Reid Boucher signs in the KHL in the hopes of keeping his NHL dreams alive

Despite having a great season with the AHL's Utica Comets in 2019-20, 26-year-old Reid Boucher could not even get a sniff with the Vancouver Canucks. Boucher put up career highs in goals (34) and points (67), but the Canucks are currently loaded at left-wing and the former fourth round pick (99th overall) had to settle for staying in the minors. He's not angry over it, though.

"I'm a believer that everything happens for a reason. I tried to do everything I could for the organization to get a call up to the NHL to try and be successful, but it didn't happen. There's nothing really to be mad about," Boucher told The Province.

He has, however, decided to sign a deal with Avangard Omsk of the KHL for next season. He was given permission by Vancouver to pursue the deal, and the Canucks retain the pending restricted free agent's NHL rights.

"When my agent first brought it up, we were kind of like: ‘No way,'” said Boucher from his home in Lansing, Mich. “It just seemed so foreign. I never pictured myself going over there and playing. I have no idea how everything plays out over there.

“But as you start to think about it and things started to settle in, it sounded better and better. It's the place I'm at in my career, to go over and a chance to make some money and to experience the world a bit would be a good experience for everyone in my family.”

Boucher's agent, Gerry Johansson, said his client will make more money in the KHL than he had been in North America (Boucher's expiring deal was a one-year, two-way pact that paid US$750,000 in the NHL and $450,000 in the AHL). He also believes the experience could end up landing him a new NHL deal in the near future.

“Guys like Reid are in pretty high demand by European clubs, guys who have performed like him and been in the minors all year,” said Johansson.

“We were getting calls from Switzerland and the KHL will leave Reid with leverage if an NHL team wants to bring him back and assuming things get back to normal."

Avangard Omsk went 37-16-0-9 to finish third in the Eastern Conference this season. The team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs that were halted March 25 by the COVID-19 pandemic. The club is coached by former NHL bench boss Bob Hartley and its roster includes former Canucks winger Sergei Shirokov and former NHLers Vyacheslav Voynov, Cody Franson, Brandon McMillan and Alexei Emelin.

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