am very familiar with everyone in the Monarchs organization to say the least. Noah Gallagher spent all of his career but two seasons in Minnesota and I really enjoyed everyone and everything there. Although the Monarchs never made the playoffs in my time there, they are on the cusp of becoming a perennial playoff team and not far off from becoming a serious Challenge Cup contender with some smart drafting and development as well as some luck. I very much would welcome a return to Minnesota and join the Monarchs just as they are hitting their compete window!

New Orleans Specters
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The New Orleans Specters are a fairly new team to the SHL, joining during the Season 46 expansion and had some early success, advancing to the Challenge Cup Finals in Season 46, 54 and 55 and winning it all in Season 54. Their management team of  JKortesi81 and Nictox are great people and people that I am very familiar with from my time in St. Louis with Gallagher and to a lesser extent, now with Bouchard. They have quite a few names that I recognize, including some former and current Scarecrows which would be nice to be teammates with and would love to help New Orleans compete for more Challenge Cups in the future. The Specters will not make their first selection in the draft until the 14th overall selection and I do not think I will fall that far down the draft board but who knows? Anything can happen on the draft floor.

San Francisco Pride
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The San Francisco Pride, rebranded from the Portland Admirals in Season 37, have been a part of the league for a couple of decades now and have not really been able to find a whole lot of team success. They were able to compete for the Challenge Cup on two occasions as the Portland Admirals but eventually lost both times. As the Pride, they advanced to the Season 52 Challenge Cup Finals but eventually dropped the series to the Manhattan Rage. San Francisco were the first team to scout me and their locker room seems like a great atmosphere but the rumblings are that they are looking to draft a forward with their seventh overall pick. Although, I think I would enjoy becoming part of this SHL organization, I seriously doubt that I will end up here when it's all said and done.

Seattle Argonauts
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The Seattle Argonauts are one of the two newest SHL franchises, joining the league in the Season 56 expansion, alongside the Atlanta Inferno. They have not found all that much on ice success yet but the Argonauts have only completed three SHL seasons and should only get better from here. There are a few names that are familiar to me among the Seattle Argonauts players and prospects, including current teammate, Daryl Urquhart and others that would be fun to get to know. Although Seattle does not currently hold a first round selection and do not have a selection until 26th overall, I think it would be fun to be a part of their team. I was never approached by any scouts from the Argonauts organization, so I do not see them as a team who would pick me up.

Texas Renegades
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There are only a couple of names that ring a bell to me in the Texas Renegades locker room as of now, including former Crow, Noah Brusky. Texas could be a good place for me to get acquainted with people that I do not know and they do always seem to have a very competitive team but I am not all that acquainted with the management of Texas, I'm sure that it would be a good place for Bouchard to develop and find success at the SHL level. Much like the Seattle organization, I was never contacted by the Renegades and they do not own a draft selection until the 34th overall pick, and thus I do not see myself fitting into their draft plans in this draft class.

Winnipeg Aurora
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The Winnipeg Aurora were known as the Winnipeg Jets until just recently, when they rebranded to the Aurora, a rebrand that I personally love. The Jets/Aurora have a rich history of winning, advancing to the Challenge Cup Finals on ten occasions and have six championship rings in franchise history. Winnipeg have a great GM tandem, including the head GM who I have always got along with and enjoyed conversing with as well as quite a few recognizable in their locker room including one of my current GM's in St. Louis. I definitely have a huge interest in becoming a part of the Winnipeg organization with three former players drafted by them (John McBride, Artom Zhumbayev and Noah Gallagher). I had some great talks leading up to draft day with their management and would very much welcome suiting up for them and competing for championships! The Aurora currently hold the eighth and ninth overall selections and that is a draft position that I could see myself being selected at.

Atlanta Inferno
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The Atlanta Inferno were the other franchise who were a part of the Season 56 expansion but they have found a bit more success than their expansion sister team in the Seattle Argonauts. I do not personally know much about the Inferno management team but they seem like good people and well respected around the league as well as people who have the ability to put together competitive teams. There are some names on their roster that I recognize but nobody that I am too familiar with, aside from Pavel Jeziak. I think Atlanta would be a nice place for me to develop before making the jump up to the SHL and help them with their first Challenge Cup. The Inferno hold the 17th overall pick in the draft and I was never contacted by them so I am not so confident that they are a destination where I will end up.

Baltimore Platoon
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The Baltimore Platoon re-located from West Kendall a bit ago now but opted to stick with their same moniker and colour scheme which had been synonymous with the Platoon franchise, one of the original SHL teams. Baltimore/West Kendall have enjoyed quite a bit of success, especially in the earlier seasons but have not captured a Challenge Cup since Season 47. I am a little bit familiar with one of their general managers and they have some prospects who I have had the chance to meet and get to know, including current teammate, Victor Fedorov. Baltimore would be a place that I would enjoy coming to and helping them get back to being competitive but again, they never contacted me and do not draft until early in the third round so I just do not see it happening.

