Henry Boucha

A full-blooded Chippewa Indian, Henry Boucha was such a star in Minnesota high school hockey that he skipped college and went straight to Junior A hockey in Canada. He played in 1969-70 for the Winnipeg Jets before joining the U.S. National team. He represented the country at the 1970 and 1971 World Championships as well as the 1972 Olympics. Boucha was signed by the Detroit Red Wings after the Olympics and he played quite well for them for most of three seasons.

In 1974 Boucha was signed by the Minnesota North Stars but missed half of the season due to an eye injury which required surgery. Boucha was in a fight with the Bruins Dave Forbes and Forbes jammed the butt end of his stick into Boucha’s eye. Criminal assault charges were filed against Forbes, the first time this occurred from an injury in a sports event. The trial ended in a hung jury.

Boucha sued Forbes, the Bruins, and the NHL and reportedly received a settlement of more than $1 million. The eye injury hampered his effectiveness and he retired after the 1976-77 season. In 1995 he became the first Native American to be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.

After his playing career ended Boucha was Indian Education Director at Warroad Public Schools, coached youth hockey and worked in real estate. He was a lifelong activist for Native American rights.