Buffalo Stampede
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The Buffalo Stampede always seem to have a very competitive team and always in the mix for Challenge Cup contention lately, winning three Challenge Cups since Season 46 and advancing to the Challenge Cup Finals five times in that same time span. It would definitely be nice to join a squad with that kind of track record and the Stampede do have a great management team as well. There are some names on the Buffalo roster and prospects pool that I know but also a lot of names that I do not, who I could get to know if drafted by them. They do currently own the tenth overall selection in the draft and if they were to call my name, I would be happy to pull on the green and gold jersey and become a part of their future blue line!

Chicago Syndicate
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The Chicago Syndicate are also a very new and fresh team in the SHL, joining in during the Season 46 expansion. Early on, the Chicago Syndicate struggled to find on ice success but they are just one season removed from winning the Challenge Cup (Season 57) and have a very good management team who I enjoy conversing with. The Syndicate locker room is filled with players and prospects that I know and would love to have a chance to be teammates with and they have reached out to me about their interest in drafting me. Chicago would be a great place to be drafted to but their first selection is not until the last pick of the first round and I just do not see myself staying on the draft board for that long.

Hamilton Steelhawks
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The Hamilton Steelhawks are one of the original SHL franchises who were in the league right from the start in Season 1 and have won a total of seven Challenge Cups, including the most recent one in Season 58. They also have advanced to the Challenge Cup Finals a total of 17 times. There are a few faces in their locker room as well as in their prospect pool that are recognizable to myself but despite that, due to personal reasons that I will not get into, Hamilton is a destination that is undesirable to me. Should they choose to go ahead and draft me anyways, much like Calgary, I am very unlikely to sign a contract with them and they would have wasted that draft pick. Hamilton does not own a draft pick until the middle of the third round anyways, so they would not have a chance to select me in the draft.

Manhattan Rage
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The Manhattan Rage are a team who made it known that I am a player that they would be interested in drafting if given that chance and they have been decently successful, winning four Challenge Cups in their history (the first coming in Season 22) and advancing to the final round of the playoffs on six occasions. There are some people among their rostered players and prospect pool that I know, including a few former teammates, one of which I have become good friends with on site. The Rage also have a great management team and Manhattan would be a great place for Bouchard to develop and etch out a great SHL career. The Manhattan Rage will not be drafting until mid to late of the first round and I may be off the draft board by then but we will see what happens in due time!

New England Wolfpack
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The New England Wolfpack are a team that I would be very happy to be selected by. One of my previous players, Carter O'Callahan was drafted by them with a third overall selection and spent the majority of his career there, claiming one Challenge Cup ring. New England has a great branding in my opinion and have won four championships in their history, advancing to the Challenge Cup Finals eight times and winning the President's Trophy five times. The Wolfpack have a great management team, including someone who is a fellow Swede and a lot more players and prospects that I share the Swedish locker room with as well as a member who I go way with, someone who goes back to a teammate of my first player in the juniors. The New England Wolfpack will not make their first selection until the number 11 overall selection and that is a spot I could potentially be picked up at.

Tampa Bay Barracuda
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The Tampa Bay Barracuda just recently changed their colour scheme and although I am not too fond of the new colours, that is not something that would turn me away from wanting to be selected by them in the draft. I have had some conversations with the Barracuda management that went decently well and they have yet to be able to hoist the Challenge Cup. Tampa Bay did advance to the final round of the playoffs in Season 50 but lost to the Calgary Dragons in their only trip there. In Season 48, the Barracuda finished with the best regular season record and won the President's Trophy. They will be selecting fifth overall in this draft and if they choose to select me, I would be very happy to join their club!

Toronto North Stars
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Last on the list of potential destination is the Toronto North Stars, a team that struggled and always seemed to be snake-bitten come playoff time until Season 35 when they captured their first Challenge Cup as one of the original SHL teams. That is their only championship to date in four trips to the Challenge Cup Finals and two President's Trophies to their name. Toronto has a great set of GM's who are set up good to start competing seriously very soon and they have a few names in their locker room, including my other GM in St. Louis, who was also a teammate of Noah Gallagher. The North Stars own three of the first six selections in the draft, including the top two selections so they will be adding some more great talent to their cupboards. Although, I would love to join the Toronto North Stars franchise, I never was contacted by them so that leads me to believe that they will be going in a different direction come draft time.

Reporter: Great insight and thoughts there on all of the SHL franchises, Ethan. It was very interesting to get to know your thought process on each of the SHL franchises as far as a draft destination is concerned. Thank you for taking the time to speak to us today but unfortunately, that is all the time we have. We look forward to speaking to you again in the near future!

Bouchard: No problem. Thanks for having me!

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